Tennessee Women's Soccer Year-by-Year Archive
2024Â Season
Record:Â 9-7-4
SEC Finish:Â 3-4-3
Postseason: NCAA First Round
Coach: Joe Kirt (3rd Season)
In 2024, the Lady Vols advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive season and 16th time in program history while also posting eight clean sheets.Â
UT compiled a record of 9-7-4 and advanced to the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament after topping Kentucky, 1-0. During the regular season, Tennessee secured a top-five win over No. 5 Memphis after Mac Midgley found the back of the net in the 48th minute.Â
Reese Mattern made an immediate impact on Rocky Top which earned her SEC All-Freshman Team honors. The Charlottesville, Virginia, native started in all 17 matches while producing a team-high three assists and scoring two goals. Mattern has also tallied 32 shots with 16 coming on goal.
Following their performance in SEC play, Juniors Ally Brown and Mac Midgley were tabbed Third Team All-SEC selections. Brown led the team in minutes played (1,800) and anchored the backline to eight shutouts on the season, six of which came consecutively. Additionally, she registered a goal and two assists as a center back.Â
Midgley had a productive year on the pitch after starting in all 20 matches for Tennessee, registering four goals and 10 points, finishing second on the team in both categories.
2023Â Season
Record:Â 9-7-4
SEC Finish:Â 3-4-3
Postseason: NCAA Second Round
Coach: Joe Kirt (2nd Season)
In a season plagued by injuries, the Lady Vols battled No. 18 Kentucky and No. 5 South Carolina to draws and finished the regular season with a crucial 1-0 victory at Vanderbilt. The Lady Vols made the program's third straight and 15th overall NCAA Tournament appearance, receiving an at-large bid with an RPI ranking of 32. Tennessee opened the tournament by defeating No. 17 Xavier in double overtime on the road to advance to the NCAA Second Round for the 10th time in program history. Redshirt-sophomore Ally Zazzara tallied 15 saves in that match to tie the program record set by Sarah Shivley in 1997.
Junior Jordan Fusco was named First Team All-SEC, graduate Sizzy Lawton made Second Team All-SEC, and freshman Kate Runyon landed on the SEC All-Freshman Team.
2022Â Season
Record:Â 11-6-2
SEC Finish:Â 7-2-1 (T-1st in East)
Postseason: NCAA First Round
Coach: Joe Kirt (1st Season)
In head coach Joe Kirt's first year at the helm, the Lady Vols claimed their third straight SEC East Division Championship, tying South Carolina for the title with 15 points in divisional play while finishing second overall in the league with 22 points. The 2022 squad posted 10 shutouts on the season, including a streak of five in a row during conference play that began with a 1-0 victory at No. 13 Ole Miss. For the first time in program history, Tennessee went undefeated on the road in SEC matches, giving up just two goals over five contests. Sitting at No. 24 in the RPI following the SEC Tournament, UT made its second straight and 14th overall NCAA Tournament appearance, entering as a No. 6 Seed. The Lady Vols hosted a Xavier team that was No. 25 in the RPI in the NCAA First Round, falling in overtime, 4-1. Â
Redshirt-junior Jaida Thomas and sophomore Taylor Huff earned First Team All-SEC honors, while fifth-year senior Mackenzie George was named Second Team All-SEC. Thomas found the net 13 times on the season, moving her career total to 38 to pull within five goals of tying the program record of 43. Senior goalkeeper Lindsey Romig finished her career with 23 solo shutouts to rank third all-time in the UT record book and tie for fourth all-time with a save percentage of .791
2021Â Season
Record:Â 20-3-0
SEC Finish:Â 8-2-0 (1st in East)
Postseason: NCAA Round of 16
Coach: Brian Pensky (10th Season)
In a historic season, Tennessee captured its first SEC Tournament title since 2008, taking a decisive 3-0 win over No. 5 Arkansas in Orange Beach. The squad left quite a mark on the record book, starting by opening the 2021 campaign with seven straight shutouts to set a new program record for longest shutout streak of 633:53. The group went on to amass a program-best 13 shutouts and recorded 20 wins for the first time in school history. With a record of 8-2 in conference play, UT claimed its second straight SEC East title. The Vols entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. 3 seed, advancing to the NCAA Round of 16 with wins over Lipscomb (3-0) and No. 15 Washington State (2-0). Tennessee's historic run came to an end in Ann Arbor, falling to the host team, No. 9 Michigan, 3-0. The Vols landed at No. 11 in the final rankings.
