There is no better team in women’s college soccer than Tennessee. That’s at least according to the top ranking used in the sport, given out by United Soccer Coaches. The Lady Vols received six of the eight first-place votes and accumulated enough points to edge out Duke for the top spot.
This is the first time ever that the soccer team on UT’s campus has secured the No. 1 ranking. The 6-0-1 start is also the best of head coach Joe Kirt’s tenure. Each game has been a shutout, with nobody able to net a goal on the Lady Vols to this point.
The slate of impressive wins also features two victories and a tie against top-15 opponents. Tennessee opened the year by knocking off top-ranked North Carolina 2-0 at home and won on the road at UCLA 1-0. UT tied with Memphis 0-0 at home, as well.
For the first time in program history, the Lady Vols have earned a No. 1 ranking 🔥 pic.twitter.com/G21iEqAdRi
— Tennessee Soccer (@Vol_Soccer) September 9, 2025
More From RTI: Tennessee Soccer Achieves Program First by Beating No. 1 Team in the Country in Season Opener
Other wins in the out-of-conference schedule included ones over Eastern Kentucky, LMU, Western Carolina and Georgia Southern.
Tennessee now stares down the barrel of its 10-game SEC slate. Here is what’s left before the postseason begins:
- Sept. 12: at (RV) Mississippi State
- Sept. 18: at Missouri
- Sept. 21: LSU
- Sept. 26: Texas A&M
- Oct. 2: No. 24 Georgia
- Oct. 5: at Ole Miss
- Oct. 9: at No. 20 Oklahoma
- Oct. 16: Florida
- Oct. 19: at No. 13 Vanderbilt
- Oct. 26: (RV) Alabama
Kirt is now in year four of his tenure as head coach of the program. He began in 2022, replacing Brian Pensky, who left for Florida State and quickly won a national title with the Seminoles. Now, Kirt has his Lady Vols program ahead of Pensky’s Florida State in the rankings. FSU clocks in at No. 7 in the standings.
The hot start for Tennessee soccer also helps further the claim of ‘Everything School’ from UT. Tennessee has a top-15 football team heading into SEC play, along with a 4-1 volleyball team in season. In the winter, Vols basketball will attempt to make a third-straight Elite Eight, while the Lady Vols will look to return to the Sweet 16 after a successful first year for head coach Kim Caldwell. In the spring, Tony Vitello and the baseball team will look to win a second national title in three years, while softball is on the hunt to return to yet another Women’s College World Series.
That’s not to mention the success sports such as golf, track and field, rowing and tennis have had in recent years.
