⚽️Lady Vols Soccer Thread

[brittannica]

Somewhat related to Lady Vols soccer through Pensky, FSU beat reigning NWSL champions NY/NJ Gotham 3-2 today. I always side eye scrimmage results because coaches may just be trying things, but still interesting.

 

[MAD]

Somewhat related to Lady Vols soccer through Pensky, FSU beat reigning NWSL champions NY/NJ Gotham 3-2 today. I always side eye scrimmage results because coaches may just be trying things, but still interesting.

That is very impressive.

 

[MAD]

 

[MAD]

 

[SoilVol]

However, the next four years were not good: We were barely above 500 overall in all of them, had a losing SEC record in three of those years and I think were .500 in the SEC one year. We were not in the NCAA in any of those four years. It wasn't until the next year, 2017, when we were really good.

I was in Knoxville during this time and good friends with several players. I think I have hindsight speculation of why this specifically happened. For one, Pensky didn't want to leave Maryland. It was like a Kelly to Texas situation. He'd be vying for a raise and their AD wouldn't give it, we made the offer, he threatened to leave and the Md AD let him walk. He just wanted it matched or his current contract extended. I don't remember the full details. A major MD booster (whose daughter was on the 2017 UT team) offered to make a large donation to retain Pensky at MD and was turned down.

Pensky had set up a huge recruiting network in the DC, MD, NJ, VA (Mid Atlantic) region. He'd built relationships with a ton of recruits that were in middle and high school in the region, and when he left MD the older ones more-or-less stuck to MD or flipped to other schools. But the younger group that he'd recruited eventually became Vols: Flynn, Baldwin, Cousins, etc from that area.

I think he could have made up ground in those early years if he'd have actively recruited TN girls, but as one of the girls on the team at the time told me, "Look, soccer players in TN just aren't as good as us and Coach Brian knows it." Then proceed to get beaten by Belmont, Lipscomb, and Vandy - ignoring some Memphis, Midstate, and East TN girls were top-ranked and going to ACC programs (I digress)....

I think the early years he wasn't fully invested in TN. Idk, that was my feel from the time I was there. Later he started getting some more TN girls I think (Jordan was one, and that was a botched recruitment at first that was part on Pensky and part on the travel coach who didn't like Pensky) and overall the momentum kept building and it became a strong brand and program. Bunny helped a TON with that. She's a superstar.

That's just my 2 cents from my experience. Idk how much is accurate or even worthwhile (I don't frequent this thread much and idk if I've ever even posted).

 

[MAD]

I was in Knoxville during this time and good friends with several players. I think I have hindsight speculation of why this specifically happened. For one, Pensky didn't want to leave Maryland. It was like a Kelly to Texas situation. He'd be vying for a raise and their AD wouldn't give it, we made the offer, he threatened to leave and the Md AD let him walk. He just wanted it matched or his current contract extended. I don't remember the full details. A major MD booster (whose daughter was on the 2017 UT team) offered to make a large donation to retain Pensky at MD and was turned down.

Pensky had set up a huge recruiting network in the DC, MD, NJ, VA (Mid Atlantic) region. He'd built relationships with a ton of recruits that were in middle and high school in the region, and when he left MD the older ones more-or-less stuck to MD or flipped to other schools. But the younger group that he'd recruited eventually became Vols: Flynn, Baldwin, Cousins, etc from that area.

I think he could have made up ground in those early years if he'd have actively recruited TN girls, but as one of the girls on the team at the time told me, "Look, soccer players in TN just aren't as good as us and Coach Brian knows it." Then proceed to get beaten by Belmont, Lipscomb, and Vandy - ignoring some Memphis, Midstate, and East TN girls were top-ranked and going to ACC programs (I digress)....

I think the early years he wasn't fully invested in TN. Idk, that was my feel from the time I was there. Later he started getting some more TN girls I think (Jordan was one, and that was a botched recruitment at first that was part on Pensky and part on the travel coach who didn't like Pensky) and overall the momentum kept building and it became a strong brand and program. Bunny helped a TON with that. She's a superstar.

That's just my 2 cents from my experience. Idk how much is accurate or even worthwhile (I don't frequent this thread much and idk if I've ever even posted).

That was such a fascinating read, gave a lot of insight. Thanks for posting.

 

[brittannica]

I was in Knoxville during this time and good friends with several players. I think I have hindsight speculation of why this specifically happened. For one, Pensky didn't want to leave Maryland. It was like a Kelly to Texas situation. He'd be vying for a raise and their AD wouldn't give it, we made the offer, he threatened to leave and the Md AD let him walk. He just wanted it matched or his current contract extended. I don't remember the full details. A major MD booster (whose daughter was on the 2017 UT team) offered to make a large donation to retain Pensky at MD and was turned down.

Pensky had set up a huge recruiting network in the DC, MD, NJ, VA (Mid Atlantic) region. He'd built relationships with a ton of recruits that were in middle and high school in the region, and when he left MD the older ones more-or-less stuck to MD or flipped to other schools. But the younger group that he'd recruited eventually became Vols: Flynn, Baldwin, Cousins, etc from that area.

