⚽️#2 LADY VOLS (5-0) Soccer Thread

#11,080
#11,080
Let’s get to know the Catamounts, (@chuckiepoo says they are really just cougars)

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Cullowhee, N.C. – Riding high after a historic 3-2 road win over ACC foe North Carolina State in the midweek, Western Carolina women's soccer returns home this Sunday, Aug. 31, to face a team traveling east on I-40 as the second-ranked Tennessee Lady Volunteers come to town. The match is scheduled for a 6 p.m. kickoff at the on-campus Catamount Athletics Complex.



The Catamounts host the Lady Vols in the final match of the season's opening month. The Sunday night matchup closes out First Bank First Weekend, which includes Saturday night's Catamount football game against Gardner-Webb (6 p.m.). The Catamounts will celebrate "Beach Night" at the Catamount Athletics Complex, with the first 300 fans to arrive for the 6 p.m. kick to receive a free pair of WCU Malibu sunglasses.



The undefeated and unblemished Lady Vols ride into Sunday's match with a 4-0 record, including a pair of top-five shutout wins over perennial power North Carolina (2-0), who was ranked No. 1 at the time, and fourth-ranked UCLA (1-0). WCU enters the match with a 2-2-1 record, having most recently taken down the ACC's Wolfpack.



Admission on Sunday – and for each of the five remaining regular-season home matches in Cullowhee – is free of charge, courtesy of First Bank. Limited seating for Sunday's match is available and is first-come, first-served while availability last. Sunday's game will be streamed on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with live stats available online at CatamountSports.com.



Sunday's Matchup:

Western Carolina (2-2-1, SoCon 0-0-0) vs #2 Tennessee Lady Vols (4-0-0, SEC 0-0-0)

Cullowhee, N.C. | 6 p.m. | Catamount Soccer Complex

(ESPN+)

Quick Cuts:

The Catamounts and Lady Vols have battled three times over the years, but haven't met on the pitch since 2009 – and clash in Cullowhee for the first time. Tennessee claimed a 2-1 victory over the Catamounts in the '09 matchup and defended its home field the previous season as well with a 3-0 win. The first matchup between the two teams came back in a neutral-site bout in Clemson, S.C., in 2002, where the Volunteers tallied a 3-1 victory.



Western Carolina enters the matchup after picking up its first win over an ACC opponent in program history with a 3-2 win over NC State. The Catamounts were outshot handily in the match with a 23-to-6 discrepancy favoring the home team, but WCU buried all three of its scoring chances and conceded two goals on NC State's 10 shots on target.



WCU is 1-7-0 all-time against SEC opponents and has played a Southeastern Conference (SEC) foe in each of the last two seasons. The 2023 SoCon champion fell to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the first round of the NCAA tournament, while the Catamounts lost in Gainesville to the Florida Gators to open the 2024 season. The sole Catamount victory over the SEC was a 1-0 home win over then 20th-ranked South Carolina in 2008. Arlan Whittle notched the game-winning goal in what is still WCU's sole ranked victory in program history.



Entering the week in the national runner-up slot, the Lady Vols are tied with the 2005 North Carolina Tar Heels as the highest-ranked opponent in WCU women's soccer history, with the '05 Heels taking a 2-0 win in the NCAA tournament.



The Catamounts have faced top-five opponents a handful of times over the years, battling No. 4 Clemson in 2000 (L, 4-0 | Clemson, S.C.), No. 4 and eventual National Champion North Carolina in 2008 (L, 5-0 | Chapel Hill, N.C.), and most recently, No. 5 Duke (L, 6-0 | Durham, N.C.). The most recent ranked opponent for the Catamounts is Alabama in the previously mentioned NCAA tournament matchup, with the Crimson Tide finishing the 2023 regular season at 23rd in the United Soccer Coaches Polls. The most recent ranked regular season opponent for WCU was an 11th-ranked Clemson Tiger team (L, 5-0 | Clemson, S.C.) earlier that same season.



