SOCCER CENTRAL: Mercer

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The 10^th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers are back in action Sunday evening as the Mercer Bears come to Knoxville. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Regal Soccer Stadium.

Admission and parking for all regular season matches at Regal Soccer Stadium is free of charge. Gates will open at 5 p.m., and fans should be reminded that UT's clear bag policy will be in effect.

FOLLOW LIVE: Sunday's contest will be streamed live on SEC Network+, available online and through the ESPN app. Live stats will also be provided via SIDEARM Stats.

PROMOTIONS: Gameday promotions for Sunday's contest include National Banana Split Day (the first 200 fans will receive a TN Soccer Ice Cream Bowl and a voucher for ice cream), Sunday Fundae (first 100 kids will receive a voucher for ice cream and toppings) and a pregame Kids' Corner.

JOB DONE ON NIGHT ONE: No. 10 Tennessee dispatched the Fordham Rams 3-1 on opening night in a match that spanned nearly four hours due to weather delays. All three UT scores came from upperclassmen as MA Vignola, Erin Gilroy and Salera Jordan found the back of the net.

PRESEASON TOP 10: Tennessee received its highest preseason ranking in program history from the United Soccer Coaches, as the Vols were tabbed 10th in the organization's national poll released last week.

The Vols are the highest ranked SEC program entering the 2019 season. Other top-25 teams in the conference include No. 12 Texas A&M, No. 15 South Carolina, No. 17 Vanderbilt and No. 24 LSU.

SERIES HISTORY: In the lone meeting between the two programs, Tennessee topped Mercer 2-0 on the road on Sept. 8, 2013. Tori Bailey and Hannah Wilkinson netted goals for the Lady Vols en route to victory.

UT holds an impressive 23-1-0 all-time record against current members of the Southern Conference.

SCOUTING MERCER: The Bears opened their season Thursday night with a 2-1 double-overtime win against Kennesaw State. Freshman defender Ciara Whitely scored the golden goal in the 109^th minute to avoid a draw with the in state rival.

Midfielder Abigail Zoeller led the Bears in 2018 with 10 goals and eight assists, earning a spot on the SoCon's preseason all-conference team. The Bears were voted fifth out of 10 in the league's preseason coaches' poll.

UP NEXT: Following Sunday's match, Tennessee will embark on its first road trip with visits to Rutgers (Aug. 29, 7 p.m.) and Columbia (Sept. 1, 1 p.m.).

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

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Players Mentioned

Erin Gilroy

MA Vignola

University of Tennessee Athletics