PENSACOLA, Fla. – The No. 5 seed and No. 25 nationally ranked LSU Soccer team (12-5-3) extended its unbeaten streak to nine matches with a 2-0 win over No. 4-seed Tennessee (12-3-3) in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals on Tuesday night in the Ashton Brosnaham Soccer Complex.

Graduate student Morgan Witz and senior Ida Hermannsdottir led the way for the Tigers on the scoresheet on Tuesday night. With the result, LSU advanced to its first SEC semifinal since 2018, when the Tigers went on to win the tournament and take home their first and only SEC title in program history. 

It was a battle right out the gate between the Tigers and the Vols on Tuesday evening. Tennessee threatened the Tigers early with two shots in the third minute. LSU would place its first shot of the evening in the 10th minute by junior midfielder Gabbi Ceballos. 

The Tigers would rattle off three more attempts until junior forward Ava Galligan placed the first shot on target in the match in the 27th minute. Despite chances by the Vols, junior goalkeeper Audur Scheving collected her first save of the night in the 41st minute. 

The Vols outshot the Tigers 7-5 in the first half, but neither team was able to find the opening goal in the first 45 and the match remained scoreless at halftime.

LSU came out hot in the second half and wasted no time to get on the board. In the 46th minute, Galligan laid a ball at midfield to freshman forward Sariyah Bailey, who played a low-driven pass into space for Witz to slot in the bottom left corner of the net and give LSU the 1-0 lead. Witz has been a standout for the Tigers in SEC Tournament play, scoring in both the first round and quarterfinal matchups to help secure LSU wins. The goal was Witz’s fourth goal of the season, while Bailey tallied her third six assist. 

Just two minutes later, Bailey would yet again create an opportunity for the Tigers. She sent a pass inside the box to the feet of Galligan, who then took a shot that would get deflected by Tennessee’s goalkeeper Cayden Norris, which senior forward Ida Hermansdottir took advantage of. Hermannsdottir followed through on the rebound and was able to give the Tigers the 2-0 lead. It was Hermansdottir’s seventh goal of the year, moving her career total to 26, the eighth most in LSU Soccer history. Bailey and Galligan were credited with the assists on the goal, as Bailey earned her second assist of the game to increase her total to seven on the year, while Galligan owns six.

The remaining time of the match saw the Tigers keep the Volunteers at bay, only allowing two shots on target in the second half, at the 61st and 83rd minutes, which Scheving safely collected. LSU would maintain its lead and stifle Tennessee’s rally hopes to secure the win and advance to the semifinal. 

Scheving finished the night with three crucial saves to keep a clean sheet on the night, her fourth of the season. The junior now has 26 saves on the year with a 0.84 GAAVG.

While Tennessee outshot LSU 18-13, the Tigers were able to capitalize on their moments to defeat the Vols after previously falling to them earlier this season.

LSU will next face No. 8-seed Mississippi State on Thursday, November 6, at 3:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network. The winner will advance to the championship match on Sunday, November 9 and play the winner of No. 2-seed Vanderbilt and No. 3-seed Georgia.

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