The highest-ranked home opponent in program history, the No. 2 Tennessee historically opened 2025, including wins over No. 1 North Carolina to begin the campaign and No. 4 UCLA. Tennessee has been equally impressive in their non-ranked matchups as well, blasting Eastern Kentucky with a 35-to-0 shot differential in a 9-0 win, and taking down LMU 3-0 their last time out. Tennessee has yet to concede a goal this season, allowing only 12 shots on target in its four matches to date.



The Lady Vols are 25-1-0 against current Southern Conference members, outscoring the conference 109-9 all-time. Their lone loss came in 2013 on the road against the Samford Bulldogs in a 1-0 matchup. Tennessee battled a pair of SoCon teams last season, earning wins against both ETSU (W, 1-0 | Johnson City, Tenn.) and Chattanooga (W, 2-0 | Knoxville, Tenn.).



Players to Watch:

WCU benefitted from production outside of its usual suspects in the win over NC State, with Gabriela Vatrano enjoying a career night against the Wolfpack. The Denver, N.C. product recorded both the first goal and assist of her career, tying the match at 1-1 late in the first half before connecting with Sofia Goclowski on the game-winner in the final five minutes. Ava Robitaille notched the second goal of her career in the win as well, tapping in a loose ball in the early minutes of the second half.



Six Catamounts have a goal on the season, with Sofia Goclowski and Milla Syska tied for the team lead at two apiece, though nine Catamounts have registered points, with Isabella DeMarco, Samantha Whitaker, and Abbie Wise chipping in assists.



The Catamount backline enters the matchup after weathering a storm in Raleigh, facing 23 shots and 10 on goal in the 3-2 victory. Freshman defender Addison Davis played a season-high 72 minutes in Raleigh and has seen action in four of WCU's five matches. Abbie Wise and Mary Mueth went the distance in the match with Leanne Trudel, while Samantha Whitaker was on the pitch for 89 minutes.



The Lady Vols field a pair of elite goal scorers in Shae O'Rourke and Alivia Stott, with O'Rourke representing the more consistent of the two. O'Rourke, a transfer from Texas A&M and South Carolina, has five goals on the season, lighting the lamp in all four of Tennessee's matches, including a brace against North Carolina and the game-winning goal against UCLA. She leads the team in shots as well, posting 11 and putting eight on goal in 211 minutes of game action. Stott has five goals as well, though all five and six of her eight shots on the season came in the 9-0 rout of Eastern Kentucky. Tennessee's Jenna Stayart, Jasmine Boggs, Luciana Latino, and Sarah Kate Rath all have two assists on the season, with the Lady Vols capable of attacking from several directions on the pitch.



Defensively, sophomore Cayden Norris has established herself as a premier goalkeeper, blockading the net with 11 saves and a perfect 4-0 shutout record to start the season. She's weathered an 18 and 17-shot storm against North Carolina and UCLA, respectively, picking up six and five saves in those matches while keeping a clean sheet. The Lady Vols have a trio of defenders with 200+ minutes on the season in Leah Klurman, Ally Brown, and Kennedy Price. Brown is the only one of the three to go the distance against both the Tar Heels and the Bruins, while Klurman recorded a pair of 90-minute efforts against North Carolina and the LMU Lions.

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#11,085
#11,085
MAD said:
Let’s get to know the Catamounts, (@chuckiepoo says they are really just cougars)

View attachment 768869

Cullowhee, N.C. – [...]
The Lady Vols field a pair of elite goal scorers in Shae O'Rourke and Alivia Stott, with O'Rourke representing the more consistent of the two. O'Rourke, a transfer from Texas A&M and South Carolina, has five goals on the season, lighting the lamp in all four of Tennessee's matches, including a brace against North Carolina and the game-winning goal against UCLA. She leads the team in shots as well, posting 11 and putting eight on goal in 211 minutes of game action. Stott has five goals as well, though all five and six of her eight shots on the season came in the 9-0 rout of Eastern Kentucky. Tennessee's Jenna Stayart, Jasmine Boggs, Luciana Latino, and Sarah Kate Rath all have two assists on the season, with the Lady Vols capable of attacking from several directions on the pitch.

