Ole Miss recently played Samford in a tight 2-1 soccer match. Kayla Keefer sealed the deal with the game-winning goal in the final moments of the Rebels’ last non-conference matchup before starting conference play against Tennessee. 

Going into the match, the Rebels were 5-4 in non-conference play, with two of the losses coming from No. 4 Michigan State and No. 10 Memphis.

Keefer, a freshman, leads the team with four goals. The new Rebel netted a hat trick in her first collegiate game. Senior Kelly Brady is back for her fifth collegiate season and second with the Rebels. She scored an early season goal against Lipscomb on Sunday, Sept. 15 after tallying eight in 2023. 

Team Japan Olympic alternate Shu Obha has returned this year as goalkeeper. Obha, in the back of a stout defense, has allowed  just over one goal a game over the course of five games. When she played Michigan State, she had a season high number of saves — six. 

Against Tennessee, the Rebels will be looking for redemption. The last time they met was in 2022, when the Rebels took a 1-0 loss at home with the single goal from Jaida Thomas, who has yet to score this season. 

This fall, Tennessee is 4-1-1 in non-conference play, with an impressive tie against the 2022 National Champions, the No. 7 UCLA Bruins. Forward Sammi Woods leads the team with two goals, while four other players have one. 

Three days after the Rebels play in Knoxville, the team is set to take  a trip to Baton Rouge, La. The Louisiana State Tigers are 4-1-1 this season, with a loss to Arizona State and tie with Utah. The leading scorer for LSU is Ida Hermannsdottir with four goals. 

Before SEC play starts for the Tigers, the team heads to Northern California to face San Francisco and UC Davis. In 2023, Ole Miss beat LSU 1-0 with a game-winning penalty kick from Brady.

The Rebels will play  Tennessee on the road in Knoxville on Saturday, Sept. 21 and LSU in Baton Rouge on Sunday, Sept. 22.