The University of Mississippi Athletics
Friday, October 23
Lexington, Ky.
6:30 PM
Ole Miss
at
Kentucky
10/22/2026 | Soccer
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss Soccer returns to the road Friday for a 6:30 p.m. CT matchup against Kentucky in Lexington.
• Ole Miss is coming off a 6-1 loss to Oklahoma where, Maizy Kluksdal scored the lone Rebel goal, her first of the season, off an assist from Peyton Dyess.
• The Rebels are 5-1-0 in matches decided by one goal, including four 1-0 victories. Ole Miss is also 7-0-0 when scoring first.
• Ole Miss has recorded six shutouts through 16 matches this season, with six of its seven victories coming by shutout.
• The Rebels have totaled 191 shots this season, just one fewer than their opponents, while holding an 83-69 advantage in corner kicks. Ole Miss has registered 66 shots on goal through 16 matches, while opponents have recorded 77.
• Nine different Rebels have scored this season: Sarah Granno, Ava Ghoreishi, Teaghan Irvin, Becca Skinner, Audrey Shackelford, Isabella Pontieri, Katie Ramsden, Paxton Bock and Maizy Kluksdal.
• Maizy Kluksdal, Alena Watts and Allison Kolski are the only three Rebels to have started all 16 matches this season.
• Granno, Ghoreishi, Irvin and Skinner are tied for the team lead with two goals and five points apiece. Ghoreishi leads the Rebels with two game-winning goals.
A NEW ERA
Ole Miss begins a new chapter in 2026 under first-year head coach Todd Shulenberger, who was named the fourth head coach in program history on Dec. 1, 2025. Shulenberger came to Oxford after 11 seasons at Washington State, where he became the winningest coach in program history with a 113-67-34 record. He led the Cougars to five NCAA Tournament appearances, including the program's first College Cup appearance in 2019. During his time at Washington State, Shulenberger coached 43 all-conference selections and 10 players who were drafted into the NWSL or USL Super League.
LAST TIME OUT
Ole Miss fell 6-1 to Oklahoma on Sunday afternoon at Ole Miss Soccer Stadium, moving to 7-9-0 overall and 0-8-0 in Southeastern Conference play. The Sooners opened the scoring in the seventh minute on a penalty kick from Kayla Keefer before Narissa Fults added two goals to give Oklahoma a 3-0 halftime lead. Oklahoma extended its advantage with three goals in the opening six minutes of the second half. Maizy Kluksdal put the Rebels on the board in the 55th minute, scoring her first goal of the season off an assist from Peyton Dyess, who recorded her first assist of the year. Taylor Prigge played all 90 minutes in goal, making five saves. Oklahoma finished with a 16-8 advantage in shots, including an 11-1 edge in shots on goal, and held a 7-2 advantage in corner kicks.
SCOUTING REPORT: KENTUCKY
Kentucky welcomes Ole Miss to Lexington with a 7-5-3 record through its first 15 matches of the season, including a 3-2-3 mark in Southeastern Conference play. The Wildcats are unbeaten in their last three matches, picking up a 3-2 win over Texas before playing Auburn to a 1-1 draw and Tennessee to a scoreless draw. Kentucky has scored 37 goals on 205 shots this season while allowing 19 goals on 164 shots and recording four shutouts. The Wildcats are led offensively by Kyla Dawn, who has tallied 10 goals, two assists and a team-high 22 points, while Juliette Rayo and Nadia Ramadan have each added seven goals and 15 points. Megan Holland has started all 15 matches in goal, recording 50 saves with a 1.36 goals-against average and a .725 save percentage. Kentucky is led by head coach Troy Fabiano, who is in his fifth season at the helm of the program.
A GLANCE AT 2025
Ole Miss finished the 2025 season 4-8-3 overall, including a 3-3-2 record at home. The Rebels went 4-1 in non-conference play and began the year with wins in four of their first five matches. The Rebels scored 13 goals in 2025, with eight of those goals coming from players who return to the 2026 roster. Ole Miss also recorded four shutouts, including three straight clean sheets against Southern Miss, UT Martin and Louisiana.
RETURNING PRODUCTION
Katie Ramsden returns after leading Ole Miss in goals, points, shots and shots on goal in 2025. Ramsden started all 15 matches and finished the season with four goals, one assist, nine points, 24 shots and 11 shots on goal. Sarah Granno also returns after finishing second on the team with two goals and five points. Tate Blincoe and Evie Ewing each scored one goal last season, giving the Rebels four returning goal scorers from the 2025 roster.
