SOCCER CENTRAL: at Kentucky

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The 12^th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers head to Lexington, Ky. this week for a Southeastern Conference rivalry matchup against the Kentucky Wildcats. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday night at the Wendell & Vickie Bell Soccer Complex.

Friday's matchup will be broadcast on SEC Network , available online and through the WatchESPN app. Live stats will also be provided via SIDEARM Stats.

LAST TIME OUT: Tennessee (8-1-1, 2-1 SEC) picked up a thrilling conference victory at home last Sunday, as senior striker Bunny Shaw tallied the game-winner in the 87^th minute to lift UT to a 1-0 victory over Mississippi State. Goalkeeper Shae Yanez hauled in a season-high six saves on the way to her sixth shutout of the season.

TRENDING UPWARD: Following an undefeated SEC weekend (2-0 at Ole Miss, 1-0 vs. Mississippi State), the Vols bumped up 20 spots to No. 11 in the NCAA RPI. Tennessee also advanced seven spots to No. 12 in the United Soccer Coaches poll, while moving up 3 places in the TopDrawerSoccer.com rankings to No. 11.

BUNNY TABBED TDS TEAM OF THE WEEK: Bunny Shaw was named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com Team of the Week, the publication announced Tuesday morning. The forward from Spanish Town, Jamaica netted a pair of SEC game-winning goals last week as Tennessee topped Ole Miss (2-0) and Mississippi State (1-0).

SHAE RISING: Tennessee goalkeeper Shae Yanez tops the SEC with a 0.300 GAA while ranking second in the league with a .903 save percentage. The senior from Downingtown, Pa. gathered a season-high six saves in back-to-back SEC shutouts against Ole Miss and Mississippi State last week. Her 17 career shutouts rank fourth in program history.

SHUTDOWN D: UT has surrendered three goals across 10 matches this season for a 0.293 goals-against average as a team. That mark is the lowest among SEC programs and ranks third across all of NCAA Division I. Additionally, Tennessee's eight shutouts are tied for third-most in the country.

SERIES HISTORY: Tennessee holds a slight edge in the all-time series against Kentucky with a 13-12-2 record against the Wildcats since 1996. The Vols earned their first win over UK since 2011 last season, topping the Wildcats 3-0 in the SEC opener behind a game-winning goal from MA Vignola and an additional brace from Bunny Shaw.

SCOUTING THE WILDCATS: Kentucky (4-8, 0-3 SEC) looks to snap a four-match losing streak and earn its first conference victory of the season Friday night. The Wildcats own the lowest RPI in the SEC at 165.

Sophomore midfielder Yuuka Kurosaki leads UK with four goals this season, with three of those coming in Kentucky's first three matches. Starting goalie Hannah Leonard was issued a red card in the recent loss to South Carolina, therefore the Vols will likely see rookie keeper Payton Woodward between the posts for UK on Friday.

UP NEXT: Tennessee will travel to Gainesville, Fla. for its second-straight road match against the Florida Gators on Thursday, Oct. 4. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network .

For the most up-to-date information on Tennessee soccer, follow @Vol_Soccer on Twitter.

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Players Mentioned

Bunny Shaw

MA Vignola

Shae Yanez

University of Tennessee Athletics