Defensively, sophomore Cayden Norris has established herself as a premier goalkeeper, blockading the net with 11 saves and a perfect 4-0 shutout record to start the season. She's weathered an 18 and 17-shot storm against North Carolina and UCLA, respectively, picking up six and five saves in those matches while keeping a clean sheet. The Lady Vols have a trio of defenders with 200+ minutes on the season in Leah Klurman, Ally Brown, and Kennedy Price. Brown is the only one of the three to go the distance against both the Tar Heels and the Bruins, while Klurman recorded a pair of 90-minute efforts against North Carolina and the LMU Lions.

View attachment 768870View attachment 768872View attachment 768873
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That was a very well written synopsis of the Lady Vols team. Concise, but practically informative. Whoever wrote that has a gift.
(Dear Lord, I hope it wasn't written by some AI.)
 
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#11,086
#11,086
🚨CONSPIRACY ALERT🚨

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AMES, Iowa – Sunday night's soccer match against No. 15 Memphis has been canceled, as weather has prevented the Tiger team from traveling into Ames.

The game will not be made up this season and will instead happen in 2026.

Iowa State will be back in action next Thursday, Sept. 4, when it heads to Iowa City to take on a top-25 Iowa squad in the first action of the 2025-26 Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series.



I’m not buying it.

Iowa State announced it on their website, but not Memphis.

But Memphis did update their schedule on the website.
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@BruisedOrange Volnation’s official weather forecaster.
Can you investigate for us please?

Did Memphis really cancel because of the weather or because they wanted to be well rested for their biggest game of the year?
 
#11,089
#11,089
MAD said:
🚨CONSPIRACY ALERT🚨

AMES, Iowa – Sunday night's soccer match against No. 15 Memphis has been canceled, as weather has prevented the Tiger team from traveling into Ames.

I’m not buying it. Iowa State announced it on their website, but not Memphis.
But Memphis did update their schedule on the website.

@BruisedOrange Volnation’s official weather forecaster.
Can you investigate for us please?

Did Memphis really cancel because of the weather or because they wanted to be well rested for their biggest game of the year?
Click to expand...
Looks sketchy to me, too. Especially the "weather has prevented the Tiger team from traveling into Ames" line. There certainly wasn't weather in or between* Memphis and Ames yesterday.

Weather also looks good for game time today in Ames, with not much precipitation expected from the chance of scattered storms earlier in the day.

* I wonder if their charter plane might have gotten grounded by weather elsewhere, and so it was unable to arrive in Memphis in time to board and deliver them to Ames?

But even then... how much would it cost per player to slap a label on 'em and deliver the team by FedEx from the hub?

We know they can deliver the team's equipment...
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Last edited:
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#11,091
#11,091
BruisedOrange said:
Looks sketchy to me, too. Especially the "weather has prevented* the Tiger team from traveling into Ames" line. There certainly wasn't weather in or between Memphis and Ames yesterday.

Weather also looks good for game time today in Ames, with not much precipitation expected from the chance of scattered storms earlier in the day.

* I wonder if their charter plane might have gotten grounded by weather elsewhere, and so it was unable to arrive in Memphis in time to board and deliver them to Ames?

But even then... how much would it cost per player to slap a label on 'em and deliver the team by FedEx from the hub?

We know they can deliver the team's equipment...
View attachment 769195
Click to expand...
Thanks, just as I suspected
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#11,092
#11,092
BruisedOrange said:
@MAD Serious question: in this era of women's collegiate soccer, where is the greatest improvement over the course of a season--on defense or offense?
Click to expand...
Good question, and I’m not sure of the answer. Probably this year for the Lady Vols it will be the offense that will continue to improve.

We already have seen how incredible Shae O’Rourke, Kate Runyon, Reese Mattern and Alivia Stott have performed.
We have yet to see the Arkansas transfer Anaiyah Robinson return from injury. But the player I’m most excited to see get into a rhythm is Freshman Abby Batts, she was a member of the Brazil U17 National team last year and you can tell she has that Brazilian flair.

Our defense is so solid, made up of mostly Seniors. They work as one entity, so in tune with each other.

The leader on defense is Ally Brown.
Ally, Leah Klurman and Kennedy Price are all in their 4th season.

