University of Tennessee Athletics
Sunday, August 31
Cullowhee, NC
6 PM
University of Tennessee
at
Western Carolina
MATCH CENTRAL: #2/4 Tennessee at Western Carolina
August 30, 2025 | Soccer
Cullowhee, N.C. – The No. 2/4 Tennessee soccer team looks to extend its winning streak to five matches as it heads to Western Carolina for a 6 p.m. ET match on Sunday.
The Lady Vols (4-0-0) are coming off four straight shutout victories to start the season and have outscored opponents 15-0 in that span.
Transfer forward Shae O'Rourke has paced the squad so far with at least one goal per match (five total) and has secured three game-winners for the Big Orange.
The Catamounts (2-2-1) are coming off a 3-2 victory over North Carolina State. WCU has scored eight goals on the season while also conceding that amount.
TRENDING UP: Tennessee's no. 2 ranking in the United Soccer Coaches Poll on Aug. 26 marks the highest-ever ranking in program history. It is the first time the Lady Vols have won four consecutive games to open the season since 2021, and it is the best start in the Joe Kirt era.Â
SHAE'S BACK:Â Redshirt junior Shae O'Rourke made her long-awaited debut for the Lady Vols in the season opener against top-ranked defending national champion North Carolina, returning to action after missing the entire 2024 season and spending 15 months sidelined. She scored twice in the historic win and has added three more goals in as many games since, leading her new team to a 4-0 start.Â
CLEAN SHEET x4: Sophomore GK Cayden Norris hasn't allowed a goal through 4 starts. Tennessee remains the only team in SEC to not allow a goal in 2025.Â
STAYART STEPPING UP: Redshirt senior Jenna Stayart has started all four games this season for the Lady Vols, already marking a career high in starts in the early season. The midfielder has scored once and added two assists, showing strong form while controlling the center of the field.Â
MATCHUP HISTORY: The Lady Vols hold a 3-0-0 all-time record against Western Carolina, including two wins in Knoxville and one at the Clemson/Nike Invitational in Clemson, South Carolina, in 2002. The programs last faced off on Sept. 13, 2009, when Tennessee earned a 2-1 win behind an 83rd-minute game-winner. At the time, current head coach Joe Kirt was in his third season as an assistant with the Lady Vols. Sunday's matchup will mark Tennessee's first-ever trip to Cullowhee.Â
The Lady Vols (4-0-0) are coming off four straight shutout victories to start the season and have outscored opponents 15-0 in that span.
Transfer forward Shae O'Rourke has paced the squad so far with at least one goal per match (five total) and has secured three game-winners for the Big Orange.
The Catamounts (2-2-1) are coming off a 3-2 victory over North Carolina State. WCU has scored eight goals on the season while also conceding that amount.
TRENDING UP: Tennessee's no. 2 ranking in the United Soccer Coaches Poll on Aug. 26 marks the highest-ever ranking in program history. It is the first time the Lady Vols have won four consecutive games to open the season since 2021, and it is the best start in the Joe Kirt era.Â
SHAE'S BACK:Â Redshirt junior Shae O'Rourke made her long-awaited debut for the Lady Vols in the season opener against top-ranked defending national champion North Carolina, returning to action after missing the entire 2024 season and spending 15 months sidelined. She scored twice in the historic win and has added three more goals in as many games since, leading her new team to a 4-0 start.Â
CLEAN SHEET x4: Sophomore GK Cayden Norris hasn't allowed a goal through 4 starts. Tennessee remains the only team in SEC to not allow a goal in 2025.Â
STAYART STEPPING UP: Redshirt senior Jenna Stayart has started all four games this season for the Lady Vols, already marking a career high in starts in the early season. The midfielder has scored once and added two assists, showing strong form while controlling the center of the field.Â
MATCHUP HISTORY: The Lady Vols hold a 3-0-0 all-time record against Western Carolina, including two wins in Knoxville and one at the Clemson/Nike Invitational in Clemson, South Carolina, in 2002. The programs last faced off on Sept. 13, 2009, when Tennessee earned a 2-1 win behind an 83rd-minute game-winner. At the time, current head coach Joe Kirt was in his third season as an assistant with the Lady Vols. Sunday's matchup will mark Tennessee's first-ever trip to Cullowhee.Â
Players Mentioned
SOC | ALLY ZAZZARA POSTGAME VS. GEORGIA SOUTHERN (9.7.25)
Sunday, September 07
SOC | JOE KIRT POSTGAME VS. GEORGIA SOUTHERN (9.7.25)
Sunday, September 07
SOC | JENNA STAYART POSTGAME VS. GEORGIA SOUTHERN (9.7.25)
Sunday, September 07
SOC | Joe Kirt Media Availability (9.1.25)
Monday, September 01