Head coach Brian Pensky was named SEC Coach of the Year and Taylor Huff earned SEC Freshman of the Year honors. Senior Mackenzie George earned First Team All-SEC honors while redshirt-sophomore Jaida Thomas, senior Wrenne French, and Huff were named Second Team All-SEC. Tennessee placed three on the SEC All-Freshman Team with Huff, Jordan Fusco, and Claire Rain each making the list. George, French, Thomas and Huff were all named to the 2021 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I All-Southeast Region First Team, and Thomas and French each earned All-America honors, making second and third teams, respectively.Â
2020-21Â Season
Record:Â 8-6-1
SEC Finish:Â 4-3-1Â (1st in East)
Postseason: SEC Tournament Quarterfinals
Coach: Brian Pensky (9th Season)
In a season unlike any other, Tennessee played a conference-only slate in the fall before wrapping up the campaign with six non-conference matchups in the spring. The Vols captured the SEC East title, going 4-1-1 against divisional opponents which included shutout victories over No. 10 Vanderbilt (1-0) and No. 9 South Carolina (1-0). UT went 4-2 in the spring, posting clean sheets against Gardner-Webb (6-0), App State (7-0) and Wake Forest (2-0).
Redshirt freshman Jaida Thomas had one of the most prolific rookie campaigns in program history, leading the SEC with 12 goals, 25 points and five game-winners on the season. She was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team and picked up four SEC Freshman of the Week nods throughout the year. Junior forward Mackenzie George was selected to the All-SEC Second Team, rounding out the season with four goals and four assists.
2019Â Season
Record: 9-6-3
SEC Finish: 3-5-2 (11th)
Postseason: N/A
Coach: Brian Pensky (8th Season)
The Tennessee soccer program concluded the 2019 season 9-6-3 overall, including an 8-2 record at Regal Soccer Stadium.
Maya Neal (first team) and Katie Cousins (second team) concluded their careers as four-time All-SEC performers, becoming the fourth and fifth players in UT history to accomplish that feat. Senior forward MA Vignola had a breakout season with career-highs in goals (9) and assists (5) on the way to first team all-conference honors, while rookie goalkeeper Lindsey Romig broke the program record with a 0.58 goals-against average and was named to the SEC All-Freshman team.
2018 Season
Record: 16-3-3
SEC Finish: 7-2-1 (2nd)
Postseason: SEC Tournament Quarterfinals, NCAA Quarterfinals
Coach: Brian Pensky (7th Season)
Tennessee made program history with its deepest run in the NCAA Tournament, reaching the quarterfinal round as a No. 2 national seed in 2018. The Vols finished the season 16-3-3 overall, good for the program's highest winning percentage (.795) and fewest losses (3) in a single season.
UT's stout defensive unit limited opponents to a program-best 15 goals on the season, while the Vols' 12 shutouts tied a Tennessee record that has stood since 2003. The Vols netted 44 goals on the offensive end, marking the first time Tennessee scored 40-plus goals in back-to-back seasons since 2002-03.
2017 Season
Record: 15-4-2
SEC Finish: 6-3-1 (5th)
Postseason: SEC Tournament Quarterfinals
Coach: Brian Pensky (6th Season)
Tennessee put together its best season since 2012, returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years behind a high-scoring offense and a defense that posted 10 shutouts. The team scored 47 goals during the season, the third-most in program history, led by junior newcomer Bunny Shaw's 14.
Five players earned SEC postseason honors. Shaw and redshirt sophomores Katie Cousins and Maya Neal were first-team All-SEC and redshirt junior Anna Bialczak was on the second team. Redshirt freshman Erin Gilroy, who led the team with nine assists, was on the SEC All-Freshman Team.
2016 Season
Record: 11-9-1
SEC Finish: 5-5-1 (7th)
Postseason: SEC Tournament Quarterfinals
Coach: Brian Pensky (5th Season)
Tennessee retuned to the SEC Tournament, earning the No. 7 seed after finishing with a 5-5-1 record in league play. The Vols defeated Ole Miss in the opening round before falling to No. 2 seed Auburn in the quarterfinals to end the season. UT finished with an 11-9-1 overall record, giving head coach Brian Pensky his third season with double-digit wins since taking over the program in 2012.
The Big Orange had three players earn conference honors, led by Hannah Wilkinson, who had the best season of her career in her final year on Rocky Top. Wilkinson was named first team All-SEC after posting career highs and leading the team with 11 goals, 10 assists and 32 points. She moved into second on UT's career goals chart with 33 and up to third on the program's all-time points list with 85. The New Zealand native also earned NSCAA All-South Region honors for the third time in her career. Rylie O'Keefe and Maya Neal also earned All-SEC and NSCAA All-Region accolades for the year.
2015 Season
Record: 7-6-5
SEC Finish: 3-5-3 (T-9th in SEC)
Postseason: N/A
Coach: Brian Pensky (4th Season)
Despite losing several key players to injury early in the year, Tennessee got off to a hot start, beginning the season 5-0-3 thanks to solid defense and goalkeeping. The Vols finished the year with a 7-5-6 overall record, marking the fifth winning season in the past six years and 15th overall in program history. UT ended the season in a three-way tie for ninth in the SEC, but missed out on the conference tournament after losing a tiebreaker with Kentucky and Georgia.