There is no let up after that.
Sophomores Nyla Blue, Sydney Miller, Jasmine Boggs and freshman Milee Zych are incredible.

And our sophomore goal keeper Cayden Norris hasn’t allowed a single goal all year.

The midfield with Mac Midgley, Luciana Latino, Skylar Miller, Bella Smith, Keaton Mitchell, Jenna Stayart and Dakota Brown is as solid as any I’ve seen at Tennessee.

Sarah Kate Rath and Devin Davis are listed as F/D and have both been excellent coming off the bench.

My most improved player award has to go to Jenna Stayart.
 
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#11,094
#11,094
BruisedOrange said:
Looks sketchy to me, too. Especially the "weather has prevented the Tiger team from traveling into Ames" line. There certainly wasn't weather in or between* Memphis and Ames yesterday.

Weather also looks good for game time today in Ames, with not much precipitation expected from the chance of scattered storms earlier in the day.

* I wonder if their charter plane might have gotten grounded by weather elsewhere, and so it was unable to arrive in Memphis in time to board and deliver them to Ames?

But even then... how much would it cost per player to slap a label on 'em and deliver the team by FedEx from the hub?

We know they can deliver the team's equipment...
View attachment 769195
Click to expand...


IMG_9054.jpeg
Trying to change the narrative.


Memphis finally posted this with no explanation.

 
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#11,096
#11,096
MAD said:
Good question, and I’m not sure of the answer. Probably this year for the Lady Vols it will be the offense that will continue to improve.

We already have seen how incredible Shae O’Rourke, Kate Runyon, Reese Mattern and Alivia Stott have performed.
We have yet to see the Arkansas transfer Anaiyah Robinson return from injury. But the player I’m most excited to see get into a rhythm is Freshman Abby Batts, she was a member of the Brazil U17 National team last year and you can tell she has that Brazilian flair.

Our defense is so solid, made up of mostly Seniors. They work as one entity, so in tune with each other.

The leader on defense is Ally Brown.
Ally, Leah Klurman and Kennedy Price are all in their 4th season.

There is no let up after that.
Sophomores Nyla Blue, Sydney Miller, Jasmine Boggs and freshman Milee Zych are incredible.

And our sophomore goal keeper Cayden Norris hasn’t allowed a single goal all year.

The midfield with Mac Midgley, Luciana Latino, Skylar Miller, Bella Smith, Keaton Mitchell, Jenna Stayart and Dakota Brown is as solid as any I’ve seen at Tennessee.

Sarah Kate Rath and Devin Davis are listed as F/D and have both been excellent coming off the bench.
Click to expand...
When you said our defense is mostly seniors in tune with each other, that answered my question. Which makes our offensive start even more exciting if it has the higher ceiling.
 
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#11,100
#11,100
MAD said:
Good question, and I’m not sure of the answer. Probably this year for the Lady Vols it will be the offense that will continue to improve.

We already have seen how incredible Shae O’Rourke, Kate Runyon, Reese Mattern and Alivia Stott have performed.
We have yet to see the Arkansas transfer Anaiyah Robinson return from injury. But the player I’m most excited to see get into a rhythm is Freshman Abby Batts, she was a member of the Brazil U17 National team last year and you can tell she has that Brazilian flair.

Our defense is so solid, made up of mostly Seniors. They work as one entity, so in tune with each other.

The leader on defense is Ally Brown.
Ally, Leah Klurman and Kennedy Price are all in their 4th season.

There is no let up after that.
Sophomores Nyla Blue, Sydney Miller, Jasmine Boggs and freshman Milee Zych are incredible.

And our sophomore goal keeper Cayden Norris hasn’t allowed a single goal all year.

The midfield with Mac Midgley, Luciana Latino, Skylar Miller, Bella Smith, Keaton Mitchell, Jenna Stayart and Dakota Brown is as solid as any I’ve seen at Tennessee.

Sarah Kate Rath and Devin Davis are listed as F/D and have both been excellent coming off the bench.

My most improved player award has to go to Jenna Stayart.
Click to expand...
…talk dirty to me, baby…
IMG_7012.gif
 
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