Lady Vols Soccer ⚽️ Selection show: 4 p.m. ET Monday, Nov. 11 on NCAA.com

#5,626
#5,626
One could make a strong argument that the SEC in soccer, top to bottom, is the most competitive sport in the conference right now.
This season the parity was amazing. Arkansas separated itself and was the best team (again)--but after that there was very little difference
among the schools in terms of performance. Almost every game felt like a 50-50 affair--in part because the teams that have been the worst in the conference suddenly--with new coaches--were more competitive.

Kentucky did not win a game in the SEC last year--0-8-2. This season, with a new coach, it was 3-3-4 this season, losing only 3 games after 8 defeats in '22. They finished with more points than us.

Florida, likewise, did not win a game last year--was 0-9-1. One point in conference play. This year, also with a new coach, they only won 2 games and lost 4--but like Kentucky they benefited from 4 ties and earned 10 points. The gators went from 14 losses last year to 5 (in total) this season.

Without overtime, the number of ties in the SEC exploded and that helped to boost parity lumped so many teams fairly close together in points. There were 36 ties in the conference this year---incredible---up from 26 last year. South Carolina had 5. Had their been overtime, there surely would have been a few fewer ties and a bit more point separation top to bottom.

Georgia, with a second-year coach, jumped from a bottom-tier program for several years to one of the best teams in the conference.

It means there are no easy games--especially when you've got teams that tend to play cautiously with an emphasis on defense. Scoring is difficult, and that means tight games decided by a play here and there. It means our staff has to be on the top of its game in every respect if we want to remain a strong program.
 
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MATCH CENTRAL: Lady Vols vs. Auburn​


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PENSACOLA, Fla. – Ninth-seeded Tennessee will begin its quest for an SEC Championship on Sunday, facing off with eighth-seeded Auburn at 4:30 ET (3:30 CT) at Ashton Brosnaham Soccer Complex in Pensacola, Fla.

In its last outing, the Lady Vols (8-5-4, 3-4-3 SEC) took a 1-0 victory at Vanderbilt, claiming the program's first road win against the Commodores since 2013 and ending VU's season-long home undefeated streak. Sophomore Kameron Simmonds found the net for Tennessee off an assist from sophomore Macaira Midgley. In goal, redshirt-sophomore Ally Zazzara made a career-high seven saves which earned her SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Auburn (7-6-5, 3-4-3 SEC) arrives at the tournament on the heels of a 0-0 draw at Georgia.

The Lady Vols own a 13-10-4 advantage in the all-time series against the Tigers. The teams did not meet during the regular season, but Tennessee is riding a two-game win streak against AU. In their last meeting, UT took a 1-0 victory at Auburn on Oct. 20, 2022.

UP NEXT: The winner will advance to the quarterfinals on Tuesday to play top-seeded Arkansas at 6 p.m. ET/5 p.m. CT.

TOURNAMENT TIME: The Lady Vols are 18-16-6 all-time in SEC Tournament games and have claimed five SEC Tournament crowns since the program's inception in 1996, winning the event in 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2008, 2021.

SCOUTING AUBURN: The Tigers were picked to finish 10th in the SEC as voted on by the league's coaches. They added eight newcomers this season and returned seven starters from a 2022 squad that went 6-6-6. Anna Haddock leads the team with 15 points on four goals and seven assists.

FUSCO MAKING MOVES: With the hat trick against Texas A&M, Jordan Fuscorocketed to the top of the team statistics and is tied with Kameron Simmonds for the lead in points with 16. In SEC play, she currently ranks second in the conference in shots per game (3.88) and ties for seventh in points per game (1.00).

EFFICIENCY IS KEY: The Lady Vols scored a goal on just five shots agaist Vandy. Over the last three contests, Tennessee has scored seven goals on 30 shots with 18 shots on goal for a shot percentage of .233 and a shot-on-goal percentage of .600, decisively above season averages of .128 and .459, respectively.

SECOND HALF TEAM: The Lady Vols have netted 13 goals over the last eight contests, 10 of which have come in the second half. On the season, 20 of Tennessee's 34 goals have been scored in the final 45 minutes of play.

CAREER NIGHT: Ally Zazzara logged a career-high seven saves to earn the shutout at Vandy. Her previous best was six saves against No. 23 SMU on Aug. 21, 2022.

EVERYONE IS DANGEROUS: UT's 34 goals thus far have been scored by 12 different players. Freshmen Sarah Greiner, Kate Runyon (4) and Keaton Mitchell, sophomores Kameron Simmonds (7) and Macaira Midgley, juniors Jordan Fusco (6) and Nolyn Bartholomew, redshirt-seniors Maria Nelson (2) and Jaida Thomas, senior Lawson Renie and graduates Sizzy Lawton (6) and Nayeli Diaz have all found the back of the net for the Big Orange. Own goals by ETSU and MSU round out the total.

IN THEIR OFFENSIVE THIRD: On the season, UT has taken nearly 100 more shots than its opponents, outshooting teams 266-267, and taking 124 corner kicks while limiting the opposition to just 60. Tennessee currently ranks sevneth in Division I in corner kicks per game (7.24).