I think he could have made up ground in those early years if he'd have actively recruited TN girls, but as one of the girls on the team at the time told me, "Look, soccer players in TN just aren't as good as us and Coach Brian knows it." Then proceed to get beaten by Belmont, Lipscomb, and Vandy - ignoring some Memphis, Midstate, and East TN girls were top-ranked and going to ACC programs (I digress)....

I think the early years he wasn't fully invested in TN. Idk, that was my feel from the time I was there. Later he started getting some more TN girls I think (Jordan was one, and that was a botched recruitment at first that was part on Pensky and part on the travel coach who didn't like Pensky) and overall the momentum kept building and it became a strong brand and program. Bunny helped a TON with that. She's a superstar.

That's just my 2 cents from my experience. Idk how much is accurate or even worthwhile (I don't frequent this thread much and idk if I've ever even posted).

This is very cool! Thank you for sharing.

 

[turbovol]

I was in Knoxville during this time and good friends with several players. I think I have hindsight speculation of why this specifically happened. For one, Pensky didn't want to leave Maryland. It was like a Kelly to Texas situation. He'd be vying for a raise and their AD wouldn't give it, we made the offer, he threatened to leave and the Md AD let him walk. He just wanted it matched or his current contract extended. I don't remember the full details. A major MD booster (whose daughter was on the 2017 UT team) offered to make a large donation to retain Pensky at MD and was turned down.

Pensky had set up a huge recruiting network in the DC, MD, NJ, VA (Mid Atlantic) region. He'd built relationships with a ton of recruits that were in middle and high school in the region, and when he left MD the older ones more-or-less stuck to MD or flipped to other schools. But the younger group that he'd recruited eventually became Vols: Flynn, Baldwin, Cousins, etc from that area.

I think he could have made up ground in those early years if he'd have actively recruited TN girls, but as one of the girls on the team at the time told me, "Look, soccer players in TN just aren't as good as us and Coach Brian knows it." Then proceed to get beaten by Belmont, Lipscomb, and Vandy - ignoring some Memphis, Midstate, and East TN girls were top-ranked and going to ACC programs (I digress)....

I think the early years he wasn't fully invested in TN. Idk, that was my feel from the time I was there. Later he started getting some more TN girls I think (Jordan was one, and that was a botched recruitment at first that was part on Pensky and part on the travel coach who didn't like Pensky) and overall the momentum kept building and it became a strong brand and program. Bunny helped a TON with that. She's a superstar.

That's just my 2 cents from my experience. Idk how much is accurate or even worthwhile (I don't frequent this thread much and idk if I've ever even posted).

Good to have the input. The strong '17 team and excellent '18 team had very few Tennessee recruits. All our best-players were from other states. Bialczak---who was as athletic as Huff (but didn't have Huff's ball skills or shot) and a major player for us--was from Maryland. She and Flynn (solid winger from No. Virginia) were definitely from that mid-Atlantic area that Pensky knew well. Cousins was from rural SW Virginia; Vignola was from Ohio, Gouner (starting CB) and Flynn (good midfielder) were from Colorado; Maya Neal (converted from forward to CB) was from Illinois; keeper Yanez was from PA; Erin Gilroy--fantastic forward (starter on the U.S. U20 team) was from New York State; Marcano from Georgia; and of course Bunny from Jamaica (originally committed to Florida and Pensky somehow stole her after she left a Florida junior college--massive coup. Very athletic team, and Bunny was a. massive asset: She won two or three SEC games late with goals. Can't underestimate the value of Yanez--not just a good shot-stopper but very strong-minded leader--kept our back four focused. Excellent player. We lost to Stanford (at Stanford) in the NCAA quarterfinals--no Gilroy, as she'd blown out her knee a second time in what I think was our last SEC game, maybe--very sad.

I certainly have had the impression, if I'm honest, that there hasn't been a lot of high-quality soccer talent in Tennessee. We haven't had many Tennessee players on the roster. S. Jordan was fairly talented, H. Tillett was one of the better Tennessee players we've had (transfer from Middle Tennessee, I think), and French was solid--a good senior season. Who am I missing? Now we have more--Price, Barr, Mitchell, Brown all came in last year and we've got four more this year. We'll see how they do--I hope well!

I think our team athleticism has fallen a bit from that '17/'18 level. Of the players on the '24 spring roster, the only ones who I'd say were toppers athletically are Greiner, Runyon and maybe Michel. Midgley, Price, Chatterton and Stayart are solid athletically--maybe Brown, too. Some of the players who've not yet seen the field at all, or much, should add athleticism--including Barr, maybe Duval, maybe Mitchell,, maybe Klurman. Should be some athletic freshmen coming in--certainly Mattern, Blue, probably others.

