Former Lady Vols basketball forward Lauren Hurst has been ruled out for her sophomore season, according to a report from David Cunningham. Hurst is now at Virginia Tech, but is inactive due to a knee injury, her head coach Megan Duffy said.

This means that Hurst won’t play in a revenge game against Tennessee and Kim Caldwell, though. The Lady Vols and Hokies will meet in the SEC/ACC Women’s Basketball Challenge on Thursday, December 3, 2026, in Blacksburg, Virginia. The game will air on ESPN2 and tips off at 9 p.m. ET.

Hurst has a teammate who also played at UT last season, though. Forward Alyssa Latham spent the past two years with the Lady Vols before exiting this offseason for Virginia Tech. She began her career at Syracuse.

Hurst was a four-star recruit and top-50 prospect out of high school. ESPNW ranked her as the No. 45 player in the class and No. 9 wing for the 2026 class. She is from Cleveland, Tennessee, just a drive from UT’s campus.

As a freshman, Hurst didn’t crack the rotation for many minutes early, but was a factor down the stretch. She averaged 2.2 points per game on 48.8% shooting from the field and 41.4% on threes. She also averaged 1.6 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game in 24 appearances and one start.

Hurst had the best game of her freshman season at Ole Miss. Despite the loss, she posted a career-high 16 points, nine rebounds and two steals in the game. This included four makes from three.

The 6-foot-3 forward is a two-sport star, as well. She also committed to play volleyball at Tennessee, and at the time of her commitment, had the plan to play both sports at UT. Hurst is also the younger sister of Vols basketball guard Grant Hurst.