University of Tennessee Athletics
Sunday, September 27
Knoxville, Tenn.
12:00 p.m. ET
University of Tennessee
vs
Vanderbilt
PREVIEW: #9 Lady Vols Welcome #3 Vanderbilt for Sunday Afternoon In-State Clash
September 26, 2026 | Soccer
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 9 Tennessee soccer team closes a two-match home stand on Sunday afternoon, hosting No. 3 Vanderbilt for a marquee match up at Regal Soccer Stadium. Kickoff between the in-state rivals is slated for noon ET.
The match will air live on ESPNU with Tyler Terens (PxP) and Paddy Foss (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 is in effect again this season. Regal Soccer Stadium is a cashless venue for both concessions and the VolShop this season.
The Lady Vols (6-0-3, 1-0-2) battled Mississippi State to a physical scoreless draw at Regal Soccer Stadium on Thursday night to remain unbeaten in the 2026 season. Tennessee has claimed five of a possible nine points through three matches to begin SEC play.
Broken Streaks: Tennessee had multiple offensive streaks broken in Thursday night's 0-0 draw with Mississippi State.
The match marked the first time in the 2026 season that the Lady Vols have been shut out. Furthermore, Tennessee had scored two or more goals in seven of eight prior contests.
After being held scoreless, the Lady Vols' streaks of scoring first in every match and within the first 30 minutes of each match in 2026 were broken.
Tennessee was held to zero shots in the first half of the contest, the first time the team has had zero shots in a half since October 26, 2023, vs Vanderbilt.
Chasing History: Despite being held to a draw by the Bulldogs on Thursday, Tennessee remains unbeaten in the 2026 season 6-0-3. The Lady Vols hold the second-longest unbeaten streak to begin a season in program history at nine matches.
Tennessee has an opportunity to match the best unbeaten start in program history on Sunday. Avoiding defeat would give the Lady Vols a 10-match unbeaten streak to begin the season, matching the 2017 squad for the best start in program history.
Highly Ranked Competition: Sunday's tussle with Vanderbilt will be Tennessee's second ranked match up of the 2026 season. The Lady Vols drew No. 12 Virginia 1-1 on the road earlier this month in the team's one prior match against a ranked opponent this season.
The Commodores remain among the nation's best in this week's rankings, checking in at No. 1 in the TopDrawerSoccer.com national rankings and No. 3 in the IWSOC coaches' poll.
Tennessee is 6-53-4 against opponents ranking in the top 10 of the IWSOC/United Soccer Coaches poll in program history, with the most recent win coming at No. 4 UCLA last season.
The Lady Vols posted a 3-3-1 record against ranked opponents in 2025, including a 2-0-0 mark against top-five opponents.
Clean Sheet Connoisseurs: Despite defender Nyla Blue receiving a red card in the 77th minute, Tennessee secured its fifth clean sheet of the 2026 campaign in the 0-0 draw with Mississippi State.
Junior goalkeeper Cayden Norris recorded a season-high three saves in the match as the Lady Vol defense withstood 15 shots by the Bulldogs.
Tennessee matched a program record with 13 clean sheets in the 2025 season, including a streak of seven consecutive shutouts to open the campaign.
The match will air live on ESPNU with Tyler Terens (PxP) and Paddy Foss (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 is in effect again this season. Regal Soccer Stadium is a cashless venue for both concessions and the VolShop this season.
The Lady Vols (6-0-3, 1-0-2) battled Mississippi State to a physical scoreless draw at Regal Soccer Stadium on Thursday night to remain unbeaten in the 2026 season. Tennessee has claimed five of a possible nine points through three matches to begin SEC play.
Broken Streaks: Tennessee had multiple offensive streaks broken in Thursday night's 0-0 draw with Mississippi State.
The match marked the first time in the 2026 season that the Lady Vols have been shut out. Furthermore, Tennessee had scored two or more goals in seven of eight prior contests.
After being held scoreless, the Lady Vols' streaks of scoring first in every match and within the first 30 minutes of each match in 2026 were broken.
Tennessee was held to zero shots in the first half of the contest, the first time the team has had zero shots in a half since October 26, 2023, vs Vanderbilt.