 

[SoilVol]

Good to have the input. The strong '17 team and excellent '18 team had very few Tennessee recruits. All our best-players were from other states. Bialczak---who was as athletic as Huff (but didn't have Huff's ball skills or shot) and a major player for us--was from Maryland. She and Flynn (solid winger from No. Virginia) were definitely from that mid-Atlantic area that Pensky knew well. Cousins was from rural SW Virginia; Vignola was from Ohio, Gouner (starting CB) and Flynn (good midfielder) were from Colorado; Maya Neal (converted from forward to CB) was from Illinois; keeper Yanez was from PA; Erin Gilroy--fantastic forward (starter on the U.S. U20 team) was from New York State; Marcano from Georgia; and of course Bunny from Jamaica (originally committed to Florida and Pensky somehow stole her after she left a Florida junior college--massive coup. Very athletic team, and Bunny was a. massive asset: She won two or three SEC games late with goals. Can't underestimate the value of Yanez--not just a good shot-stopper but very strong-minded leader--kept our back four focused. Excellent player. We lost to Stanford (at Stanford) in the NCAA quarterfinals--no Gilroy, as she'd blown out her knee a second time in what I think was our last SEC game, maybe--very sad.

I certainly have had the impression, if I'm honest, that there hasn't been a lot of high-quality soccer talent in Tennessee. We haven't had many Tennessee players on the roster. S. Jordan was fairly talented, H. Tillett was one of the better Tennessee players we've had (transfer from Middle Tennessee, I think), and French was solid--a good senior season. Who am I missing? Now we have more--Price, Barr, Mitchell, Brown all came in last year and we've got four more this year. We'll see how they do--I hope well!

I think our team athleticism has fallen a bit from that '17/'18 level. Of the players on the '24 spring roster, the only ones who I'd say were toppers athletically are Greiner, Runyon and maybe Michel. Midgley, Price, Chatterton and Stayart are solid athletically--maybe Brown, too. Some of the players who've not yet seen the field at all, or much, should add athleticism--including Barr, maybe Duval, maybe Mitchell,, maybe Klurman. Should be some athletic freshmen coming in--certainly Mattern, Blue, probably others.

Good notes. I knew all of those girls well. I THINK several of them knew each other through youth national team stuff before college and that got Pensky in the door with them. Baldwin and Cousins he had been recruiting when he was at MD. Bialczak as well. All great players too. Shae is super cool, and I could tell she was going to be a great keeper. She was all business from day 1. She came in with another goalie recruit who didn't pan out and transferred but their mentalities were night and day different when they got to campus. Shae was always working and never hung out with us . I think she came with us once to get dinner or something lol. Katie Cousins I think is still playing in Iceland. She's been in NC most of the winter at Snowbird. Still a camp counselor over there. Carlyn is still playing in Portugal. Anna moved back to MD. I think you meant Gouner and O'Keefe* were from CO, I didn't get to know them very well. I think Meghan retired after graduation. Nicole Seaman transferred to Oregon and finished her career there and might be back in AZ now. Salera Jordan is not very active on SM but I think she's still in TN. Probably coaching somewhere. We're family friends. Good memories.

 

[chuckiepoo]

Good notes. I knew all of those girls well. I THINK several of them knew each other through youth national team stuff before college and that got Pensky in the door with them. Baldwin and Cousins he had been recruiting when he was at MD. Bialczak as well. All great players too. Shae is super cool, and I could tell she was going to be a great keeper. She was all business from day 1. She came in with another goalie recruit who didn't pan out and transferred but their mentalities were night and day different when they got to campus. Shae was always working and never hung out with us . I think she came with us once to get dinner or something lol. Katie Cousins I think is still playing in Iceland. She's been in NC most of the winter at Snowbird. Still a camp counselor over there. Carlyn is still playing in Portugal. Anna moved back to MD. I think you meant Gouner and O'Keefe* were from CO, I didn't get to know them very well. I think Meghan retired after graduation. Nicole Seaman transferred to Oregon and finished her career there and might be back in AZ now. Salera Jordan is not very active on SM but I think she's still in TN. Probably coaching somewhere. We're family friends. Good memories.

Wonderful era input. Grateful @MAD is putting this series together

 

[turbovol]

Good notes. I knew all of those girls well. I THINK several of them knew each other through youth national team stuff before college and that got Pensky in the door with them. Baldwin and Cousins he had been recruiting when he was at MD. Bialczak as well. All great players too. Shae is super cool, and I could tell she was going to be a great keeper. She was all business from day 1. She came in with another goalie recruit who didn't pan out and transferred but their mentalities were night and day different when they got to campus. Shae was always working and never hung out with us . I think she came with us once to get dinner or something lol. Katie Cousins I think is still playing in Iceland. She's been in NC most of the winter at Snowbird. Still a camp counselor over there. Carlyn is still playing in Portugal. Anna moved back to MD. I think you meant Gouner and O'Keefe* were from CO, I didn't get to know them very well. I think Meghan retired after graduation. Nicole Seaman transferred to Oregon and finished her career there and might be back in AZ now. Salera Jordan is not very active on SM but I think she's still in TN. Probably coaching somewhere. We're family friends. Good memories.