FRESHMEN CONTRIBUTING: All four of UT's active freshmen have recorded at least one goal or assist on the season. Forward Kate Runyon has made nine starts, logging four goals and an assist. Fellow rookies Keaton Mitchell and Sarah Greiner have both tallied goals, and Linette Hofmann has started 13 contests, recording an assist in the season opener against Cal.

THOMAS IN THE RECORD BOOK: Before suffering a season-ending injury, redshirt-senior Jaida Thomas moved her career total to 39 goals to trail UT's leading career scorer, Kylie Rossi, by just four goals. Thomas amassed her 39 goals in just 59 games for a goals-per-game average of .66 to rank third all-time at Tennessee behind only Bunny Shaw (0.77) and Allison Campbell (0.70).

NEW FACES: Tennessee added 10 newcomers in its 2023 signing class. All 10 are versatile field players with six enrolling as freshmen and four arriving as transfers with multiple years of collegiate experience.

BACK AGAIN: The Lady Vols return five starters and 20 letterwinners from the 2022 team that clinched an SEC East Division title for the third straight season.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Redshirt senior Jaida Thomas, senior Lawson Renie, juniors Sheridan Michel and Jordan Fusco, and sophomore Kameron Simmonds were all named to the SEC Preseason Watch List.
 
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#5,632
#5,632
It would certainly be huge if Hofmann or Runyon was back and able to play in the tourney--or both. We need them
because they're good and for depth. But as we fans are always in the dark about injuries, we'll have to wait and see. We suffer
somewhat in possession/attack without Hofmann but gain a bit in defense with Price. And Runyon's injury has resulted in Simmonds moving
to center forward, which is a better position for her than playing wide, and Lawton finally becomes the starter she should have been weeks ago.
 
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#5,633

Three Lady Vols Earn All-SEC Honors​


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Three Lady Vols earned All-SEC honors, the league office announced on Sunday. Junior Jordan Fusco was named First Team All-SEC, graduate Sizzy Lawton made Second Team All-SEC, and freshman Kate Runyon landed on the SEC All-Freshman Team.

A 2021 SEC All-Freshman Team performer, Fusco has amassed six goals and four assists during her junior campaign to tie for the team lead in total points with 16. She has played a crucial role in Tennessee's offense, commanding the midfield and averaging 72.5 minutes per contest. Fusco netted the game-winner against Lipscomb, and in SEC play, recorded her first career hat trick against Texas A&M and assisted goals in UT's wins over Missouri and Florida. Against SEC teams, she ranks second in the conference in shots per game (3.44), third in points per game (1.22) and fifth in goals per game (0.44).

Lawton made an immediate impact upon arriving on Rocky Top this season, appearing in every match for Tennessee and starting eight, recording six goals and two assists to rank third on the team in points with 14. She scored the game-winner against Florida and racked up two goals and assisted the game-winner during UT's 3-2 win over Missouri on the road.

Runyon has had a standout rookie campaign for the Big Orange, appearing in 14 games and starting nine before missing time due to injury. She found the back of the net in her first game as a Lady Vol, scoring UT's first goal of the season in the 20thminute against Cal. She scored in back-to-back contests against Florida and at No. 7 South Carolina to earn SEC Freshman of the Week status on Sept. 25. On the season, she has tallied an assist and four goals on 30 shots.

Ninth-seeded Tennessee will begin its quest for an SEC Championship on Sunday, facing off with eighth-seeded Auburn at 4:30 ET (3:30 CT) at Ashton Brosnaham Soccer Complex in Pensacola, Fla.

2023 SEC Soccer Awards

First Team All-SEC
Forward: Gianna Paul, Alabama
Forward: Ava Tankersley, Arkansas
Forward: Jordyn Rhodes, Kentucky
Forward: Kylee Simmons, Missouri
Forward: Cat Barry, South Carolina
Midfielder: Felicia Knox, Alabama
Midfielder: Bea Franklin, Arkansas
Midfielder: Macey Hodge, Mississippi State
Midfielder: Jordan Fusco, Tennessee
Defender: Gessica Skorka, Alabama
Defender: Daviana Vaka, Florida
Defender: Gracie Falla, South Carolina
Defender: Carolyn Calzada, Texas A&M
Goalkeeper: Heather Hinz, South Carolina

Second Team All-SEC
Forward: Anna Podojil, Arkansas
Forward: Megan Hinnenkamp, Florida
Forward: Ava Galligan, LSU
Forward: Sizzy Lawton, Tennessee
Midfielder: Anna Haddock, Auburn
Midfielder: Croix Bethune, Georgia
Midfielder: Summer Denigan, Georgia
Midfielder: Mia Pante, Texas A&M
Midfielder: Abi Brighton, Vanderbilt
Defender: Ellie Podojil, Arkansas
Defender: Grace Phillpotts, Kentucky
Defender: Maya Antoine, Vanderbilt
Defender: Hannah McLaughlin, Vanderbilt
Goalkeeper: Shu Ohba, Ole Miss
Goalkeeper: Maddy Anderson, Mississippi State

