⚽️ LADY VOLS SOCCER Thread

[MAD]

What the hell is Danny thinking??!

With all the openings in women’s soccer, he needed to hold onto our coach.
Great move and well deserved.

OPEN:
Akron - Maggie Kuhn (Akron assistant; INTERIM)
USC Upstate (INTERIM 9/30)
St. Thomas (10/27)
Drexel (retirement 10/28)
Texas A&M (retirement 10/28)
Troy (10/30)
Central Michigan (11/3)
UNLV (11/4)
Southern Miss (11/5)
Ole Miss (11/10)
American (11/10)
Louisiana Tech (11/10)
Florida (11/12)
Le Moyne (11/17)
Fresno State (11/18)
UCLA (11/24)
Texas (11/24)
FILLED:
Bellarmine - Steve Bornhoffer (Northern Kentucky assistant; ??/??-7/22)
Central Arkansas - Derek Nichols (Central Arkansas associate head - 7/28)
Long Island - Jim O’Brien (Mitchell College head; 7/11-8/6)
Arkansas Pine Bluff - Emanuel Stephens (club coach; ??/??-8/7)
UNC Charlotte - Sinead Byrne (INTERIM; April 2025-10/17)
Northern Iowa - Alex Place Thomas (UNI interim, former Wartburg assistant and HS coach; INTERIM 6/20-11/10)
New Mexico - Karley Nelson (UNM associate head; 11/5-11/12)
McNeese State - Alexsis Cable (North Texas assistant; [2025 INTERIM] 6/17-11/20)

 

[Stmichael]

Washington's team defense was a masterclass session to watch. Everybody had their assignments. They were disciplined. Virginia had to fight tooth and nail to advance the ball (they refused to play long). After the red card against Washington, the Huskies just had to hold on and get lucky about three times (crossbar hits). Virginia was the better team, but sometimes the better team doesn't win.

Our defense was like that until the head coach began to make changes in players and strategy. Suddenly, we had unmarked players and lost speed. Same thing happened in the midfield.

BREAKING NEWS

KIRT AGREES TO CONTRACT EXTENSION THROUGH 2030​

November 24, 2025 | Soccer

here to stay!

Head coach Joe Kirt has agreed to a contract extension through the fall of 2030.

View attachment 792326
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White announced Monday that Lady Vols soccer head coach Joe Kirt has agreed to a contract extension through the 2030 season.

Kirt, a mainstay on the Tennessee sideline since 2007, was named UT's soccer head coach on April 29, 2022.

During his 19 seasons on Rocky Top, Kirt has helped guide the Lady Vols to two SEC Tournament championships, three SEC Eastern Division championships and 11 NCAA Tournament appearances.

"Joe has established an exceptional culture and has positioned our soccer program to continue its pursuit of championships," said White. "Given our success both on and off the pitch under his remarkable leadership, we are thrilled for him to continue leading our soccer program here on Rocky Top!"

The Lady Vols finished the 2025 campaign with a 12-4-3 record overall, including a 7-1-1 mark on their home field. UT was ranked in the top 25 for the entirety of the season, ascending to No. 1 in the United Soccer Coaches poll for the first time in program history on Sept. 9 and spending a majority of the year inside the top 5.

"Extremely grateful to Danny for giving me the opportunity to lead this incredible program three years ago," Kirt said. "His continued belief in me, along with his investment in our team and staff, has provided us with the resources to be one of the premier women's soccer programs in the country. I'm incredibly proud of our players and staff—their commitment and investment in this program allowed us to reach new heights this fall. We will continue to improve and build upon that success as we compete for championships at both the conference and national level here at Tennessee."

Kirt recently announced eight additions to the program's 2026 signing class, which is ranked No. 6 nationally and second in the Southeastern Conference by TopDrawerSoccer.com.

Good Lord! Only sport where going from ranked to unranked gets rewarded.

 

[Stmichael]

View attachment 792320
CALL UP! Congratulations to Slammers FC HB Køge ECNL Girls U18/19 player Ayva Jordan, who was called to United States U18/19 Camp. We are proud of you!