Hey, great stuff. Yes, I meant O'Keefe--a hard-working mid. I thought I'd heard that Bialczak wanted to play professionally--and she certainly had the athleticism to do it--but perhaps she didn't pursue it. She started out at Tennessee as a forward--and maybe played one or two years up front, and was fine--but then Pensky moved her into the midfield and it transformed the team. She was like Huff--could cover a ton of ground and get to a lot of balls---made a lot of runs with the ball, much like Fusco. She did not have the best ball skills in the world--but the switch really took our play up a notch.

Pensky and the staff did that with multiple players on that roster. Maya Neal was a speedy, strong athletic forward and Pensky switched both her and Gouner to centerback--and they were a good starting pair. I remember Gouner was playing outside back against bama as a freshman or soph (probably soph) and we lost badly, and Gouner was not good, and not long after that she was moved to centerback, and it worked. Neal was not a polished CB--she was caught out of position a fair amount and her passing was awful--but with her speed she could recover quickly and she was a very good 1v1 defender. Made All SEC once or twice, as I recall. It's amazing what one or two wise position shifts will do. Burdette was an average/below average outside back (I think had been a high scorer in high school) for us before being moved to defensive mid--and that change had a major positive implact on the outstanding '21 team.

I remember Baldwin as being Pensky's first big-time recruit--I think she was on an U.S. U20 roster herself. Another Maryland kid--father later became majority owner of the Washington Spirit. She tore up her ankle pretty badly as maybe a junior, I think in the SEC tourney.

There has been a color analyst for collegiate soccer games on TV/ESPN who was a top goalkeeper in college--can't remember for which team--and she mentioned on a couple of broadcasts in the past that she'd worked with Yanez privately. That's vaguely what I remember.

I saw Pensky once at a big club tournament in my home town. There was a small but speedy forward for one club team from the Philly area that had committed to UT. I watched her play--but she later reneged and decided to play for Maryland. Pensky is fortunate that he left Maryland. That school's athletic department was in financial straights, I think, which prompted its move around the same time, I think, from the ACC to the Big10. That was one of the early odd conference switches that have commonplace since, unfortunately. Maryland has got to be in much better financial shape these day, as a member of the now enormous Big10--but it's athletic programs as a whole have been awful, and that includes their women's soccer team (0-9-1 in the conference last year). Their men's team, as you know, has a pretty illustrious history and remains very strong--won a national title, what, four years ago or so. It's crazy that we will have5 Big10 transfers playing for us this year.

 

[MAD]

History of Tennessee soccer cont.

Hiring a new coach

As you know Angela Kelly left for a new head coaching position at the University of Texas.
She took one of her assistants with her Keeley Dowling.

New coach Brian Pensky
View attachment 619223

Record

Pensky's Coaching Career

Year	School	Position
1996-98	Bullis School (Potomac, Md.)	Boys' Soccer Head Coach
1998-2000	George Washington University	Women's Soccer Assistant Coach
2001	Loyola College	Men's Soccer Assistant Coach
2002-04	Maryland	Men's Soccer Assistant Coach
2005-11	Maryland	Women's Soccer Head Coach
2012-	Tennessee	Women's Soccer Head Coach

Pensky's Head Coaching Record

Year	School	Record	Pct.	Conf.	Pct.	Final Rank	NCAA Tournament
2005	Maryland	5-11-3	.342	3-5-2	.400	---	---
2006	Maryland	5-9-4	.333	1-6-3	.250	---	---
2007	Maryland	6-9-3	.417	1-8-1	.150	---	---
2008	Maryland	7-10-1	.417	3-7-0	.300	---	---
2009	Maryland	14-6-2	.682	4-4-2	.500	11th	Sweet 16
2010	Maryland	18-2-3	.848	7-2-1	.750	10th	Second Round
2011	Maryland	12-6-4	.636	4-4-2	.500	11th	Sweet 16
Total	7 Years	67-52-20	.554	22-36-11	.381	3 Rankings	3 NCAA Berths

History of Tennessee soccer cont.

2012 season

2012 was the beginning of the Pensky era.

He hired a new assistant, Joe Mallia.
Mallia the 5 year Head Coach at Loyola Marymount left to join Pensky. Prior to his time at LMU, Mallia spent two years as the assistant head coach at UCLA, helping the Bruins to consecutive appearances in the NCAA College Cup. He also served as the head coach at Loyola College (Md.) for seven years. Brian Pensky, served as an assistant coach to Mallia in 2001 at Loyola College. (Mallia is the current head coach again at Loyola College in Maryland.)

Joe Kirt stayed at Tennessee after Angela Kelly departed for Texas. 2012 marked his sixth year as an assistant coach in Knoxville.


Pensky’s big signing was Hannah Wilkinson from New Zealand.






With 11 shutouts and seven overtime matches, the 2012 Lady Vols were a resilient, grind-it-out team that thrived in head coach Brian Pensky's first year leading the program. Bolstered by strong senior leadership, UT enjoyed wins over ranked opponents Missouri and Texas A & M and finished third in the SEC.

The 2012 Lady Vols featured arguably the best defense in program history with a school-record 0.69 goals-allowed average and UT's longest shutout streak ever (533:22).

