MATCH CENTRAL: #14/17 Tennessee vs. North Carolina (NCAA Tournament First Round)

Friday, November 14

Knoxville, Tenn.

6 p.m. ET

University of Tennessee

North Carolina

Tickets

MATCH CENTRAL: #14/17 Tennessee vs. North Carolina (NCAA Tournament First Round)

November 13, 2025 | Soccer

Watch (ESPN+)Live Stats Buy Tickets Tournament Central

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The third-seeded and No. 14/17 ranked Tennessee soccer team will embark on its 17th NCAA Tournament appearance Friday evening at home, squaring off with the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. ET, and the match will be broadcasted on ESPN+ with Charley Collier and Tori Beeler-Watson on the call. Regal Soccer Stadium gates will open at 5 p.m.

First-round tickets are on sale through AllVols.com or by calling the Tennessee Athletics Ticket Office during regular business hours (Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.) at 865-656-1200. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for youth, students and senior citizens. The first 500 students receive FREE admission. Group tickets (15 or more) are also available for $10 each by contacting the Ticket Office. For fans planning to attend, note that Tennessee's clear bag policy will be in effect. Regal Soccer Stadium will be a cashless venue for both concessions and the VolShop this season as well.

The Big Orange look to bounce back after a 2-0 loss to LSU in their most recent outing in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals. Friday's matchup against UNC marks the first time two teams ranked No. 1 at some point in the same season have met in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Previously, the earliest clash between former No. 1 teams in the same season occurred in the Round of 16.

HOME SWEET HOME: Tennessee remains unbeaten at Regal Soccer Stadium in 2025, posting a 7-0-1 record while outscoring opponents 18-1 on their home pitch this season. Under head coach Joe Kirt, the Lady Vols hold a 23-8-8 record on Rocky Top.

UT has hosted 18 NCAA Tournament games, compiling a 14-3-1 record in early-round contests played in Knoxville. Through the end of the 2025 regular season, Vol Nation set a new single-season attendance record with 23,157 fans, shattering the previous mark of 15,437 set in 2011.

FAMILIAR FOES: Tennessee and North Carolina met to open the 2025 regular season, featuring an unranked Lady Vols squad against the No. 1-ranked Tar Heels, who were coming off a national championship the previous year. The Lady Vols stunned the defending champs with a 2-0 victory, quickly earning a spot in the top-25 poll, where they have remained since. Tennessee's win over North Carolina marked the first season-opening victory against a reigning NCAA champion since 2002, when Santa Clara defeated Stanford. It also stood as the program's first-ever win over a top-ranked opponent.

SCOUTING THE TAR HEELS: North Carolina finished the 2025 regular season with a 12-6 record, including a 6-4 mark in ACC play. The Tar Heels have won five of their last seven matches, including two straight to close the regular season, and sit 25th in the latest NCAA RPI. UNC is 0-3 this year against top-25 opponents but owns a 25-1 all-time record in NCAA Tournament first-round games. The Tar Heels are the only program to have qualified for every NCAA Tournament. Olivia Thomas earned First Team All-ACC honors, while Kate Faase and Linda Ullmark were named to the league's Third Team. Hope Munson was selected to the ACC All-Freshman Team. North Carolina ranks 12th nationally in scoring offense, averaging 2.56 goals per game.

LOCKDOWN DEFENSE: Tennessee's defense has been dominant from the start of the season, setting the tone for the team's success. Center backs Ally Brown and Leah Klurman were both named to TopDrawerSoccer.com's midseason Top 100, ranking No. 14 and No. 26, respectively. Goalkeeper Cayden Norris joined them at No. 34 and was also named to the Hermann Trophy Midseason Watch List, forming the core of a back line that has allowed just nine goals in 18 matches. The Lady Vols' goals-against average of .500 ranks sixth nationally. Outside backs Kennedy Price, Sydney Miller and Milee Zych have also played key roles, helping Tennessee open the season with seven straight shutouts. In total, the defense has posted 13 clean sheets, leading the nation with a .722 shutout percentage.

ALL-SEC x TENNESSEE: Following strong performances throughout the regular season, four Lady Vols earned All-SEC honors, the league office announced Thursday, Oct. 30. Tennessee was the only SEC program to have an All-SEC selection at forward, midfielder, defender and goalkeeper. Senior Ally Brown was named SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and earned First Team All-SEC honors. Senior Mac Midgley and sophomore Cayden Norris were selected to the Second Team, while redshirt senior Jenna Stayart received Third Team recognition. The honors reflect a balanced Tennessee squad that holds a +24 goal differential, third-best in the conference. In addition, 16 Lady Vols have recorded at least one assist this season, the most of any SEC team.

TENNESSEE'S NCAA HISTORY: Tennessee will be making its fifth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance and 17th overall since the program's inception in 1996. UT owns a 17-14-3 record in the tournament and has reached the Round of 16 seven times (2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2018, 2021) with one NCAA Quarterfinal appearance in 2018.