Tennessee opens 2026 season with win against Rutgers

No. 24 Tennessee (1-0) kicked off its 2026 soccer season on Thursday at Regal Soccer Stadium. The Lady Vols defeated Rutgers (0-1), 4-1.

Fifth-year forward Kylee Simmons and sophomore midfielder and forward Kai Tsakiris scored two goals each for the Lady Vols.

Taylor Cheatham and Shae O'Rourke recorded one assist each for Tennessee in its series opener.

Simmons led the Lady Vols with five shots on goal, while Nyla Blue and Devin Davis led Tennessee in minutes played (90).

Tennessee had 18 shots (eight on target) in the contest, while Rutgers totaled 12 shots (four on target). Each school had six corner kicks. The Lady Vols were offside three times and Rutgers was offside twice.

Tennessee will next play against South Alabama on Aug. 16. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. EDT at Regal Soccer Stadium. The contest can be watched on SEC Network+.

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This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: Tennessee opens 2026 season with win against Rutgers