By Mya Mimbs
With September reaching its peak, it is time to look back on the past week to see what Tennessee Athletics accomplished – and where the teams go next. The men’s golf team competed in its second tournament of the season, volleyball took to the road against Queens, and soccer continued conference play against Texas for the first time in 30 years.
Men’s Golf: On par with the rest
The Tennessee men’s golf team competed in the Inverness Intercollegiate at the Inverness Club, its second tournament of the 2026-27 season, and tied for seventh place.
The Vols’ five-man team started bright and early Sunday morning, tying for second place after day one of the tournament. The Vols shot an admirable 7-over-par 291 through 18 holes on day one.
Monday, day two of the event, brought a full day of intense competition. The Vols shot an 11-over-par 295 in round two and fell to ninth place out of 18 total teams.
The third and final day of the tournament brought improvements for the Vols. The team fired a 2-over-par 286, its best score of the week. However, the performance was not enough to put the Vols back on the podium.
Standout performances included freshman Pennson Badgett and senior Rudy Sautron. On day one of the tournament, Badgett finished as one of only 11 golfers with a round of par or better. Sautron launched a bogey-free 4-under-par 67 — the fourth-best round of any player in the tournament — to complete the event.
The Tennessee men’s golf team will continue its season at the Cullan Brown Collegiate held in Lexington, Kentucky, on Oct. 9.
Volleyball: Royal Flush
On Tuesday night, the 7-1 Tennessee volleyball team faced off against 3-7 Queens University of Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Lady Vols swept Queens in three sets, dominating the match from start to finish.
In the first set, the Volunteers started slowly, falling behind 4-1. However, the team quickly found its momentum and battled back to secure a 25-14 victory over Queens in the opening set.
The second set began with both teams battling back and forth, but the Lady Vols eventually went on a five-point run to build a 9-4 lead. The Vols continued to string together points, winning the set 25-13.
The third and final set saw more resistance from Queens, with the score tied 14-14 at one point. Though Queens fought to claim a set, the Lady Vols pulled away for a 25-18 victory.
Tennessee recorded more than 40 kills and eight aces as a team, demonstrating a decisive victory.
Soccer: Tied up in Texas
On Friday night, the No. 8 Tennessee soccer team traveled to Austin, Texas, to compete in a conference match against Texas. The match marked the first time Tennessee has played the Longhorns in soccer since 1977.
Going into the match, both teams had one goal in mind: win. Tennessee (6-0-1) brought an undefeated streak it aimed to keep intact, while Texas (5-2-2) hoped to return to the rankings after falling from No. 19 following a 3-1 loss to Arkansas.
The first score came early for Tennessee when No. 2 Shae O’Rourke placed the ball into the top right corner of the net in the 10th minute — continuing Tennessee’s streak of scoring within 12 minutes of the opening whistle.
However, Texas quickly responded. In the 26th minute, No. 11 Mya Brandon scored for the Longhorns, making Texas only the fourth team to score against the Volunteers this season.
Just 49 seconds later, No. 13 Ashlyn Anderson scored to give Texas the lead.
Tennessee did not respond until midway through the second half, following several yellow cards issued to both teams. Volunteers No. 31 Cora Fry and No. 21 Ayva Jordan received yellow cards for unsportsmanlike conduct, as did Texas goalkeeper Bayliss Flynn.
Tennessee managed to equalize despite the fouls. No. 22 Kylee Simmons scored in the 67th minute, hooking the ball into the bottom left corner of the net.
Later in the match, Texas’ EmJ Witt received a red card for unsportsmanlike conduct.
The game ended in a 2-2 tie, with both teams earning one point in SEC play.
The Tennessee soccer team returns home to face Mississippi State on Sept. 24 at Regal Stadium.
What’s next?
While September is coming to a close, the Volunteers remain busy.
The men’s golf team travels to Lexington, Kentucky, to compete in the Cullen Brown Collegiate; volleyball takes on No. 9 Penn State on Sept. 20; soccer returns to Rocky Top on Sept. 24 to face Mississippi State; and Tennessee football opens SEC play at home against Texas on Sept. 26.