University of Tennessee Athletics
Friday, September 18
Austin, Texas
8:00 p.m. ET
University of Tennessee
at
Texas
PREVIEW: #8 Lady Vols Look to Stay Unbeaten at Texas
September 16, 2026 | Soccer
A seven-match unbeaten streak to begin the 2026 season for the Tennessee soccer team will be put to the test as the Lady Vols head southwest for a Friday night clash with the Texas Longhorns. Kickoff from Mike A. Myers Stadium and Soccer Field is set for 8:00 p.m. ET.
The match will air live on SEC Network+ with Lincoln Rose (PxP) and Katie Goodman (Analyst) on the call.
The Lady Vols (6-0-1, 1-0-0) opened SEC play in winning fashion with a 3-1 triumph at LSU last Friday. Hitting the road again, this Friday's match will mark the first time in 2026 that Tennessee has played consecutive matches away from Regal Soccer Stadium.
Winning Start: Tennessee opened SEC play 1-0 with a 3-1 victory at LSU last Friday. Prior to 2026, the Lady Vols were 2-3 in the team's previous five conference openers, including a 3-2 defeat at Mississippi State in 2025 to end an unbeaten start to the season.
Friday's trip to Austin gives Tennessee the chance to start 2-0 in SEC play for the first time since 2016.
The Lady Vols' overall unbeaten streak of seven matches to begin the 2026 season ties the program's best start since 2020. Tennessee also opened the 2021 season on a seven-match unbeaten streak, while the ten-match unbeaten start to 2017 is the next milestone this season's Lady Vols will look to match.
First-Half Firepower: Tennessee has wasted little time getting on the scoresheet in each of its seven matches this season. The Lady Vols have scored first in every match and struck within the first 30 minutes of each contest. Additionally, Tennessee has scored in the opening 12 minutes in six of the team's seven matches this season.
The strong offensive starts have allowed the Lady Vols to not trail a single minute thus far in 2026. Prior to last Friday's match at LSU, Tennessee had led at the halftime break in all six contests, but a late first-half goal by the Tigers secured a level scoreline at the break in Baton Rouge.
Cheetah Strikes Again: Taylor Cheatham is the first player on the Tennessee roster with multiple game-winning goals in 2026. The senior forward secured the game-winner for the Lady Vols at LSU in the 55th minute, heading home a perfect corner kick delivery from Dakota Brown.
The goal marked Cheatham's third of the season, bringing her level with Kylee Simmons for the most on the team in 2026.The match will air live on SEC Network+ with Lincoln Rose (PxP) and Katie Goodman (Analyst) on the call.
The Lady Vols (6-0-1, 1-0-0) opened SEC play in winning fashion with a 3-1 triumph at LSU last Friday. Hitting the road again, this Friday's match will mark the first time in 2026 that Tennessee has played consecutive matches away from Regal Soccer Stadium.
Winning Start: Tennessee opened SEC play 1-0 with a 3-1 victory at LSU last Friday. Prior to 2026, the Lady Vols were 2-3 in the team's previous five conference openers, including a 3-2 defeat at Mississippi State in 2025 to end an unbeaten start to the season.
Friday's trip to Austin gives Tennessee the chance to start 2-0 in SEC play for the first time since 2016.
The Lady Vols' overall unbeaten streak of seven matches to begin the 2026 season ties the program's best start since 2020. Tennessee also opened the 2021 season on a seven-match unbeaten streak, while the ten-match unbeaten start to 2017 is the next milestone this season's Lady Vols will look to match.
First-Half Firepower: Tennessee has wasted little time getting on the scoresheet in each of its seven matches this season. The Lady Vols have scored first in every match and struck within the first 30 minutes of each contest. Additionally, Tennessee has scored in the opening 12 minutes in six of the team's seven matches this season.
The strong offensive starts have allowed the Lady Vols to not trail a single minute thus far in 2026. Prior to last Friday's match at LSU, Tennessee had led at the halftime break in all six contests, but a late first-half goal by the Tigers secured a level scoreline at the break in Baton Rouge.
Cheetah Strikes Again: Taylor Cheatham is the first player on the Tennessee roster with multiple game-winning goals in 2026. The senior forward secured the game-winner for the Lady Vols at LSU in the 55th minute, heading home a perfect corner kick delivery from Dakota Brown.
Derrien by Design: It's no surprise that junior midfielder Ines Derrien has continued to emerge on the offensive end for Tennessee. The USC transfer's 13 shots in 2026 are tied for the third-most on the team and the most by a player who is not a forward.
Despite a sustained attacking presence, Derrien did not find the back of the net for Tennessee in the opening five matches of the season. That changed in the team's past two matches, as Derrien has found the back of the net in each contest.
Derrien converted from the penalty spot for the match's only goal in the 1-0 victory over Northwestern, before drawing and scoring another penalty kick to put away Tennessee's 3-1 victory over LSU in the conference opener.
Beyond finding the scoresheet, Derrien has made a large impact as a playmaker. She assisted the opening goal of the win at LSU, bringing her season tally to a joint team-high of three.
Continuing the Comeback: Returning from a major knee injury that cut short her 2025 campaign, Shae O'Rourke scored her second goal of the season in what was her fourth start of 2026 at LSU.
An electric player in the attacking third, O'Rourke's minutes and impact have slowly increased throughout the 2026 season. She has also added two assists through the opening seven matches, bringing her season total of points to six.
O'Rourke was lethal up front for the Lady Vols in 2025 prior to injury, scoring five goals in just five matches. This includes a brace in a 2-0 victory over No. 1 North Carolina and the game-winning goal in a 1-0 victory on the road at No. 4 UCLA.
New Kids in Town: While Texas enters its third season as a member of the SEC, Friday will mark the first time the Longhorns have faced Tennessee in a conference contest. With no matches between the schools in 2024 or 2025, the most recent matchup between the sides came in 1997, a 2-0 victory for Tennessee at Regal Soccer Stadium.
Friday's match will mark the first time Tennessee has played in the state of Texas since Aug. 27, 2023, when the Lady Vols suffered a 2-1 defeat at SMU in Dallas.
A Look at the Longhorns: After a tumultuous 2025 campaign that ended in a 4-12-1 record, first-year head coach Margueritte Bates has Texas on track with a 5-2-1 record to begin 2026. The Longhorns capped a successful seven-match nonconference slate with a marquee 1-0 road victory at No. 19 TCU.
Texas opened SEC play last Thursday with a trip to Arkansas, where the Razorbacks ran wild in a 3-1 victory. The Longhorns are 2-1 on home turf in 2026, with the lone loss coming at the hands of Baylor by a score of 2-1.
Defensively, Texas has been a strong unit with five clean sheets this season, anchored by established starter Bayliss Flynn. On the offensive end, midfielder/forward Amalia Villarreal leads the Longhorns with four goals in 2026.
Players Mentioned
Wednesday, August 12
Saturday, November 15
Tuesday, November 11
Tuesday, November 11
