SOCCER CENTRAL: at South Carolina

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee soccer team travels to Columbia, S.C. this week to face No. 7 South Carolina on Friday night. Kickoff between the Vols and league-leading Gamecocks is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Stone Stadium.

Friday's match will be broadcast on SEC Network+, available online and through the ESPN app. Live stats will also be provided via SIDEARM Stats, and fans can follow @Vol_Soccer on Twitter for live match updates.

LAST TIME OUT: The Vols (8-5-1, 2-4 SEC) fell at Missouri 2-0 Sunday afternoon as the Tigers scored two goals in the final 10 minutes. Sophomore keeper Charli Pogany played all 90 minutes between the posts and recorded a career-high six saves for the Big Orange.

DOWN THE STRETCH: Tennessee will see one of the hardest schedules in the conference to close out the regular season, as three of UT's next four opponents are ranked in the United Coaches top-25.

at #7 South Carolina (10/18)
vs. #24 Florida (10/24)
vs. #8 Arkansas (10/31)

VIGNOLA THRIVES UP TOP: Coming off an All-SEC Second Team campaign in 2018, senior MA Vignola is filling up the stat sheet in her final year on Rocky Top. She made the move to forward after spending most of last season at left back and leads the Vols with seven goals and three game-winners. Furthermore, five of UT's last seven goals have come off of Vignola's left foot.

INSIDE THE SERIES: In 24 meetings since 1996, Tennessee holds a 12-10-2 series edge over South Carolina. The Vols were unbeaten in their first 13 matches against the Gamecocks but have dropped 10 of the last 11.

The Vols last defeated South Carolina 1-0 on the road in 2012, Brian Pensky's first year as head coach at Tennessee. Two-time All-SEC performer Caroline Brown scored the game-winner early in the second half.

RECORD VS. TOP-10: The Vols have earned 10 wins over top-10 teams since the program's inception in 1996. Overall, Tennessee's record against top-10 opponents stands at 10-41-5. The Vols picked up a signature ranked road victory last season, topping No. 5 Texas A&M 4-0 in College Station with an onslaught of four goals in a six minute span late in the second half.

SCOUTING SOUTH CAROLINA: The Gamecocks (11-1-1, 5-0-1 SEC) sit atop the conference table with 16 points in league play, coming off a scoreless tie against Vanderbilt last weekend. Forward Elexa Bahr leads the team with 14 points via four goals and six assists, while senior goalie Mikayla Krzeczowski ranks third in the SEC with a 0.45 goals-against average.

UP NEXT: Tennessee returns home next Thursday for another SEC East rivalry matchup, hosting the Florida Gators at Regal Soccer Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

For the most up-to-date information on Tennessee soccer, follow @Vol_Soccer on Twitter.

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Players Mentioned

Charli Pogany

MA Vignola

University of Tennessee Athletics