MATCH CENTRAL: Tennessee vs. Bowling Green
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee will host Bowling Green at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday in the third match of a six-game homestand. The contest will be streamed on SECN+.
The Lady Vols (0-2-1) are coming off a tough 3-2 loss to No. 5 Duke on Thursday. Redshirt-junior
Jaida Thomas and sophomore
Taylor Huff found the back of the net for Tennessee, and senior
Lindsey Romig, who was returning from illness after missing two contests, made three saves on the day.
BGSU is 0-1-1 on the season, most recently playing Cincinnati to a 1-1 draw on Thursday.
UP NEXT: Tennessee will host Tennessee Tech for a 7 p.m. ET match on Sunday, Sep. 4. The game will be streamed on SECN+.
SCOUTING THE FALCONS: BGSU finished the 2021 campaign with a record of 11-7-3 overall and went 8-2-1 in conference play, clinching regular season and tournament tiles. The Falcons were picked to finish second in the MAC, as voted on by the league's coaches.
VS MAC SCHOOLS: This is just the second Mid-American Conference opponent the Lady Vols have faced. Tennesee has twice played Miami (Ohio), losing the first (3-2, OT) and winning the second (2-0) for a 1-1 record against MAC schools.
NATIONAL TEAM ACTION: Freshman
Kameron Simmonds and redshirt-junior
Giselle Washington have been called into the Jamaican Women's National Team camp ahead of the Reggae Girlz international friendly against South Korea on Sept. 3. It is the first call-up to the senior team for Simmonds who has previously been active with the U-17 and U-20 squads. Washington scored four goals during the 2019 CONCACAF World Cup qualifying stage, helping the Reggae Girlz qualify for the country's first-ever FIFA Women's World Cup. The pair join former Tennessee standout Bunny Shaw on the roster.
DANGER HUFF: Sophomore
Taylor Huff managed two shots on goal against Duke, finding the net on one. She has now taken six shots over the two games in which she's been in action, all of which have been on frame.
THOMAS MAKING MOVES: With her second goal of the season against Duke, redshirt-junior
Jaida Thomas moved into a tie for sixth in all-time career goals at Tennessee with 27. She ties Bunny Shaw and Allison Campbell, and currently sits 16 goals behind No. 1 Kylee Rossi and just six behind No. 2 Hannah Wilkinson
SIX LADY VOLS ON SEC WATCH LIST: Fifth-year seniors
Abbey Burdette and
Mackenzie George, senior
Lindsey Romig, redshirt-junior
Jaida Thomas, junior
Lawson Renie and sophomore
Taylor Huff were all named to the SEC Preseason Watch List. This is Romig's third straight appearance on the watch list, while George and Thomas are making their second straight appearances.
GUESS WHO'S BACK, BACK AGAIN: UT returns 10 starters from the 2021 SEC Championship squad, including Second Team All-American and First Team All-Region forward
Jaida Thomas, 2021 SEC Freshman of the Year
Taylor Huff, and First Team All-SEC forward
Mackenzie George.
YOUNG GUNS: The Lady Vols welcomed the No. 6 signing class in the nation as rated by Top Drawer Soccer. The group features nine versatile field players and one goalkeeper with five players rated inside the IMG Academy Top-150 club player rankings. Freshmen
Layla Shell and
Macaira Midgley enrolled in January and gained valuable experience during UT's spring season.
TENNESSEE ON TOP: The Lady Vols were picked to finish first in the SEC as voted on by the conference's 14 head coaches. UT is coming off a 2021 campaign in which it won a program-best 20 games, clinching an SEC Tournament Championship and going 20-3 en route to the NCAA Round of 16.
THE KIRT ERA:
Joe Kirt is looking for his first win as a head coach. Kirt, who joined the Tennessee Soccer staff under Angela Kelly in 2007, was promoted to head coach in April of 2022.