Chasing History: Despite being held to a draw by the Bulldogs on Thursday, Tennessee remains unbeaten in the 2026 season 6-0-3. The Lady Vols hold the second-longest unbeaten streak to begin a season in program history at nine matches.
Tennessee has an opportunity to match the best unbeaten start in program history on Sunday. Avoiding defeat would give the Lady Vols a 10-match unbeaten streak to begin the season, matching the 2017 squad for the best start in program history.
Highly Ranked Competition: Sunday's tussle with Vanderbilt will be Tennessee's second ranked match up of the 2026 season. The Lady Vols drew No. 12 Virginia 1-1 on the road earlier this month in the team's one prior match against a ranked opponent this season.
The Commodores remain among the nation's best in this week's rankings, checking in at No. 1 in the TopDrawerSoccer.com national rankings and No. 3 in the IWSOC coaches' poll.
Tennessee is 6-53-4 against opponents ranking in the top 10 of the IWSOC/United Soccer Coaches poll in program history, with the most recent win coming at No. 4 UCLA last season.
The Lady Vols posted a 3-3-1 record against ranked opponents in 2025, including a 2-0-0 mark against top-five opponents.
Clean Sheet Connoisseurs: Despite defender Nyla Blue receiving a red card in the 77th minute, Tennessee secured its fifth clean sheet of the 2026 campaign in the 0-0 draw with Mississippi State.
Junior goalkeeper Cayden Norris recorded a season-high three saves in the match as the Lady Vol defense withstood 15 shots by the Bulldogs.
Tennessee matched a program record with 13 clean sheets in the 2025 season, including a streak of seven consecutive shutouts to open the campaign.
Consistency across the back line has been key for Tennessee as Norris, Cora Fry, Devin Davis, Blue, and Milee Zych have each started every match they have been available. The defensive unit will receive a shake up for Sunday's match with Vanderbilt, as Blue serves her red card suspension.
Leading Scorer Simmons: A powerful second-half header by Kylee Simmons secured Tennessee's second goal of the match at Texas on Sept. 18, helping the Lady Vols come from behind to earn a 2-2 draw.
The goal brought Simmons' season tally to four goals, the most on the team. Additionally, her updated tally of ten points this season also leads Tennessee.
One of two team captains, Simmons has been a source of quality and strength for the Lady Vols in her debut season on the pitch. The fifth-year forward also spent the 2025 season with Tennessee, after transferring from Missouri, but was sidelined by a preseason ACL injury for the duration of the campaign.
Top-10 Lady Vols: Despite settling for a draw at Texas, Tennessee remains in the top-10 of this week's IWSOC coaches' poll and TopDrawerSoccer.com's weekly national rankings, checking in at No. 9 and No. 6, respectively.
Tennessee's inclusion marks the fifth consecutive week the Lady Vols have been within the top-10. It matches the second-most weeks spent in the top-10 of the IWSOC/United Soccer Coaches poll in one season in program history. Tennessee set a new program record in 2025, spending nine consecutive weeks ranked within the top-10.
Reversing the Trend: The Lady Vols will be hoping to reverse the trend of the all-time series with Vanderbilt on Sunday. The Commodores hold an 18-12-5 all-time advantage, claiming a 2-1 victory in last season's match between the teams in Nashville.
The in-state rivals are dead even in the last five matches of the series, with a 2-2-1 mark for each side.
A Look at the Commodores: Sunday's match will be a battle between two unbeaten squads, as Vanderbilt owns a 9-0-1 record in 2026. After a 2025 campaign that ended with an SEC Tournament championship and an NCAA Tournament Elite Eight appearance, the Commodores have opened 2026 on a similar note.
With seven points of a possible nine won through three matches of SEC play, Vanderbilt boasts one of the best offenses in the country, scoring 38 goals in 10 matches. On a team that has had 12 different goalscorers in 2026, Sydney Watts leads the Commodores with 10 goals this season.
Players Mentioned
D
/ Soccer
D
/ Soccer
D/M
/ Soccer
GK
/ Soccer
F
/ Soccer
D
/ SoccerFriday, September 18
Wednesday, August 12
Saturday, November 15
Tuesday, November 11
