Tennessee soccer preview versus top-ranked North Carolina to kick off 2025 season
Kickoff between the Lady Vols and Tar Heels is slated for 7 p.m. EDT and the season opener will be televised by SEC Network.
North Carolina leads the soccer series versus Tennessee, 12-0-1, all time dating to Sept. 5, 1997. Tennessee tied the Tar Heels, 0-0 in double overtime, on Sept. 10, 2004.
Joe Kirt enters his fourth season as Tennessee's head coach in 2025. He previewed facing the top-ranked Tar Heels.
'I think it's where we want to finish the season, right,' Kirt said. 'We want to play those games in December, so let's figure out where we are early on. It's going to be no different than playing Clemson over the weekend. It is going to help us prepare for not only what we're going to see in the league, but what we're going to see in the NCAA Tournament.
'I think it's right away we're going to know here's where we are, here's where we need to improve, here's what we need to keep doing. It's why we're here to compete for national championships, so let's see where we are straight away.'
The Lady Vols held exhibition matches versus Chattanooga and Clemson ahead of Thursday's contest against North Carolina.
More: Mia Binkowski commits to Tennessee soccer
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