University of Tennessee Athletics
Thursday, August 13
Knoxville, Tenn.
7:00 p.m. ET
University of Tennessee
vs
Rutgers
PREVIEW: #24 Lady Vols Host Rutgers to Open 2026 Season
August 12, 2026 | Soccer
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 24 Tennessee soccer team begins its 2026 campaign on Thursday night as the Lady Vols welcome Rutgers to Regal Soccer Stadium for a 7:00 p.m. ET kickoff.
The match will air live on SEC Network+ with Andy Brock (PxP) and Tori Beeler-Watson (Analyst) on the call.
Admission is free for all regular-season Tennessee soccer matches. For fans planning to attend, note that Tennessee's clear bag policy will be in effect again this season. Regal Soccer Stadium will be a cashless venue for both concessions and the VolShop this season. Additionally, $1 hot dogs will be available from concessions during the second half only of Thursday's match. Complete soccer match day information can be found here.
The 2025 season saw Tennessee post a 12-4-3 overall record, highlighted by a seven-match unbeaten start to the season that saw the team achieve its first No. 1 national ranking in program history. After earning a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Lady Vols suffered a 3-1 defeat to North Carolina in the opening round.
FLASHBACK: Tennessee opened the 2025 season in historic fashion with a 2-0 victory over No. 1 North Carolina, the team's first-ever victory over a top-ranked opponent in program history. Fifth-year forward Shae O'Rourke scored both goals for the Lady Vols, sparking a strong start to her season before it was cut short due to injury.
STARTING IN THE POLLS: United Soccer Coaches revealed its preseason top-25 earlier this month, with Tennessee earning a No. 24 ranking. It marks the tenth time the Lady Vols have received a preseason ranking in program history and the first since 2019.
ANTICIPATED RETURNS: The Lady Vols will look for comeback seasons from a pair of former All-SEC selections in the attack in 2026. Fifth-year forwards O'Rourke and Kylee Simmons are both set to return from season-ending knee injuries in 2025. O'Rourke was an SEC All-Freshman Team selection in 2022 at South Carolina. In her debut season with Tennessee in 2025, she scored five goals in five matches prior to injury. Simmons was a First Team All-SEC honoree at Missouri in 2023 who was ruled out with injury before she could make her Tennessee debut in 2025.
PRESEASON RECOGNITION: Five Tennessee players were named to the SEC Soccer Preseason Watchlist on Monday: Fifth-year midfielder Dakota Brown, junior midfielder Ines Derrien, junior goalkeeper Cayden Norris, fifth-year forward O'Rourke, and fifth-year forward Simmons. Additionally, Norris and sophomore midfielder Kai Tsakiris were named United Soccer Coaches/MAC Hermann Trophy Preseason Players to Watch.
NO SHORTAGE OF INCOMING TALENT: Tennessee welcomed a strong crop of 15 newcomers ahead of the 2026 season. The group recently earned a No. 5 national ranking in TopDrawerSoccer's final 2026 newcomer class rankings, which takes into account freshman newcomers, international additions, and transfers. The 10-player freshman class features six top-200 nationally ranked 2026 recruits, headlined by Ayva Jordan, who closed the cycle as the No. 6 overall ranked recruit in the class. Tennessee also welcomes a five-player transfer portal class, headlined by Tsakiris and Derrien, who join after impactful campaigns at Florida and USC, respectively, last season.
SISTERS REUNITED: After a pair of historic careers at local Bearden High School, junior defender Nyla Blue and freshman forward Jayla Blue are set to share the field again for the Lady Vols. The pair of sisters are no stranger to Tennessee excellence, as their mother, Kristen "Ace" Clement, was on the 1998 Lady Vol national championship basketball team coached by Pat Summitt. Jayla begins her Tennessee career with an impressive high school resume, topped by a Gatorade Tennessee Player of the Year honor this past season.
IT STARTS IN DEFENSE: Tennessee opened the 2025 season with seven consecutive clean sheets, helping the team to a seven-match unbeaten start. The Lady Vols concluded the season with 13 clean sheets, matching the program single-season record.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME: The Lady Vols closed the 2025 regular season with an unbeaten home record of 7-0-1, prior to suffering a lone blemish in the first round of the NCAA Tournament with a 3-1 defeat to North Carolina. The regular season saw Tennessee concede just one goal in eight matches at Regal Soccer Stadium.
TENNESSEE IN SEASON OPENERS: Tennessee owns a 20-8-2 all-time record in season opening matches, including a 3-1-1 mark over the previous five seasons. The Lady Vols earned a landmark victory over No. 1 North Carolina to open 2025, while their most recent season-opening defeat came in 2024, a 1-0 loss at Indiana.