Redshirt senior goalkeeper Julie Eckel had a fantastic season to cap off an illustrious career, earning All-SEC first team honors. Eckel led the SEC with eight shutouts and became Tennessee's career leader in saves (335) and save percentage (.817). The Cordova, Tenn., native also finished her career as the program's all-time leader among goalkeepers in games played (81), games started (79) and minutes played (7,411:14). She also ranks second all-time in shutouts (31.4) and goals against average (0.91) on top of ranking third in wins with 44. Junior forwards Anna McClung and Amy Neal tied for the team lead with five goals while redshirt freshman Anna Bialczak led the Vols with six assists and was second on the team with 12 points. Midfielder Katie Cousins earned a spot on the SEC All-Freshmen team as well.
2014 Season
Record: 10-10-2
SEC Finish: 4-6-1 (10th in SEC)
Postseason: SEC Tournament Semifinals
Coach: Brian Pensky (3rd Season)
Tennessee used a late-season surge with a home upset of No. 21 Missouri and an overtime road win over Ole Miss to punch its ticket to the SEC Tournament. The Big Orange then upset Alabama in the first round and ousted No. 8 Florida on PKs to reach the semifinals for the eighth time in program history.
Hannah Wilkinson and Allie Sirna earned SEC All-Tournament Team and NSCAA All-South Region honors. Wilkinson paced the team with 21 points off nine goals and three assists. Sirna anchored a defense that posted seven shutouts. Carlyn Baldwin was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team.
2013 Season
Record: 8-7-4
SEC Finish: 3-5-3 (t-10th in SEC)
Postseason: N/A
Coach: Brian Pensky (2nd Season)
The team's 8-7-4 record marked UT's fourth-consecutive and 14th-overall winning season. Tennessee notched three wins over ranked opponents, including triumphs against eventual conference champions Texas A&M and UCF.
With four match-winners in 2013, Caroline Brown set the Tennessee career record at 15 while earning All-SEC, NSCAA All-Region and Capital One Academic All-America honors. Brown paced the team with eight goals and finished her UT career with 27 scores - the fifth most in program history.
2012 Season
Record: 14-5-3
SEC Finish: 9-3-1 (2nd in East)
Postseason: NCAA 1st Round
Coach: Brian Pensky (1st Season)
With 11 shutouts and seven overtime matches, the 2012 Lady Vols were a resilient, grind-it-out team that thrived in head coach Brian Pensky's first year leading the program. Bolstered by strong senior leadership, UT enjoyed wins over ranked opponents Missouri and Texas A & M and finished third in the SEC.
The 2012 Lady Vols featured arguably the best defense in program history with a school-record 0.69 goals-allowed average and UT's longest shutout streak ever (533:22).
2011 Season
Record: 15-7
SEC Finish: 7-4 (T-2nd East)
Postseason: NCAA 1st Round
Coach: Angela Kelly (12th season)
A season highlighted by wins over SEC opponents Florida, Arkansas, and Vanderbilt, had the 2011 Lady Vols soccer team poised to make a run at the Women's College Cup.
With the conclusion of the 2011 season, Angela Kelley stepped down as head coach of Tennessee soccer following her 12th season.
2010 Season
Record: 10-9-1
SEC Finish: 7-3-1 (3rd SEC)
Postseason: SEC Tournament
Coach: Angela Kelly (11th season)
Despite a 10-9-1 overall record and a third place overall finish in the SEC, the Lady Vols would not make postseason NCAA play.
2009 Season
Record: 8-9-3
SEC Finish: 4-5-2 (5th SEC)
Postseason: SEC Tournament
Coach: Angela Kelly (10th season)
With one win needed to place the Lady Vols in the NCAA tournament conversation, Tennessee fell to old nemesis Florida 1-0 in the SEC Tournament. The loss would mark the first time Florida had defeated the Lady Vols.
2008 Season
Record: 10-11-2
SEC Finish: 5-5-1 (4th SEC East)
Postseason: NCAA 1st Round
Coach: Angela Kelly (9th season)
The 2008 season would bring the Lady Vols their fourth Southeastern Conference Championship and a trip to the NCAA tournament.
Even with the conference title, the Lady Vols would make an uncharacteristic early exit from the NCAA tournament falling to Charlotte in the initial round of play.
2007 Season
Record: 15-5-2
SEC Finish: 8-2-1 (3rd SEC East)
Postseason: NCAA Sweet 16
Coach: Angela Kelly (8th season)
For the second consecutive year and for the fourth time in program history, the Lady Vols found themselves in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.
Tennessee will look to a strong returning group of players and signees in hopes of reaching the NCAA Tournament again in 2008.
2006 Season
Record: 12-7-2
SEC Finish: 6-3-2 (T-2 SEC East)
Postseason: NCAA Sweet 16
Coach: Angela Kelly (7th season)
Following a one-year break from the Sweet Sixteen, the Lady Vols found themselves back in the National Championship discussion.
A loss to #1 ranked UNC stopped the Big Orange train before it was able reach the College Cup.
2005 Season
Record: 15-6-2
SEC Finish: 10-1 (SEC Champions)
Postseason: NCAA 2nd Round
Coach: Angela Kelly (6th season)
For the third time in Tennessee history and under head coach Angela Kelley, the Lady Vols claimed the SEC Tournament Championship.
With its third title in four years and fourth consecutive appearance in the championship game, Tennessee looks to make a strong push next season for an NCAA title.