Tennessee was knocked out of the SEC Tournament by Auburn in a penalty shootout.

The Lady Vols made the NCAA Tournament and faced Miami of Ohio in Knoxville. Nine seconds away from victory. That's how close the Lady Vols were to advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament To face Duke.
With victory all but in sight, the Lady Vols watched a one goal lead slip away as Miami (OH) sophomore midfielder Kelsey Dinges scored an equalizer goal with nine seconds remaining to force overtime, where the Redhawks would advance on the goal by junior midfielder Kayla Zakrzewski.

 

[MAD]

 

[MAD]

 

[MAD]

Kirt Announces 11th-Ranked 2024 Signing Class


Tennessee head coach Joe Kirt has announced the addition of 18 players in the program's 2024 signing class. The class, ranked No. 11 nationally and No. 1 in the SEC by Top Drawer Soccer, is comprised of 16 field players and two goal keepers with 10 enrolling as freshmen and eight arriving as transfers with previous collegiate experience. Transfer students Kylie Finney, Addison Yelton, Luciana Latino, Ella Giannola and Zoe Cuneio are all mid-year enrollees who are on campus and with the team this spring.

The Lady Vols are looking to build off a 2023 campaign in which UT went 9-7-4, playing No. 18 Kentucky and No. 5 South Carolina to draws during the regular season and defeating No. 17 Xavier in double overtime on the road in the NCAA Tournament to advance to the NCAA Second Round for the 10th time in program history.

"We are extremely excited to welcome our 2024 class to Rocky Top! These 18 individuals bring exceptional talent and depth to bolster our current roster. Our eight transfers bring valuable experience and a passion for winning to our program," said Kirt.

"Our 10 incoming freshmen have been anxious to step on campus since deciding to become Lady Vols. They have already become a close-knit group and are counting the days until arriving on Rocky Top in July. All 10 are ferocious competitors who possess the ability to make an immediate impact on the field this fall. Collectively, this group is talented, driven and fit seamlessly into our team on and off the field, and we couldn't be any more excited for them to join our current players on campus this summer!"

Nyla Blue​

D | Knoxville, Tenn.

A Knoxville native, Blue led Bearden High School to three consecutive state championships and finished her high school career with a record of 88-1-2. A two-time All-State and four-time All-Region and All-District nominee, Blue spent her freshman season at Girls Preparatory School before arriving at Bearden for her final three seasons. She served as captain during her senior campaign and earned 2023 High School All-America honors. A participant in the 2023 Girls All-America Game, she earned Best XI and Co-MVP honors. Other 2023 accolades include: TSWA First Team All-State, 5 Star Preps Co-Player of the Year, Sports Illustrated Top 21 Top High School Players in the Nation, USA Today Preseason Player to Watch, and United Soccer Coaches All-South Team. She plays club for FC Alliance ECNL, serving as captain all four seasons and winning an Ohio Valley Conference championship in 2023. Blue has strong ties to Rocky Top as the daughter of Kristen "Ace" Blue (Clement) who played basketball at Tennessee from 1997-2001 and was part of the 1998 NCAA National Championship squad under Pat Summitt.

Kameran Bluette​

F | Fenton, Mo.

Bluette attended Webster Groves High School where she was a two-sport athlete, competing in soccer and cross country for two seasons. She served as captain of the soccer team for one season and earned Offensive MVP honors. She played club for SLSG 06 ECNL Navy, winning back-to-back ECNL National Championships and claiming Midwest Conference Championships on four occasions.

Jasmine Boggs​

D/M | Ashburn, Va.

Ranked as the No. 26 Defender by Top Drawer/IMG Academy, Boggs has been active in the U.S. Soccer system, being selected for U.S. Soccer U16 National Team Camp, U.S. Soccer U14 Talent ID East Region Camp, and multiple U.S Soccer National Training Centers and ID2 Camps. A two-sport athlete for Independence High School, she led the soccer team to a state title in 2023 and helped the swimming program to a runner-up finish in 2020. She plays club for Virginia Development Academy, winning a Virginia State Championship and claiming a 2023 ECNL Mid-Atlantic Championship. In 2022, she was named to the ECNL NJ Showcase Best XI by Top Drawer.

Sarah Bridenstine​

D | Rochester, Mich.

A graduate transfer from the University of Michigan, Bridenstine served as captain during her senior season, starting all 18 matches and logging 1,383 minutes on the pitch as the Wolverines posted a 7-7-4 record in 2023. Over four years at Michigan, she appeared in 63 contests, starting 49 and logging eight assists and three goals, one of which was the game-winner. Prior to her collegiate career, she was a two-time national champion with the Nationals and member of the Region II ODP team from 2015-2017.

Zoe Cuneio​

D | Wildwood, Mo.

Cuneio joins the Lady Vols after spending her freshman season at Purdue where she started all 18 matches on defense for the Boilermakers, leading the team in minutes played with 1,555 and registering two goals on nine shots. She played club for St. Louis Scott Gallagher, serving as team captain for six seasons and being named ECNL Midwest U16 Player of the Year, ECNL U16 All-America, and earning Midwest All-Conference honors on three occasions. In her lone season competing for Eureka High School, she was named the Class Four Defender of the Year and made the 2022 Missouri All-State roster.