View attachment 792321
Congratulations to @izzyrodriguez13, @nina_soccer25, @evagaetino, and @alison__ernst who have been selected to represent @usynt and the @uswnt! Go Hawks!!!

Prediction: She will transfer after the first semester.

 

[Vols330]

Why is Reese Mattern transferring?

 

[Stmichael]

Why is Reese Mattern transferring?

Not sure. A guess from game observation is that the coaches tried to change what she was good at- running onto a pass, beating the defender and crossing or cutting in. Seemed like they were trying to make her a tricky dribbler styled player - that's not her strength. Hell, they had her playing with her back to the opponents goal. Did the same to Robinson...Robinson likes to run on to the ball and strike outside the box (that's what she did at AK). Again, recruited a player with specific talents and then tried to change it. Really dumb. The good coaches recognize player strengths, determine how it connects to team design and makes everyone better. Our coach seems to want to change the player to fit 'coaching' ideas. Doesn't work. Never has and never will.

 

[JMO]

Our defense was like that until the head coach began to make changes in players and strategy. Suddenly, we had unmarked players and lost speed. Same thing happened in the midfield.

Good Lord! Only sport where going from ranked to unranked gets rewarded.

I have watched every Tennessee game this year, and while I agree with the sentiment that Tennessee has been a very good defensive team all season, I do not think I've seen them play as good as what I saw Washington did vs. Virginia. It is difficult to compare somewhat, but for starters, Tennessee did not play a team like Virginia all season. The closest measurebles would be UNC, Vandy, and UCLA, but I think Virginia was better than these three teams overall (I have watched almost all of Vandy and UNC and Virginia's games). Taking away nothing from what UT did all year, that Washington game was one of a kind defensively.

You mentioned marking and speed and the midfield and the lineup changes the coach made...It is difficult to evaluate fairly when we do not know what is being spoken and taught to the players, but these would be my observations:

1. Marking was generally good throughout the season, but I never saw one game all year where they marked as tightly as Washington did vs. Virginia. But this could be just a particular strategy overall for one opponent.

2. No matter who started or came off the bench to play midfield this year, we were never going to be fast at midfield. The midfielders were Latino, Smith, Davis, Mitchell, Midgley, & Brown. I do not know what these ladies run a 40 time in, but the only one who appeared to have elite game speed was Davis. However, the ladies who did play mostly at midfield, excelled in other ways (technical ability & decision making). I think the midfield played up to their potential and this has to be due partly to coaching and buying in to what is taught in practice.

3. Just my opinion, the difference between the first half of the season and the second half of the season was mainly due to an injury and not personnel decisions. Goal scorers are unique. O'Rourke was a huge loss...the type of loss, it turned out, that we could not replace. She was the difference between winning and losing or drawing when she played and when she did not play. Take the lead goal scorer off most teams (Giana Paul, Katie Shae Collins, Sydney Watts, Ally Perry), and they will have an increase in losses and draws, and a decrease in wins.

I thought the jump this team made watching all their games last year to this year was tremendous. And while the transfers helped, the main difference was the play of the returners. They got better, and I credit that to good coaching and dedication from the the players themselves. No one liked the way the season ended, but I think it is more than evident they got a terrible draw in the tournament. UNC always has excellent talent even in a down year (by Carolina standards). UNC should probably still be playing in the elite 8 if not one mental lapse with 10 seconds to go in regulation.

I can't wait for next season. Congrats on the season Lady Vols!

 

[MAD]

 

[Stmichael]

I have watched every Tennessee game this year, and while I agree with the sentiment that Tennessee has been a very good defensive team all season, I do not think I've seen them play as good as what I saw Washington did vs. Virginia. It is difficult to compare somewhat, but for starters, Tennessee did not play a team like Virginia all season. The closest measurebles would be UNC, Vandy, and UCLA, but I think Virginia was better than these three teams overall (I have watched almost all of Vandy and UNC and Virginia's games). Taking away nothing from what UT did all year, that Washington game was one of a kind defensively.

