KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 16 Tennessee soccer team continued its unbeaten start to 2026 on Sunday night, earning a 4-0 victory over Western Carolina on senior night at Regal Soccer Stadium.
After setting an attendance record of 5,489 in Thursday’s 4-0 win against Milwaukee, Lady Vol nation showed out again for Sunday’s match, posting the second highest attendance figure in Regal Soccer Stadium history at 4,793.
“Our students and fans were big time tonight,” head coach Joe Kirt said after the match. We packed Regal two nights in a row and received a ton of energy from them. The performance from our team was just as good as the fans’ support. They were tremendous tonight. They dominated the game in every phase; I’m really proud of their effort and their intention in what they did.”
The energy from the stands and Tennessee’s pre-match celebration of four Lady Vol seniors quickly carried into the match. The Lady Vols struck less than a minute after the opening whistle, as nifty play by Kai Tsakiris drew a penalty kick that was calmly dispatched by Kylee Simmons, who made her mark on her senior night with a team-best third goal of the season.
The senior celebration continued just ten minutes later, as Shae O’Rourke found the back of the net with an impressive headed finish from an inch-perfect Milee Zych cross. O’Rourke’s first goal of the season gave Tennessee a 2-0 advantage.
Tennessee’s opening two goal scorers, Simmons and O’Rourke, both overcame devastating knee injuries in the 2025 season to return for one final campaign with the Lady Vols. Coach Kirt spoke on their impact after the match.
“We expected them to have this impact for our program,” he said. “Unfortunately, we were stripped of that from last year’s team, but we have seen their impact early on and we are hoping for it to continue through the season. This start to the season is what we expected from them last year, and what we missed from them.”
Unlike the first half, which featured two goals from fifth-year players, the second half saw two freshmen find the back of the net for Tennessee.
Jayla Blue scored her second goal of the season to give the Lady Vols a 3-0 lead in the 69th minute, calmly finishing a lofted pass from Zych, who tallied her second assist in the match on the play. The Knoxville, Tenn., native is the third Tennessee player with multiple goals in 2026, joining Simmons and Tsakiris.
Olivia Feagin put an exclamation point on a dominant performance by the Lady Vols, scoring the team’s fourth and final goal in the 85th minute to seal a 4-0 victory. Feagin utilized a scrappy finish to find her first career goal, with Tsakiris poking the ball free for an assist on the play.
In defense, senior goalkeeper Lauryn Berry also made an impact on her senior day, appearing off the bench in the second half to help the Lady Vols to a third consecutive clean sheet.
With four consecutive home matches to open 2026 now completed, a marquee non-conference clash awaits as Tennessee’s next contest will be at #13 Virginia. The Sept. 3 match will come at the conclusion of a ten-day break for the Lady Vols.
“It’s a great place to play, it has always been a great match between the two programs recently,” said Kirt. “I am excited to see our group in that environment on the road; it’s a tough place to play but I think they are ready to go. I am excited to get going and get back on the field after a little break here, but they are ready and excited to get up there.”
