KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee softball head coach Karen Weekly has announced the addition of Oklahoma transfer infielder Zaida Puni to the Lady Vol program.

"Zaida was one of the most highly recruited players in the 2020 class," Weekly said. "She has a powerful bat, exceptional defensive skills and a high softball IQ. The training she received in the OC Batbusters organization under Mike Stith and his staff is invaluable. She is a great to addition to our program and we're excited to coach her."

A rising sophomore from Carson, California, Puni spent her freshman campaign in Norman, Oklahoma, as a member of OU's 2021 national championship squad. She appeared in 15 games for the Sooners, hitting .357 (5-for-14) with three doubles, one home run, six runs scored and six RBIs during her rookie season.

Prior to Oklahoma, Puni starred for St. Anthony's High School (Carson, Calif.) and the OC Batbusters travel club. She was ranked as the No. 25 player in the country by Extra Inning Softball and No. 79 by FloSoftball. As a junior, she batted .382 with 31 hits, 27 RBIs, 26 steals and 16 homers. In the summer of 2019, Puni helped lead the Batbusters to the 2019 18U USA World Fast Pitch Championship.