You mentioned marking and speed and the midfield and the lineup changes the coach made...It is difficult to evaluate fairly when we do not know what is being spoken and taught to the players, but these would be my observations:

1. Marking was generally good throughout the season, but I never saw one game all year where they marked as tightly as Washington did vs. Virginia. But this could be just a particular strategy overall for one opponent.

2. No matter who started or came off the bench to play midfield this year, we were never going to be fast at midfield. The midfielders were Latino, Smith, Davis, Mitchell, Midgley, & Brown. I do not know what these ladies run a 40 time in, but the only one who appeared to have elite game speed was Davis. However, the ladies who did play mostly at midfield, excelled in other ways (technical ability & decision making). I think the midfield played up to their potential and this has to be due partly to coaching and buying in to what is taught in practice.

3. Just my opinion, the difference between the first half of the season and the second half of the season was mainly due to an injury and not personnel decisions. Goal scorers are unique. O'Rourke was a huge loss...the type of loss, it turned out, that we could not replace. She was the difference between winning and losing or drawing when she played and when she did not play. Take the lead goal scorer off most teams (Giana Paul, Katie Shae Collins, Sydney Watts, Ally Perry), and they will have an increase in losses and draws, and a decrease in wins.

I thought the jump this team made watching all their games last year to this year was tremendous. And while the transfers helped, the main difference was the play of the returners. They got better, and I credit that to good coaching and dedication from the the players themselves. No one liked the way the season ended, but I think it is more than evident they got a terrible draw in the tournament. UNC always has excellent talent even in a down year (by Carolina standards). UNC should probably still be playing in the elite 8 if not one mental lapse with 10 seconds to go in regulation.

I can't wait for next season. Congrats on the season Lady Vols!

I sound super negative for sure. Tennessee should've won the SEC championship. Kirt made poor tactical decisions and put the wrong players on the field. The commentators recognized it. Other coaches have recognized it. The players knew it. And the Ncaa selection committee knew it. Currently, Tennessee does not have a defensive line. The coach does not know how to manage the team tactically. No team starts off like Tennessee did and then falls apart. We literally had no injuries except for one. And that was in the very beginning of the season. Nobody else is hurt. Well, one player injured themselves before the season even started. The head coach simply is not good. The upperclassman are the reasons we did so well. And the head coach tried to dismantle that and it backfired. The teams throughout the SEC are recruiting high-level coaches. Look at Texas now. Look at Kentucky. Look at Georgia. Look at Alabama. Look at Auburn. Look at Mississippi State. Those are all high IQ coaches. Heck I left out Vanderbilt. That might be one of the brightest coaches in all of Soccer. And yet we have a goalie coach. So, as all the SEC teams begin to recruit high-level coaches, we are going to stay with mediocrity. I hope I'm wrong. But I doubt it. I'll revisit this forum midway next season so I can write, I told you so. . I wouldnt do that. Regardless, thank you for the great posts and all the information, it's been awesome. Keep it up and thank you for supporting Tennessee.

 

[MAD]

I have watched every Tennessee game this year, and while I agree with the sentiment that Tennessee has been a very good defensive team all season, I do not think I've seen them play as good as what I saw Washington did vs. Virginia. It is difficult to compare somewhat, but for starters, Tennessee did not play a team like Virginia all season. The closest measurebles would be UNC, Vandy, and UCLA, but I think Virginia was better than these three teams overall (I have watched almost all of Vandy and UNC and Virginia's games). Taking away nothing from what UT did all year, that Washington game was one of a kind defensively.

You mentioned marking and speed and the midfield and the lineup changes the coach made...It is difficult to evaluate fairly when we do not know what is being spoken and taught to the players, but these would be my observations:

1. Marking was generally good throughout the season, but I never saw one game all year where they marked as tightly as Washington did vs. Virginia. But this could be just a particular strategy overall for one opponent.

2. No matter who started or came off the bench to play midfield this year, we were never going to be fast at midfield. The midfielders were Latino, Smith, Davis, Mitchell, Midgley, & Brown. I do not know what these ladies run a 40 time in, but the only one who appeared to have elite game speed was Davis. However, the ladies who did play mostly at midfield, excelled in other ways (technical ability & decision making). I think the midfield played up to their potential and this has to be due partly to coaching and buying in to what is taught in practice.

