#8 Lady Vols Use Big Second Half to Open SEC Play Victorious Over LSU

Friday, September 11

Baton Rouge, La.

8:00 p.m. ET

University of Tennessee

6-0-1, 1-0-0

LSU

2-6-1, 0-1-0

Team	1	2	Final F
Tennessee	1	2	3
LSU	1	0	1

Photo by: LSU Athletics

#8 Lady Vols Use Big Second Half to Open SEC Play Victorious Over LSU

September 11, 2026 | Soccer

Box Score

BATON ROUGE, La. – The No. 8 Tennessee soccer team began SEC play in winning fashion on Friday night at LSU, securing a 3-1 road victory over the Tigers.

The Lady Vols (6-0-1, 1-0-0) remain unbeaten in the 2026 season, outscoring LSU 2-0 in the second half to open the SEC campaign with three points. The victory marks the team's first on the road this season, after securing a 1-1 draw at No. 12 Virginia in the lone road contest of the nonconference slate.

As Tennessee has done in every prior match this season, the Lady Vols struck first against the Tigers. It took just 11 minutes to find the opening goal, which was finished by Shae O'Rourke into the bottom left corner after a short assist from Ines Derrien within the penalty area.

It marks O'Rourke's second goal of the 2026 season as she continues to return to her starring role at forward from an ACL tear during the 2025 campaign.

While Tennessee appeared to be on the front foot for most of the first half, LSU was able to find an equalizing goal to knot the score at 1-1 heading into the halftime break. It is the first time in 2026 that the Lady Vols did not hold a lead at the intermission.

Tennessee came out of the break with a clear sense of urgency, quickly accumulating multiple corner kicks and putting pressure on the LSU goal. The pressure would make a diamond in the 55^th minute as the Lady Vols broke the deadlock through a picture-perfect corner kick routine. Dakota Brown delivered a pin-point service to the back post, which was headed home by Taylor Cheatham to give Tennessee a 2-1 advantage.

Brown earned her first assist of the 2026 season on the play, while Cheatham's three goals in 2026 are now tied with Kylee Simmons for the most on the team.

During the second half in which Tennessee out-shot LSU 6-3, a third goal looked inevitable. After providing an assist on the match's opening goal, Derrien drew a penalty kick in the 72^nd minute, which she calmly dispatched into the top left corner to give the Lady Vols a two-goal buffer at 3-1.

Tennessee held this advantage to the final whistle, securing a 3-1 victory on the opening night of SEC competition. The conference-opening win is a stark contrast to 2025, when the Lady Vols suffered their first defeat of the season at Mississippi State in the first match of SEC play.

The Lady Vols will have a one week break before the second match of conference action. Tennessee will head to Austin, Texas, on Sept. 18 to take on No. 19 Texas.