BETWEEN THE POSTS
The Ole Miss goalkeeper room features Taylor Prigge, Anna Claire Jacobi and Sienna Smart in 2026. Prigge returns after appearing in five matches and making four starts last season. She posted a team-best .750 save percentage, made 21 saves and recorded one shutout. Jacobi comes to Oxford from Appalachian State, while Smart joins the Rebels from Michigan.
ROSTER RESET
The Rebels enter the 2026 season with a 30-player roster that features a mix of returning experience, transfer additions and high school signees. A total of 14 transfers and three true freshmen round out the 17 newcomers. The roster includes student-athletes from 16 states, as well as Katie Ramsden, a native of Leeds, England.
TRANSFER TRAIL
Ole Miss enters 2026 with a roster that features a strong transfer presence, including eight players who followed Todd Shulenberger from Washington State. Audrey Shackelford, Keira Mitchell, Alena Watts, Maizy Kluksdal, Ava Ghoreishi, Becca Skinner, Isabelle Wright and Jenna Studer all list Washington State as their previous college.
HERMANN WATCH
Isabella Pontieri became the latest Rebel to earn national preseason recognition after being named to the 2026 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy NCAA Division I Women's Players to Watch List by United Soccer Coaches. Pontieri was one of 45 midfielders added to the watch list and one of seven from the SEC. The North Florida transfer came to Oxford after playing in 57 matches from 2023-25, scoring 14 goals and adding 12 assists over more than 2,700 minutes. In 2025, Pontieri earned first-team All-ASUN honors after leading the conference in assists, shots on goal, total shots and game-winning goals. She finished the season with 10 assists, 44 shots on goal, 101 total shots, five game-winning goals and eight goals.
PRESEASON NODS
Ole Miss had five players selected to the 2026 SEC Soccer Preseason Watch List, with Paxton Bock, Ava Ghoreishi, Audrey Shackelford, Jenna Studer and Alena Watts earning recognition from the league office. All five Rebels are in their first season at Ole Miss. Bock comes to Oxford after spending two seasons at SMU, while Ghoreishi, Shackelford, Studer and Watts all transferred from Washington State. Shackelford earned All-WCC Second Team honors in 2025 after scoring two goals and adding four assists, while Studer enters the season with 75 career matches and more than 5,000 minutes played.
STAY CONNECTED
Get rewarded for attending events by joining Rebel Rewards powered by Coca-Cola, the official fan loyalty program of the Ole Miss Rebels. Download the Ole Miss Sports mobile app, sign up for a Rebel Rewards account, and start earning points immediately that can be redeemed for exclusive prizes and experiences.
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Rebels by following Ole Miss Soccer on X at @OleMissSoccer, on the Ole Miss Soccer Facebook page, and on Instagram at @officialolemisssoccer.
• Ole Miss is coming off a 6-1 loss to Oklahoma where, Maizy Kluksdal scored the lone Rebel goal, her first of the season, off an assist from Peyton Dyess.
• The Rebels are 5-1-0 in matches decided by one goal, including four 1-0 victories. Ole Miss is also 7-0-0 when scoring first.
• Ole Miss has recorded six shutouts through 16 matches this season, with six of its seven victories coming by shutout.
• The Rebels have totaled 191 shots this season, just one fewer than their opponents, while holding an 83-69 advantage in corner kicks. Ole Miss has registered 66 shots on goal through 16 matches, while opponents have recorded 77.
• Nine different Rebels have scored this season: Sarah Granno, Ava Ghoreishi, Teaghan Irvin, Becca Skinner, Audrey Shackelford, Isabella Pontieri, Katie Ramsden, Paxton Bock and Maizy Kluksdal.
• Maizy Kluksdal, Alena Watts and Allison Kolski are the only three Rebels to have started all 16 matches this season.
• Granno, Ghoreishi, Irvin and Skinner are tied for the team lead with two goals and five points apiece. Ghoreishi leads the Rebels with two game-winning goals.
A NEW ERA
Ole Miss begins a new chapter in 2026 under first-year head coach Todd Shulenberger, who was named the fourth head coach in program history on Dec. 1, 2025. Shulenberger came to Oxford after 11 seasons at Washington State, where he became the winningest coach in program history with a 113-67-34 record. He led the Cougars to five NCAA Tournament appearances, including the program's first College Cup appearance in 2019. During his time at Washington State, Shulenberger coached 43 all-conference selections and 10 players who were drafted into the NWSL or USL Super League.