3. Just my opinion, the difference between the first half of the season and the second half of the season was mainly due to an injury and not personnel decisions. Goal scorers are unique. O'Rourke was a huge loss...the type of loss, it turned out, that we could not replace. She was the difference between winning and losing or drawing when she played and when she did not play. Take the lead goal scorer off most teams (Giana Paul, Katie Shae Collins, Sydney Watts, Ally Perry), and they will have an increase in losses and draws, and a decrease in wins.

I thought the jump this team made watching all their games last year to this year was tremendous. And while the transfers helped, the main difference was the play of the returners. They got better, and I credit that to good coaching and dedication from the the players themselves. No one liked the way the season ended, but I think it is more than evident they got a terrible draw in the tournament. UNC always has excellent talent even in a down year (by Carolina standards). UNC should probably still be playing in the elite 8 if not one mental lapse with 10 seconds to go in regulation.

I can't wait for next season. Congrats on the season Lady Vols!

Excellent write up, your views and opinions are much appreciated.

Yesterday watching the UNC match, they were definitely the better side. They potentially had a good shot at winning the whole tournament. Still bitter that the Lady Vols drew them.

I’m super excited about next season as well.

 

[Vols330]

I sound super negative for sure. Tennessee should've won the SEC championship. Kirt made poor tactical decisions and put the wrong players on the field. The commentators recognized it. Other coaches have recognized it. The players knew it. And the Ncaa selection committee knew it. Currently, Tennessee does not have a defensive line. The coach does not know how to manage the team tactically. No team starts off like Tennessee did and then falls apart. We literally had no injuries except for one. And that was in the very beginning of the season. Nobody else is hurt. Well, one player injured themselves before the season even started. The head coach simply is not good. The upperclassman are the reasons we did so well. And the head coach tried to dismantle that and it backfired. The teams throughout the SEC are recruiting high-level coaches. Look at Texas now. Look at Kentucky. Look at Georgia. Look at Alabama. Look at Auburn. Look at Mississippi State. Those are all high IQ coaches. Heck I left out Vanderbilt. That might be one of the brightest coaches in all of Soccer. And yet we have a goalie coach. So, as all the SEC teams begin to recruit high-level coaches, we are going to stay with mediocrity. I hope I'm wrong. But I doubt it. I'll revisit this forum midway next season so I can write, I told you so. . I wouldnt do that. Regardless, thank you for the great posts and all the information, it's been awesome. Keep it up and thank you for supporting Tennessee.

I agree with this stance.

 

[MAD]

Ironic how someone comes in here criticizing TurboVol and ends up being even worse. Seems personal imo.

 

[Stmichael]

Ironic how someone comes in here criticizing TurboVol and ends up being even worse. Seems personal imo

Never personal. No reason to be. Just disappointed. Tennessee literally had the trophy in their hands. We'll see what happens over the next couple of years.

 

[MAD]

2025-26 CSC Academic All-District® M/W Soccer teams announced

The 2025-26 CSC Academic All-District® Men's and Women's Soccer Teams, recognizing the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom for all NCAA and NAIA divisions, were announced on Nov. 25.

academicallamerica.com

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — College Sports Communicators announced Tuesday that four members of the Tennessee soccer team were named to the 2025 CSC Academic All-District Team. Ally Brown, Mac Midgley, Kate Runyonand Jenna Stayart were each recognized for their combined excellence on the field and in the classroom.

To qualify for the Academic All-District Team, student-athletes must maintain a 3.50 cumulative GPA, be at least a sophomore athletically and academically, and have played in at least 90 percent of their team's contests from the current season.

Brown was tabbed the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year this past fall in addition to earning First Team All-SEC honors. The defender from College Grove, Tennessee, served as captain of a Lady Vols squad that led the SEC and ranked 13th nationally with 13 shutouts this season to tie a program record. Majoring in finance with a concentration in supply chain management, Brown is a two-time CSC Academic All-District recipient and a three-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll.