Devin Davis​

F/D | Frisco, Texas

Davis played club soccer for FC Dallas, making it to the Elite Eight of the ECNL Finals and earning a spot in the 2023 ECNL National Selection Game. She served as team captain for Greenhill School, garnering team MVP honors as a senior. A three-sport athlete, Davis also competed in volleyball and lacrosse, leading her lacrosse team with 87 goals to earn Texas All-State honors as a junior while helping the squad to a runner-up finish in the state championship.

Kylie Finney​

F | Chantilly, Va.

Finney is a spring enrollee, transferring from Baylor where she appeared in eight games and recorded one shot as a freshman in 2022. A graduate of Chantilly High School, she played two seasons for the Chargers, leading her team to the state quarterfinals and district semi-finals in back-to-back seasons. She also competed in track and field, qualifying for state finals in 2020. Finney played club for Virginia Union ECNL under head coach Nadir Moumen.

Ella Giannola​

F | Ladera Ranch, Calif.
Giannola arrived on Rocky Top for the spring semester after spending two seasons at Ohio State. As a sophomore for the Buckeyes, she started 18 contests, tallying two assists and four goals, three of which were game-winners. She also saw action as a rookie, appearing in 19 matches and making sixteen starts, including both NCAA Tournament matches. The California native was a 2017 USYS National Champion with San Diego Surf and two-time state and regional champion.

Muriel Kroflin​

D | Langenargen, Germany

Kroflin joins the Lady Vols having played two seasons and redshirted a year at Oklahoma. As a redshirt-sophomore in 2023, she appeared in 20 games, making 18 starts and accumulating five points on three assists and one goal. For her career as a Sooner, she saw action in 42 contests, starting 38 and logging 2,802 mitches on the pitch. She has been active in 20 matches for the German Youth National Team, leading the squad to the Four Nations Tournament title in 2020. At the club level, she led SC Freiburgh to the German Youth Bundesliga title in 2019 and was named Most Outstanding Player at the German Futsal Cup in 2019.

Luciana Latino​

M | Norwood, N.J.

A spring enrollee from Penn State where she competed in 2023 as a redshirt-freshman, Latino appeared in three matches, taking six shots and helping the team to a pair of shutouts. Rated as a 4-star recruit and the No. 14 midfielder coming out of high school by Top Drawer Soccer/IMG Academy, she has attended camps with the U14 and U18 U.S. Youth National Teams. She played club for PDA Blue 04, winning a North Atlantic Championship and earning ECNL All-Conference honors in 2021.

Reese Mattern​

F | Charlottesville, Va.

Mattern helped lead Western Albemarle High School to a state championship in 2021 and a regional title in 2023, earning All-District, All-Region and All-State honors in both seasons and being named Virginia High School 4D Player of the Year in 2023. She ran track for one season, helping Western Albemarle to a Virginia High School Class 3 Indoor Track State Team Title and winning an individual state championship in the 300-meter hurdles while placing second in the 55-meter hurdles. She posted the fastest 300-meter time by a freshman in the nation at 40.28 and set school records in both events. She is the leading scorer for her club team, Richmond United ECNL, and has attended USYNT ID Center and ODP National Training Camp and played with the ODP East Region International Team in Iceland.

Skylar Miller ​

M/F | Virginia Beach, Va.
A three-time Virginia All-State selection, two-time Gatorade State Player of the Year nominee, and United Soccer Coaches All-American, Miller has recorded 45 goals and 35 assists through three seasons at First Colonial High School. She plays club for Richmond United, making it to the ECNL Final Four in 2021 and Elite Eight in 2022. She was named Mid-Atlantic Conference Player of the Year, earned ECNL All-America accolades in 2021 and received Mid-Atlantic All-Conference honors in 2022 and 2023. She was selected for U.S. Soccer Regional YNT ID camp in 2021 and ECNL National Team camp in 2022.

Sydney Miller​

D | Virginia Beach, Va.

A two-sport athlete at First Colonial High School, she lettered in basketball for two seasons and played soccer all four years, serving as team captain as a senior. A two-time First Team All-State and three-time All-Region honoree, she was named Region Player of the Year in 2023. She plays club for Richmond United, earning Mid-Atlantic First Team honors in 2022 and 2023 and Second Team accolades in 2021.

Cayden Norris​

GK | Johnson City, Tenn.

An in-state product from Johnson City, Tenn., Norris has won four district championships and three regional championships at Science Hill High School, receiving All-Region accolades every season and garnering All-State honors in 2021 and 2023. She plays club for FC Alliance, earning ENCL All-Conference nods in three seasons and participating in ECNL National Team Training Camp. She was twice selected for the ECNL National Showcase and U.S. National Team Selection Camp.

Bella Smith​

M | Wichita, Kan.