HISTORY VERSUS RUTGERS: Thursday will be just the third-ever match between Tennessee and Rutgers. Each team has won one match in the series history, with the Scarlet Knights securing a 1-0 triumph in the most recent meeting between the teams in 2019.
The match will air live on SEC Network+ with Andy Brock (PxP) and Tori Beeler-Watson (Analyst) on the call.
Admission is free for all regular-season Tennessee soccer matches. For fans planning to attend, note that Tennessee's clear bag policy will be in effect again this season. Regal Soccer Stadium will be a cashless venue for both concessions and the VolShop this season. Additionally, $1 hot dogs will be available from concessions during the second half only of Thursday's match. Complete soccer match day information can be found here.
The 2025 season saw Tennessee post a 12-4-3 overall record, highlighted by a seven-match unbeaten start to the season that saw the team achieve its first No. 1 national ranking in program history. After earning a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Lady Vols suffered a 3-1 defeat to North Carolina in the opening round.
FLASHBACK: Tennessee opened the 2025 season in historic fashion with a 2-0 victory over No. 1 North Carolina, the team's first-ever victory over a top-ranked opponent in program history. Fifth-year forward Shae O'Rourke scored both goals for the Lady Vols, sparking a strong start to her season before it was cut short due to injury.
STARTING IN THE POLLS: United Soccer Coaches revealed its preseason top-25 earlier this month, with Tennessee earning a No. 24 ranking. It marks the tenth time the Lady Vols have received a preseason ranking in program history and the first since 2019.
ANTICIPATED RETURNS: The Lady Vols will look for comeback seasons from a pair of former All-SEC selections in the attack in 2026. Fifth-year forwards O'Rourke and Kylee Simmons are both set to return from season-ending knee injuries in 2025. O'Rourke was an SEC All-Freshman Team selection in 2022 at South Carolina. In her debut season with Tennessee in 2025, she scored five goals in five matches prior to injury. Simmons was a First Team All-SEC honoree at Missouri in 2023 who was ruled out with injury before she could make her Tennessee debut in 2025.
PRESEASON RECOGNITION: Five Tennessee players were named to the SEC Soccer Preseason Watchlist on Monday: Fifth-year midfielder Dakota Brown, junior midfielder Ines Derrien, junior goalkeeper Cayden Norris, fifth-year forward O'Rourke, and fifth-year forward Simmons. Additionally, Norris and sophomore midfielder Kai Tsakiris were named United Soccer Coaches/MAC Hermann Trophy Preseason Players to Watch.
NO SHORTAGE OF INCOMING TALENT: Tennessee welcomed a strong crop of 15 newcomers ahead of the 2026 season. The group recently earned a No. 5 national ranking in TopDrawerSoccer's final 2026 newcomer class rankings, which takes into account freshman newcomers, international additions, and transfers. The 10-player freshman class features six top-200 nationally ranked 2026 recruits, headlined by Ayva Jordan, who closed the cycle as the No. 6 overall ranked recruit in the class. Tennessee also welcomes a five-player transfer portal class, headlined by Tsakiris and Derrien, who join after impactful campaigns at Florida and USC, respectively, last season.
SISTERS REUNITED: After a pair of historic careers at local Bearden High School, junior defender Nyla Blue and freshman forward Jayla Blue are set to share the field again for the Lady Vols. The pair of sisters are no stranger to Tennessee excellence, as their mother, Kristen "Ace" Clement, was on the 1998 Lady Vol national championship basketball team coached by Pat Summitt. Jayla begins her Tennessee career with an impressive high school resume, topped by a Gatorade Tennessee Player of the Year honor this past season.
IT STARTS IN DEFENSE: Tennessee opened the 2025 season with seven consecutive clean sheets, helping the team to a seven-match unbeaten start. The Lady Vols concluded the season with 13 clean sheets, matching the program single-season record.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME: The Lady Vols closed the 2025 regular season with an unbeaten home record of 7-0-1, prior to suffering a lone blemish in the first round of the NCAA Tournament with a 3-1 defeat to North Carolina. The regular season saw Tennessee concede just one goal in eight matches at Regal Soccer Stadium.
TENNESSEE IN SEASON OPENERS: Tennessee owns a 20-8-2 all-time record in season opening matches, including a 3-1-1 mark over the previous five seasons. The Lady Vols earned a landmark victory over No. 1 North Carolina to open 2025, while their most recent season-opening defeat came in 2024, a 1-0 loss at Indiana.
HISTORY VERSUS RUTGERS: Thursday will be just the third-ever match between Tennessee and Rutgers. Each team has won one match in the series history, with the Scarlet Knights securing a 1-0 triumph in the most recent meeting between the teams in 2019.
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