Baton Rouge, La. – The LSU Soccer team (2-5-1) returns home to the LSU Soccer Stadium on Thursday, September 11 to face No. 8 Tennessee (5-0-1) at 7 p.m. CT. The Tigers and Lady Vols will meet for the 25th time in program history.
LSU Soccer will look to begin SEC play in the win column on Friday night.
The Tigers have endured a challenging stretch over their last few matches. LSU opened the stretch with a narrow 3-2 loss to FGCU, followed by a 1-0 setback against ASU. The Tigers battled Arizona to a 1-1 draw before falling to Baylor, 2-0. LSU closed out the stretch on a high note, bouncing back with a 3-2 victory over Miami (OH).
Tennessee enters its matchup against LSU with dominating wins over Rutgers, South Alabama, Milwaukee and Western Carolina. Their lone draw of the season comes from a close contest against No. 12 Virginia, where they battled the Hokies to a 1-1 final. The Lady Vols also look to extend their win streak against the Tigers after their 1-0 victory over Northwestern.
Sara Pollock Dickson and Garrett Walvoord will be covering the action between the Tigers and Lady Vols. Live stats and streaming links for the action are available here.
Tickets to attend the match are available here.
THE MATCHUP
Thursday’s meeting will mark the 25th matchup between LSU and Tennessee.
Tennessee is led by returning standouts Kylee Simmons and Shae O’Rourke, along with a talented group of newcomers that has made an immediate impact in 2026.
Simmons, a former First Team All-SEC selection, has paced the Lady Vols with three goals and two assists through six matches, while transfer Taylor Cheatham has added two goals and an assist. Florida transfer Kai Tsakiris has also made her presence felt with two goals and an assist, while freshman Jayla Blue has contributed two goals.
Tennessee opened the season with a 4-1 victory over Rutgers before posting a 2-0 shutout against South Alabama. The Lady Vols followed with consecutive 4-0 victories over Milwaukee and Western Carolina. The visiting squad then battled No. 12 Virginia to a 1-1 draw on the road before closing nonconference play with a 1-0 victory over Northwestern.
The Lady Vols have scored 16 goals thus far on the season with 14 assists, 106 shots and 46 points.
SEC & MAC HERMANN WATCHLIST
LSU Soccer began the 2026 season with five Tigers named to the 2026 SEC Soccer Preseason Watchlist and two forwards recognized on the United Soccer Coaches 2026 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Players to Watch List.
Senior forward Ava Galligan headlines both lists after a standout 2025 campaign that helped lead LSU to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time in program history. The Ashburn, Virginia, native led the Tigers with 11 goals and four assists for 26 points last season, including six game-winning goals. Galligan earned First Team All-SEC and United Soccer Coaches All-Southeast Region honors following the 2025 season.
Joining Galligan on the Hermann Trophy Players to Watch List is fifth year forward Allie Fryer, who enters her first season in Baton Rouge after transferring from BYU. The Spanish Fork, Utah, native brings 30 career goals and extensive postseason experience to the Tigers' attack.
The Hermann Trophy Players to Watch List recognizes some of the nation's top returning forwards and serves as an early look at candidates for the prestigious MAC Hermann Trophy, awarded annually to the NCAA Division I Women's Soccer National Player of the Year.
Galligan and Fryer are joined on the SEC Preseason Watchlist by sophomore forward Sariyah Bailey, senior defender Kelsey Major and senior goalkeeper Audur Scheving. Bailey earned Third Team All-SEC and SEC All-Freshman Team honors as a freshman in 2025 after making an immediate impact during LSU's historic postseason run.
Major returns for her senior season as a key piece of the Tigers' back line after starting every match for LSU in 2025, while Scheving enters her senior campaign after recording 42 saves and six wins last season.
The five Tigers named to the SEC watchlist are part of a 75-player group selected from across the conference, while LSU's inclusion of two forwards on the Hermann Trophy list highlights the experience and firepower returning to the Tigers' attack in 2026.
STAT LEADERS
Senior Ava Galligan leads the Tigers offensively through the first eight matches of the season, pacing the team with four goals and nine points. Galligan has also recorded a team-best 25 shots.
Her 25 shots rank fifth in the SEC, while her 3.13 shots per game rank eighth in the conference according to the latest SEC statistics.
Senior Allie Fryer, juniors Ava Amsden and Linka Ono and freshmen Mia Conard and Alexia Hansen have each found the back of the net this season, with Fryer and Amsden converting LSU’s only penalty kicks of the year.
Defensively, junior goalkeeper Audur Scheving has started seven of LSU’s eight matches and has made thirteen saves while helping the Tigers record one shutout. Scheving has also logged 652 minutes in goal this season.
As a team, LSU has scored nine goals on 103 shots and has earned 40 corner kicks through eight matches. The Tigers have been especially disciplined in the attacking third, recording just nine offsides this season.
LOOKING AHEAD
LSU will stay home in Baton Rouge to continue SEC play against South Carolina at 7 p.m. CT on Friday, September 18.
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