By Aidan Corley
Coming out of a hydration break in the second half, South Alabama goalkeeper Sierra Giorgo lined up for a goal kick with sweat dripping out of every pore. She had an easy short pass to her fullback that she overhit; the fullback gave an exhausted, half-attempted lunge for the ball as she watched it roll out for a throw-in. Tennessee players were able to use the time it takes to get the ball back in play as another chance for a breather.
It was that kind of afternoon in Regal Stadium.
Tennessee (2-0-0) walked away as 2-0 winners against South Alabama (0-2-0), but it was the heat, reportedly reaching feel-like temperatures in the triple digits on the field, that was the most difficult opponent.
“We knew today was going to be warm. It’s just a preparation to make sure they stay out of the sun and then they have to bring it on gameday,” Tennessee Head Coach Joe Kirt said. “It’s hot for both teams, so you have to be willing to do the work. That’s what it comes down to and they did today.”
There may not have been an AC button they could press, but the Lady Vols were able to hop in cruise control and coast to their second victory of the season.
It was a different kind of performance than the one that saw them look like a ruthless machine against Rutgers. South Alabama was content to sit back and not have much interest in venturing forward as an attempt to frustrate the Lady Vols in hopes of catching them out on a break. It was a calculated Tennessee effort that resulted in the win, not trying to force the ball into the goal, letting the chances come to them as they happen.
“Proud of our team today, really good performance against a really well organized South Alabama team,” Kirt said. “They’re well coached, they’re well organized, and made it difficult for us. Created some really good opportunities that we could have capitalized on to put the game out of reach sooner.”
Two Lady Vols netted their first career goals to seal the win for Tennessee. South Alabama survived an opening barrage of chances before settling into the game and held on until the 26th, when Freshman Ayva Jordan broke the deadlock.
Bella Smith got her head up in midfield and picked a free Kylee Simmons out on the left wing. Simmons, with nothing but green grass ahead of her, was direct and took her space. She got to the byline and lifted in a cross that only Jordan could reach, meeting the ball in the air with a glancing header to the backpost.
Tennessee went on to dominate possession and create all the scoring chances in the game, but it wasn’t until the 78th minute when junior Devin Davis put the game to bed. Smith lofted a corner kick to the back post, and Davis got higher than anyone and was able to steer it in with another header.
Through two games, set pieces have been an effective route to goal for Tennessee.
“Bella [Smith] put a good ball in, Emerson [Moore] put a good ball in, that’s where it starts and then it’s the competitiveness in the box. That’s what it’s about, putting your head on it… they’re committed to it and all parts of it,” Kirt said. “There’s a lot of parts that go into a successful set piece, and they’ve been really good with it. We’ve got to be able to score goals in multiple ways, and they’ve shown the ability to do that.”
First of Many?
As the No. 4 overall recruit according to TopDrawerSoccer, any school in the country would have been happy with Ayva Jordan’s signature, and she’s been proving it so far in a Tennessee shirt.
After an impressive debut, she was immediately into the action when the first big chance of the game fell her way against South Alabama. Inside five minutes, fellow freshman Cora Fry zipped a low cross into Jordan’s, and from point-blank range Jordan’s shot sailed over the bar.
Rather than putting her head down, it appeared to give Jordan more confidence, and she made no mistake with her second bite of the cherry, giving Tennessee the lead. Jordan continued to cause havoc throughout the game, nearly doubling the lead twice in the second half, one being a goal off a corner that got called back.
Blazing speed, quick feet, decisiveness, an eye for a pass, an unteachable poise, and now proof that she can be clinical. Jordan will be a problem for opposing teams for years to come.
“Ayva can create out of nothing, I’m excited for her to get her first goal,” Kirt said. “She could be dangerous from six yards out or 60. A couple of times she got away from players who got her on the corner. She’s worked really hard over the spring to get herself in a good place physically and tactically, and just taking advantage of it.”
Customary Clean Sheet
Sophomore Milee Zych is the only returning starter from a back line that helped keep a program-record 12 clean sheets last season. Zych, Davis, Fry, and Nyla Blue kept their first of the season this afternoon, and they don’t seem to have skipped a beat.
In a game that can be easy to fall asleep or have a lapse in judgment, the back line was constantly in a groove and on the same page. A back four that had never started a game together before Thursday looks like they’ve been doing it for years.
“Teams like that can lull you into a sense of security, and you can give bad balls away and get countered, and they did a great job of taking care of the ball,” Kirt said. “Milee and Devin did a really good job finding the wide channels and Nyla being really composed on the ball… those guys did a great job limiting what opportunities South Alabama had, both from their own giveaways and then just negating anything they had going forward.”
UP NEXT: The Lady Vols will look to pick up their third win of the season against Milwaukee, Thursday, Aug. 20 at 7 p.m. at Regal Stadium.