Rated as the No. 28 overall prospect and No. 9 Midfielder by Top Drawer Soccer/IMG Academy, Smith plays club for Kansas City Athletics Academy Elite where she was named the 2021 ECNL Midwest Conference Player of the Year while leading her squad to an ECNL U15 National Championship. She has been named to the ECNL All-Conference Team and ECNL National Selection Team on two occasions and attended camps with Kansas City Current and U.S. Soccer. During her lone season competing for Eisenhower High School, Smith racked up 32 goals and 13 assists to earn AVCTL D2 5A Player of the Year honors while leading her school to its first state championship appearance.

Alivia Stott​

F | Knoxville, Tenn.

A Knoxville native, Stott attended Bearden High School where she won three TSSAA State Championships, was a three-time TSWA All-State selection and finished her high school career with 84 goals and 69 assists. She was named 5 Star Preps Co-Player of the Year with teammate and fellow signee Nyla Blue, and she was chosen to participate in the 2023 Girls High School All-American Game, where she was named a Top 15 Performer by Top Drawer Soccer. She plays club soccer for FC Alliance, earning All-Conference honors.

Samantha Woods​

F | Saline, Mich.

A Michigan native, Woods captained the Wolverines to a 7-7-4 record in 2023, leading the team with eight goals and 17 points. She started all 18 matches as a senior, earning All-Big Ten honors and being named Offensive Team MVP. A four-star recruit out of high school, she was a four-time team captain of the Michigan Hawks, leading the club to the ECNL Playoffs on two occasional and earning All-Conference and All-America honors in 2019. In 2018, she was a top-10 scorer for the U.S. Development Academy with 24 goals, and she played with Adidas ESP in the Portland Invite in 2016 and the Lyon, France Invite in 2018. A 2023 CSC Academic All-Region nominee, she arrives on Rocky Top as a graduate transfer.

Addison Yelton​

GK | Johnson City, Tenn.

Yelton enrolled for the spring semester on Rocky Top after spending her rookie season at Ole Miss, making three starts and accumulating 10 saves on 42 shots faced. A Tennessee native, she was a four-year letterwinner and two-time MVP at Baylor High School where she also lettered in basketball.

 

[MAD]

Ali Howard, daughter of Tim Howard posted that she made an official visit to Tennessee.

 

[MAD]

History of Tennessee soccer cont.

2012 season

2012 was the beginning of the Pensky era.

He hired a new assistant, Joe Mallia.
Mallia the 5 year Head Coach at Loyola Marymount left to join Pensky. Prior to his time at LMU, Mallia spent two years as the assistant head coach at UCLA, helping the Bruins to consecutive appearances in the NCAA College Cup. He also served as the head coach at Loyola College (Md.) for seven years. Brian Pensky, served as an assistant coach to Mallia in 2001 at Loyola College. (Mallia is the current head coach again at Loyola College in Maryland.)

Joe Kirt stayed at Tennessee after Angela Kelly departed for Texas. 2012 marked his sixth year as an assistant coach in Knoxville.


Pensky’s big signing was Hannah Wilkinson from New Zealand.

View attachment 619581

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With 11 shutouts and seven overtime matches, the 2012 Lady Vols were a resilient, grind-it-out team that thrived in head coach Brian Pensky's first year leading the program. Bolstered by strong senior leadership, UT enjoyed wins over ranked opponents Missouri and Texas A & M and finished third in the SEC.

The 2012 Lady Vols featured arguably the best defense in program history with a school-record 0.69 goals-allowed average and UT's longest shutout streak ever (533:22).

Tennessee was knocked out of the SEC Tournament by Auburn in a penalty shootout.

The Lady Vols made the NCAA Tournament and faced Miami of Ohio in Knoxville. Nine seconds away from victory. That's how close the Lady Vols were to advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament To face Duke.
With victory all but in sight, the Lady Vols watched a one goal lead slip away as Miami (OH) sophomore midfielder Kelsey Dinges scored an equalizer goal with nine seconds remaining to force overtime, where the Redhawks would advance on the goal by junior midfielder Kayla Zakrzewski.

Tennessee soccer history cont.
2013 season


Pensky’s second season was disappointing. For only the second time in school history, the Lady Vols failed to make either the SEC or NCAA Tournament. The first time came in 1997.



I’d say the highlight of the season occurred in Orlando when the Lady Vols upset #17 UCF, Hannah Wilkinson scored the match winner.

 

[MAD]

Question

I noticed that out of our 10 incoming freshman that 3 play for ECNL FC Alliance and 3 play for ECNL Richmond United. Is it common to have so many players coming from the same club? Also, is it a plus or minus when so many players are familiar with each other going into college?

 

[turbovol]

Question

I noticed that out of our 10 incoming freshman that 3 play for ECNL FC Alliance and 3 play for ECNL Richmond United. Is it common to have so many players coming from the same club? Also, is it a plus or minus when so many players are familiar with each other going into college?