All-Freshman Team
Nadia Ramadan, Alabama
Avery Wren, Arkansas
Megan Hinnenkamp, Florida
Summer Denigan, Georgia
Kiera Staude, Georgia
Tanner Strickland, Kentucky
Ava Galligan, LSU
Avery Brown, Ole Miss
Reagan Schubach, South Carolina
Kate Runyon, Tennessee
Adysen Armenta, Texas A&M
Margo Matula, Texas A&M
Courtney Jones, Vanderbilt
Ella Eggleston, Vanderbilt

Coach of the Year: Colby Hale, Arkansas
Forward of the Year: Ava Tankersley, Arkansas
Midfielder of the Year: Bea Franklin, Arkansas
Defender of the Year: Gracie Falla, South Carolina
Goalkeeper of the Year: Heather Hinz, South Carolina
Co-Freshman of the Year: Megan Hinnenkamp, Florida & Summer Denigan, Georgia
Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Bea Franklin, Arkansas & Anna Haddock, Auburn
 
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Tennessee soccer heads to Pensacola in search of SEC tournament win against Auburn​


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After a win on Thursday over Vanderbilt, Tennessee soccer will play Auburn in the first round of the SEC tournament in Pensacola, Florida.

The Lady Vols (8-5-4, 3-4-3 SEC) enter the tournament with two wins in their last three games, while the Tigers (7-6-5, 3-4-3) drew with Georgia on Thursday.

Tennessee head coach Joe Kirt opted to have Ally Zazzara play the full 90 minutes in goal in Thursday’s game against Vanderbilt, deviating from the usual rotation between her and Abby Reisz. She was part of a shutout effort for the Lady Vols.

“That’s what was best for our team,” Kirt said. “Obviously, both of them played really well all year and played a big part in our team’s success.”

Zazzara was named the SEC’s defensive player of the week due to her seven-save outing on Thursday. Because of Zazzara’s performance, Kirt expects to give her the full 90 minutes once again in Sunday’s game.

“She had a great game and played really well,” Kirt said. “There’s nothing right now that would stand out as a reason to change that. For right now, that’s what we’re leaning to but we haven’t made a final decision.”

Kameron Simmonds showed substantial improvement in Thursday’s game, playing 73 minutes and recording three shots, including the game’s only goal. The goal was the first for Simmonds in SEC play and brings her season total to seven.

Simmonds did a lot for the team outside of scoring that was important in the build up, but scoring goals is most important in her position.



“Getting a goal is massive for her as a forward,” Kirt said. “Any time you can score, it will boost your confidence. She’s been doing a lot of good things that haven’t showed up on the score sheet.”

Kennedy Price was a large part of Tennessee’s performance in its back line. She played the full 90 minutes for the first time in her career on Thursday and helped the Lady Vols earn a shutout.

“Kennedy has been working herself back into the lineup since the spring,” Kirt said. “She’s coming back off injuries this spring and summer and has worked herself back into shape. She’s got a fight in her, and I wanted to give her an opportunity with some of those matchups.”

Auburn is a very strong team defensively. The Tigers have allowed just two goals in their last five games and shut out SEC opponents four times. Auburn is not as strong when it comes to scoring goals, though, It only has 10 goals in conference play.

However, the Lady Vols will need to match Auburn’s performance along the back line. That starts with putting pressure on the ball at all positions, as has been the case for the Lady Vols all season.

“It starts with what we do up front and taking pressure off our back line,” Kirt said. “If our front group can step up and get good pressure on the ball and deny service opportunities and deny teams the ability to build, it takes a lot of pressure off our backs.”
 
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#5,641
#5,641
Neither the NCAA nor the guy on a soccer site I follow who computes RPI weekly have updated their numbers since the Thursday games (and our win
over Vandy) so not sure about NCAA chances yet. We'll know more soon--maybe later tonight or tomorrow. I'd say winning this game is important!

I should have added that we're not in Chris Henderson's top 25 RPI, which isn't surprising. We did not have a 500 record in the SEC this season--that's going to work against us. I have to think we're in bubble territory, for sure.
 
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#5,647
#5,647
Zazzara botched that first goal. You either come out and grap the ball or stay back in your net and defend. She came a little ways out and could do nothing. A completely dumb goal to give up. Our centerbacks have to be better than that--you can't the keeper kick all the down and the field and past you.

we give up the most ridiculous goals. The second one was weird, too. Zazzara isn't the most athletic keeper, and it showed on that 2nd goal.
 
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#5,649
#5,649
You can't give up goals like this and expect to win. we've been doing it all year. A keeper should never
leave her net unless she's certain of grabbing the ball when she comes out. Reason: Most collegiate players are not natural scorers,
so you're much better off staying in net and making an opponent beat you rather than running out and making a mistake and leaving
your net open. Zazzara was indecisive on the first goal. The 2nd goal was just lucky for them--complete luck.
 
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