COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The No. 9 Texas A&M Aggies begin the second half of their fall slate Friday when they travel for a tough test against the Tennessee Volunteers. Match time is slated for 6 p.m. at Regal Soccer Stadium.
Streaming of the match is available on SEC Network +. Fans may listen to the match worldwide on 12thMan.com/live and the 12th Man Mobile App.
The teams enter the fray looking to improve their standing heading into November’s SEC Tournament. Texas A&M is 3-1-0 on the season and riding high after home wins against No. 15 Florida (2-1) and Mississippi State (3-0). Tennessee is 2-2-1, most recently playing Kentucky to a 1-1 draw on the road.
Barbara Olivieri comes into the match as one of the top rookies in the nation, earning SEC Freshman of the Week recognition in back-to-back weeks. She leads the Aggies with eight points on three goals and two assists.
The Aggies are currently the most balanced SEC team in regards to offense and defense. The Maroon & White are the only team to rank among the top three in both goals per game and goals-against average. Texas A&M leads the league in goals per game at 2.25 with nine tallies in four games. They rank third in the SEC in goals-against average at 0.75.
Texas A&M hits the midway point of the fall with a whopping five players ranked in the top 20 on the InStat Index ratings. Addie McCain led the way, tied for No. 4 while Jimena Lopez checked in at No. 11. The other Aggies on the list include Olivieri (No. 13), Karlina Sample (No. 19) and Macie Kolb (No. 20). Texas A&M and Florida State were the only teams to have more than two players ranked in the top 20. Only two other SEC players cracked the top 20. The InStat Index is an algorithm regarded as the most accurate assessment of any player’s performance, measuring each player’s contribution to the team’s success, the significance of their actions, opponent’s level and the level of the league they play in.
Tennessee has long been a burr in the Aggies’ saddle. The Volunteers are the only SEC team to own a winning record against A&M. Tennessee owns a 6-1-0 edge in the series and most recently topped the Maroon & White twice in 2018, including a victory in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Texas A&M Soccer’s uniforms will feature a special patch that will be worn by all Aggies sport teams for the 2020-21 school year. The Aggies will wear a 2 ¼-inch black patch emblazoned with the word: UNIFIED. Texas A&M's student-athletes collectively determined the patch message, and released a statement on why they chose UNIFIED.