Midgley earned her second consecutive CSC Academic All-District award after tallying one goal and four assists during her senior season with the Lady Vols. The graduate student from Wolverine Lake, Michigan, was captain of the Tennessee squad that was ranked in the top five for a majority of the season and earned a No. 3 national seed in the NCAA Tournament, receiving All-SEC Second Team recognition for her efforts on the pitch. Midgley received her undergraduate degree from UT in marketing and is currently pursuing a master's in communication and information, and she is a three-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll.

Runyon tied for the team lead with six goals during the 2025 campaign, including game-winners in victories over conference foes Missouri, LSU and Alabama. Majoring in sport management with a minor in business administration, the forward from Westminster, Colorado, earns her first career CSC Academic All-District award after previously being tabbed to the 2024 SEC Academic Honor Roll.

Stayart collected CSC Academic All-District honors for the second year in a row after leading the Lady Vols with 14 points (five goals, four assists) during her fifth season with the program in 2025. The Cary, Illinois, product was tabbed to the All-SEC Third Team and recognized on the SEC Community Service Team this past fall. A four-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll, Stayart earned her undergraduate degree from UT in marketing and is currently pursuing a master's in communication and information.

 

[MAD]

17 players from the TransferPortal and JUCO have already found a new Power 4 home and only 5 were from Power 4 program. Expect a lot more announcements coming.

 

[chuckiepoo]

Ironic how someone comes in here criticizing TurboVol and ends up being even worse. Seems personal imo.

…sockpuppet

 

[MAD]

…sockpuppet

 

[MAD]

I realize college sports has become a results based business. It’s ruined college football to the point that if you aren’t projected to be in the playoffs, the rest of the season doesn’t matter. Even the other post season bowls have become meaningless and many players enter the portal and skip the game all together.



When Brian Pensky jumped ship in “Lane Kiffin” fashion. I lost all respect for the guy, all his talk before and after became just a car salesman spiel to me.



Was unsure about Joe Kirt when he was chosen to take over, he didn’t have that same charisma talking to the media that someone like Pensky had.



Four years later I appreciate what Kirt has meant to this program and love that he is nothing like our ex coach.



Joe and staff treat these players the right way and you won’t find a better group of players that care for each other and their coach. They make the university proud.



I’ve seen this team grow in culture that is unique in college sports today. It is such a tight knit group and why we have such a low turnover in the portal. The best players are wanting to come to Knoxville in the portal as proven with O’Rourke, Simmons and Robinson.



We have the #1 player coming in next year and a fantastic signing class. That speaks volumes for this team culture and the coaching staff.



The season didn’t end the way we wanted but went from unranked to #1 in the country, something that’s never happened for the Lady Vols in its history.

 

[MAD]

Response from one of the mothers of a 2026 incoming freshman Lady Vol.

 

[MAD]

Women's soccer NCAA tournament Elite 8 schedule​

Quarterfinal games Nov. 28-29

• No. 2 Duke vs. No. 4 Washington, 4 p.m., Friday
• No. 3 Florida State vs. Ohio State, 5 p.m., Friday
• No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 1 Stanford, 5 p.m., Friday
• No. 2 TCU vs. No. 1 Vanderbilt, 7:30 p.m., Saturday

 

[Memvol44]

Response from one of the mothers of a 2026 incoming freshman Lady Vol.

Your kidding..right?

 

[MAD]

Your kidding..right?

No

 

[MAD]

Anyone need a job?

 

[Vols330]

Response from one of the mothers of a 2026 incoming freshman Lady Vol.

I fully agree that Joe is a great human being. I question his soccer acumen

 

[MAD]

Angela Kelly former Lady Vol coach who left for Texas was fired at 1 pm on Monday.

Two hours later Joe Kirt got an extension to coach in Knoxville until 2030.



Angela is the one who brought Joe to Knoxville from Texas in July 2007.

HC Angela Kelly and first year assistant coach Joe Kirt (on the left side of the photo) getting ready for the 2007 season, same year that Regal opened.


Maybe Joe will return the favor and bring Angela in as an assistant?

 

[Panthro]

@Panthro

If you are taking requests,

I’d love it if you could interview 2026 Lady Vol Ayva Jordan on your show.

Working on scheduling with her now.