In theory it could be a plus if a couple of players from the same club played their club positions in college and were on the field together: There should be some chemistry between the two since they've played together a lot previously. We could see synergy between the Miller twins, should they play together at UT. They were both midfielders whom I know played together in high school and I'd bet were midfield starters for Richmond United. And they're twins! It can't get any more synergistic than that. But we'll see if it happens. We've got a lot of midfielders, and who knows how much either will play. We had two other midfield sisters from Richmond United a few years ago, as it happens. But that didn't work out. Paige Frank, a 4-star recruit, was unlucky: we had some good mids when she arrived (around '16, '17, 18' period) and never got to play midfield--which was her natural position. Pensky tried to play her at other positions for which she was not suited and she transferred after two years. Her sister Claire, a year younger, as I recall, went on to start for a year or two for us as a midfielder, ironically, though was not a standout player.

I just watched a bit of the girls All America soccer game that was played in December. I'd seen a bit of the ECNL (club) All-Star game, in which Mattern and Prime played--and each scored a goal. The All America game is more for high-school stars. Nyla Blue and Stott played for the West--Blue at centerback and Stott at forward. Blue looked solid: She is not very tall but has a nice build, moves well, good (but not great) pace, seems to read the game well. She let an East forward--the biggest and best athlete on the field and an FSU commit (naturally)--get behind her early on, but recovered and moved over to block a shot by another East player. She looked like a sound player. Stott played half of both halves--as all the players did. In the second half she had two shots that I saw from her right forward position--and hit them both well with her left foot, but didn't score on either. The announcer mispronounced her name throughtout, calling her "Stout." She seems to move well and she appears to be a pretty good shooter. Not a lot to go on, but something. There were a lot of pretty impressive players/athletes. East won the game. It was played on artificial turf with football lines and yard numbers all over the field, which is always annoying.

 

[turbovol]

I think it's probable that we've just signed the biggest incoming class that any established program has ever
signed. Crazy.

 

[MAD]

This is a great watch and very well made short film.
LVFL Hannah Wilkinson’s historic World Cup goal.

 

[MAD]

 

[MAD]

LVFL Danielle Marcano

 

[Stmichael]

In theory it could be a plus if a couple of players from the same club played their club positions in college and were on the field together: There should be some chemistry between the two since they've played together a lot previously. We could see synergy between the Miller twins, should they play together at UT. They were both midfielders whom I know played together in high school and I'd bet were midfield starters for Richmond United. And they're twins! It can't get any more synergistic than that. But we'll see if it happens. We've got a lot of midfielders, and who knows how much either will play. We had two other midfield sisters from Richmond United a few years ago, as it happens. But that didn't work out. Paige Frank, a 4-star recruit, was unlucky: we had some good mids when she arrived (around '16, '17, 18' period) and never got to play midfield--which was her natural position. Pensky tried to play her at other positions for which she was not suited and she transferred after two years. Her sister Claire, a year younger, as I recall, went on to start for a year or two for us as a midfielder, ironically, though was not a standout player.

I just watched a bit of the girls All America soccer game that was played in December. I'd seen a bit of the ECNL (club) All-Star game, in which Mattern and Prime played--and each scored a goal. The All America game is more for high-school stars. Nyla Blue and Stott played for the West--Blue at centerback and Stott at forward. Blue looked solid: She is not very tall but has a nice build, moves well, good (but not great) pace, seems to read the game well. She let an East forward--the biggest and best athlete on the field and an FSU commit (naturally)--get behind her early on, but recovered and moved over to block a shot by another East player. She looked like a sound player. Stott played half of both halves--as all the players did. In the second half she had two shots that I saw from her right forward position--and hit them both well with her left foot, but didn't score on either. The announcer mispronounced her name throughtout, calling her "Stout." She seems to move well and she appears to be a pretty good shooter. Not a lot to go on, but something. There were a lot of pretty impressive players/athletes. East won the game. It was played on artificial turf with football lines and yard numbers all over the field, which is always annoying.

Like you wrote in the past, it's difficult to predict how high school players will transition into college play --so many variable, some soccer related some life changes related. I will say that Tennessee clubs, nationally, aren't that good (Texas, Michigan, Virginia, Jersey, west coast are mostly legit). Glad to see Kirt do a write up for freshman, it's an important achievement for these ladies (whether a player plays or not, getting to the sec is a big achievement). Would be nice if we had squads that could easily divide time and have stellar consistent play. It would help with player recovery and keep us strong all the way through the season and beyond. In order for that to happen, everyone (especially the coaches) have to buy into it.

 

[turbovol]

Like you wrote in the past, it's difficult to predict how high school players will transition into college play --so many variable, some soccer related some life changes related. I will say that Tennessee clubs, nationally, aren't that good (Texas, Michigan, Virginia, Jersey, west coast are mostly legit). Glad to see Kirt do a write up for freshman, it's an important achievement for these ladies (whether a player plays or not, getting to the sec is a big achievement). Would be nice if we had squads that could easily divide time and have stellar consistent play. It would help with player recovery and keep us strong all the way through the season and beyond. In order for that to happen, everyone (especially the coaches) have to buy into it.

Yea, we in theory could emulate the Dorrance strategy this year: Play starters 25 minutes, bring in a unit of 7/8 new players to see out the half. You have to confidence in the second unit and they have to play well together to make it work.