The beyond-sellout crowd resulted in a final attendance mark of 5,489, surpassing the previous high mark of 4,040 set against Georgia Southern in 2025.
“Shout out to our fans for packing the house at Regal tonight,” head coach Joe Kirt said after the match. “It was an incredible environment from them. Hopefully we can do it again on Sunday night. It’s awesome to play in that environment for all our players.”
Beyond an abundance of support off the field, Tennessee (3-0-0) delivered on the field behind four separate goalscorers who netted their first goals in orange and white. Senior forward Taylor Cheatham opened the scoring in the 11th minute, pouncing on a corner kick fumbled by the Milwaukee goalkeeper in the penalty area.
A transfer from Penn State, Cheatham had already recorded an assist for the Lady Vols in their season-opening 4-1 victory over Rutgers but found the back of the net for the first time in 2026 to give Tennessee a 1-0 advantage.
The Lady Vols would take the single-goal lead into the halftime break before quickly getting to work in the second half. Junior forward Kameran Bluette struck just 34 seconds after the break, giving Tennessee a 2-0 lead with an impressive right-footed finish from the top of the box.
Bluette’s first-career goal for Tennessee was assisted via an impressive through ball by freshman midfielder Emerson Moore, who tallied the first assist and point of her career.
A night of firsts continued in the second half as Jayla Blue converted on a cross from Kylee Simmons in the 68th minute, securing her first career goal and giving the Lady Vols a 3-0 lead. The Knoxville, Tennessee, native and former Bearden standout is the second freshman to find the back of the net for Tennessee this season.
A memorable night at Regal Soccer Stadium was wrapped up with another first career goal to give Tennessee an insurmountable 4-0 advantage. Sophomore defender Marlee Raymond marked her first Lady Vol appearance with a headed goal in the 73rd minute from a Bella Smith corner kick delivery. For Smith, it is her team-high third assist of the season.
Tennessee’s final three goals of the night were tallied by players who began the match on the bench. Coach Kirt praised the bench unit for their performance after the match.
“We talk about our standard and we were not always where we needed to be tonight. That group came in and certainly lifted our standard to where it needed to be. They know what is expected of them, whether they step on the field to start the game, ten minutes in, or 80 minutes into the game. There is an expectation for competing and they know what that is; they are talented enough to show it, which they did tonight.”
The Lady Vols will have another quick turnaround ahead of their next match as the team celebrates senior day on Sunday, Aug. 23, with a 6 p.m. ET tilt against Western Carolina at Regal Soccer Stadium.
