Lady Vols Take Down Highlanders, 3-1

Thursday, September 7

Knoxville

7 PM

University of Tennessee

4-1-1, 0-0-0

Radford

3-3-1, 0-0-0

Radford

Tennessee

September 07, 2023 | Soccer

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Photo Gallery

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee improved to 4-1-1 on the season on Thursday, defeating Radford in Regal Stadium, 3-1.

Radford (3-3-1) scored early, but the Lady Vols responded with three unanswered goals, maintaining possession for 66 percent of the match and outshooting the Highlanders 26-2.

Redshirt-senior Maria Nelson, sophomore Kameron Simmonds, and graduate Sizzy Lawton were the goal-scorers for UT. All three of Tennessee's keepers made appearances, with Abby Reisz earning the start, but no saves were recorded.

Alexeis Kirnos found the net for RU.

Radford came out aggressive on offense, scoring 35 seconds into play when Kirnos capitalized on a turnover in UT's defensive third, taking a touch and sending the ball into the back of the net from 15 yards out.

Tennessee leveled the score early in the 17^th minute when junior Jordan Fusco gained possession of the ball in the midfield and drove through the RU defense before finding Simmonds who one-touched it across the box to Nelson as she ran unmarked to the back post. Nelson settled it before calmly beating the keeper with a bullet to the far post.

Simmonds gave the Lady Vols a one-goal advantage with 16:44 left in the first half, collecting the ball 35 yards out and dribbling through the Highlanders defense before driving a shot to the opposite side net from the top of the 18-yard box.

UT nearly added a third five minutes before halftime when freshman Kate Runyon weaved her way into the RU box and played the ball forward for redshirt-sophomore Jenna Stayart, who couldn't get quite enough on it before the Radford defense collapsed and knocked it wide, sending the game into the break with Tennessee leading 3-1.

The Lady Vols came out fast in the second, ripping off three shots inside the box in the 49^th minute, the last of which Lawton one-touched into the far net to round out the scoring.

UP NEXT: Tennessee will close out its non-conference slate on the road, traveling to Florida Atlantic for a 1 p.m. ET matchup on Sunday. The contest will be streamed on ESPN+.

SIMMONDS BY THE NUMBERS: With a goal against Radford, Simmonds moved her goal count to a team-leading six on the season. She has scored those six goals on just 23 shots, and she is currently tied for first in the SEC with Jordyn Rhodes of Kentucky in goals (6), goals per game (1.00), and points (12).

CREATING CHANCES: Over the last four contest, the Lady Vols have out-shot opponents 95-23 and taken 38 corner kicks while limiting the opposition to just six.