The soccer team remains undefeated after a scoreless tie against Memphis in an in-state battle on the west end of the Volunteer State.

Both teams, No. 2/3 Tennessee and No. 14/15 Memphis, started at 5-0 and are now 5-0-1 after the match Thursday evening at the Billy J. Murphy Track & Soccer Complex in Memphis.

The Lady Vols started the season with five consecutive wins, including upsets of top five teams North Carolina and UCLA, with 18 goals scored. At the same point a year ago, Tennessee had found the net just six times.

“We’ve tweaked our shape a little bit to give us more numbers higher up the field, and that’s certainly helped,” Tennessee coach Joe Kirt said. “We’ve been better with our chances. Our crossing efficiency has been better. I think there’s a number of factors that play into that, but we’ve been really good in taking advantage of our opportunities far better than we did last year.”

Tennessee also didn’t allow a goal through the first five games.

“It starts from our front in our counter pressing, our ability to get pressure on the ball immediately and limiting teams’ opportunities to get close to our goal,” Kirt said. “But when they have, we’ve been tremendous in our box defensively. Our clearances have been great from our back four. Goalkeeping has been very good all year, between Cayden (Norris) and Ally (Zazzara).

“It’s been a team effort, their individual responsibility to defend well, but also our team’s mentality to not give away clear chances in the box.”

Kirt met with the media earlier this week, and a his session can be watched HERE and read HERE for those who like transcripts.

Tennessee will host Georgia Southern this Sunday, Sept. 7, at 1 p.m. and then start SEC play on the road at Mississippi State on Friday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m.

SOFTBALL

Enjoy some free softball this fall and get an early look at the team with six home games and a doubleheader on the road in Atlanta.

Fall ball starts September 27 and ends October 25. The slate of exhibition games includes Roane State, Sept. 27; Carson-Newman, Oct. 3; East Tennessee State, Oct. 4; Lee University Oct. 10; at Georgia Tech for a doubleheader, Oct. 18; Tusculum, Oct. 22; and Tennessee Tech, Oct. 25.

The fall softball roster is available HERE and includes 14 returnees, three transfers and six freshmen.

Karlyn Pickens delivers for Lady Vols softball. (Tennessee Athletics)

The Lady Vols made it to the semifinals of the Women’s College World Series and will seek to get back to softball’s biggest stage in 2026. Among the returning players is Karlyn Pickens, an All-American and two-time SEC Pitcher of the Year, who will be playing her final season at Tennessee.

Earlier Knox TN Today columns outlined the three transfers and can be read HERE, along with a column HERE about the freshmen class ranked No. 2 in the country.

The fall ball schedule can be found HERE, and gates open one hour prior to start time. Since the schedule can change due to weather or team travel issues, always check ahead of time.

Admission and parking are free. While restrooms are open, concessions are not, so bring some food and non-alcoholic beverages to enjoy at Lee Stadium and get a look at who will take the field in 2026 when the games count.

Maria M. Cornelius, a senior writer/editor at MoxCar Marketing + Communications since 2013, started her journalism career at the Knoxville News Sentinel and began writing about the Lady Vols in 1998. In 2016, she published her first book, “The Final Season: The Perseverance of Pat Summitt,” through The University of Tennessee Press and a 10th anniversary edition will be released in 2026.