University of Tennessee Athletics
UT SOCCER CRACKS TOP 10 IN SOCCER BUZZ PRESEASON RANKINGS
August 13, 2006 | Soccer
Aug. 13, 2006
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The Tennessee soccer team opens the 2006 season ranked 10th in the country, as Soccer Buzz magazine released its Top 30 preseason poll. This is the Lady Vols' highest preseason ranking from the 11-year-old publication, besting the previous top of 13th to start the 2003 campaign. The 2006 version of Lady Vol Soccer opens its exhibition slate on Monday against Virginia Tech, with start time set for 6 p.m. in Blacksburg, Va.The Orange and White are the first of five ranked teams that appear from the Southeastern Conference. Florida and Georgia stand at No. 11 and No. 18, respectively, with Mississippi coming in at No. 24 and Vanderbilt at No. 29.
Eight of Tennessee's 18 matches this season are against one of Soccer Buzz's preseason top 30, including matches against three top-10 squads. The Orange and White will take on No. 8 Penn State and No. 7 Virginia on successive Sundays to start the year. At the Stanford Invitational on Sept. 15-17, the host and 19th-ranked Cardinal will face the Lady Vols on Friday night, while Sunday's contest pits UT versus second-ranked Santa Clara. The road does not get easier in the Southeastern Conference, as the Lady Vols open the 11-game league slate against the 24th-ranked and defending western division champion Rebels.
The Lady Vols return nine starters from last year's SEC triple-crown winning team. UT expects to be led by first-team NSCAA/adidas All-American senior midfielder Ali Christoph (Columbus, Ohio) and second-team Soccer Buzz Freshman All-American forward Kylee Rossi (Pennington, N.J.). Tennessee also returns three starting defenders, including All-Central Region senior Jenny Jeffers (Lake Zurich, Ill.).
After Monday night's match against the Hokies, the Lady Vols will have one more exhibition on Saturday at the Regal Soccer Stadium against Carson-Newman at 6:30 p.m. The Big Orange open their 11th season on the pitch on Friday, Aug. 25 against Maryland at the Penn State Invitational in University Park, Pa.
| Soccer Buzz Top 30 | ||
| Rank | Team | 2005 Record |
| 1. | UCLA | 22-2-2 |
| 2. | Santa Clara | 17-5-2 |
| 3. | Notre Dame | 22-3 |
| 4. | Florida State | 20-4-1 |
| 5. | Portland | 23-0-2 |
| 6. | North Carolina | 23-1-1 |
| 7. | Virginia | 18-6-1 |
| 8. | Penn State | 23-0-2 |
| 9. | Boston College | 13-6-2 |
| 10. | TENNESSEE | 15-6-2 |
| 11. | Florida | 13-6-1 |
| 12. | Duke | 14-6-1 |
| 13. | Yale | 15-4-1 |
| 14. | Texas A&M | 18-4-2 |
| 15. | Illinois | 12-7-3 |
| 16. | Marquette | 19-4-1 |
| 17. | Southern California | 13-6-2 |
| 18. | Georgia | 12-6-2 |
| 19. | Stanford | 10-7-3 |
| 20. | Pepperdine | 15-4-3 |
| 21. | West Virginia | 12-6-3 |
| 22. | Dartmouth | 12-5-1 |
| 23. | Brigham Young | 15-2-4 |
| 24. | Mississippi | 14-5-2 |
| 25. | Gonzaga | 12-4-4 |
| 26. | Wake Forest | 9-9-1 |
| 27. | Saint Louis | 16-5 |
| 28. | Long Beach State | 12-5-3 |
| 29. | Vanderbilt | 17-3-3 |
| 30. | California | 16-4-2 |