LAST TIME OUT
Ole Miss fell 6-1 to Oklahoma on Sunday afternoon at Ole Miss Soccer Stadium, moving to 7-9-0 overall and 0-8-0 in Southeastern Conference play. The Sooners opened the scoring in the seventh minute on a penalty kick from Kayla Keefer before Narissa Fults added two goals to give Oklahoma a 3-0 halftime lead. Oklahoma extended its advantage with three goals in the opening six minutes of the second half. Maizy Kluksdal put the Rebels on the board in the 55th minute, scoring her first goal of the season off an assist from Peyton Dyess, who recorded her first assist of the year. Taylor Prigge played all 90 minutes in goal, making five saves. Oklahoma finished with a 16-8 advantage in shots, including an 11-1 edge in shots on goal, and held a 7-2 advantage in corner kicks.
SCOUTING REPORT: KENTUCKY
Kentucky welcomes Ole Miss to Lexington with a 7-5-3 record through its first 15 matches of the season, including a 3-2-3 mark in Southeastern Conference play. The Wildcats are unbeaten in their last three matches, picking up a 3-2 win over Texas before playing Auburn to a 1-1 draw and Tennessee to a scoreless draw. Kentucky has scored 37 goals on 205 shots this season while allowing 19 goals on 164 shots and recording four shutouts. The Wildcats are led offensively by Kyla Dawn, who has tallied 10 goals, two assists and a team-high 22 points, while Juliette Rayo and Nadia Ramadan have each added seven goals and 15 points. Megan Holland has started all 15 matches in goal, recording 50 saves with a 1.36 goals-against average and a .725 save percentage. Kentucky is led by head coach Troy Fabiano, who is in his fifth season at the helm of the program.
A GLANCE AT 2025
Ole Miss finished the 2025 season 4-8-3 overall, including a 3-3-2 record at home. The Rebels went 4-1 in non-conference play and began the year with wins in four of their first five matches. The Rebels scored 13 goals in 2025, with eight of those goals coming from players who return to the 2026 roster. Ole Miss also recorded four shutouts, including three straight clean sheets against Southern Miss, UT Martin and Louisiana.
RETURNING PRODUCTION
Katie Ramsden returns after leading Ole Miss in goals, points, shots and shots on goal in 2025. Ramsden started all 15 matches and finished the season with four goals, one assist, nine points, 24 shots and 11 shots on goal. Sarah Granno also returns after finishing second on the team with two goals and five points. Tate Blincoe and Evie Ewing each scored one goal last season, giving the Rebels four returning goal scorers from the 2025 roster.
BETWEEN THE POSTS
The Ole Miss goalkeeper room features Taylor Prigge, Anna Claire Jacobi and Sienna Smart in 2026. Prigge returns after appearing in five matches and making four starts last season. She posted a team-best .750 save percentage, made 21 saves and recorded one shutout. Jacobi comes to Oxford from Appalachian State, while Smart joins the Rebels from Michigan.
ROSTER RESET
The Rebels enter the 2026 season with a 30-player roster that features a mix of returning experience, transfer additions and high school signees. A total of 14 transfers and three true freshmen round out the 17 newcomers. The roster includes student-athletes from 16 states, as well as Katie Ramsden, a native of Leeds, England.
TRANSFER TRAIL
Ole Miss enters 2026 with a roster that features a strong transfer presence, including eight players who followed Todd Shulenberger from Washington State. Audrey Shackelford, Keira Mitchell, Alena Watts, Maizy Kluksdal, Ava Ghoreishi, Becca Skinner, Isabelle Wright and Jenna Studer all list Washington State as their previous college.
HERMANN WATCH
Isabella Pontieri became the latest Rebel to earn national preseason recognition after being named to the 2026 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy NCAA Division I Women's Players to Watch List by United Soccer Coaches. Pontieri was one of 45 midfielders added to the watch list and one of seven from the SEC. The North Florida transfer came to Oxford after playing in 57 matches from 2023-25, scoring 14 goals and adding 12 assists over more than 2,700 minutes. In 2025, Pontieri earned first-team All-ASUN honors after leading the conference in assists, shots on goal, total shots and game-winning goals. She finished the season with 10 assists, 44 shots on goal, 101 total shots, five game-winning goals and eight goals.
PRESEASON NODS
Ole Miss had five players selected to the 2026 SEC Soccer Preseason Watch List, with Paxton Bock, Ava Ghoreishi, Audrey Shackelford, Jenna Studer and Alena Watts earning recognition from the league office. All five Rebels are in their first season at Ole Miss. Bock comes to Oxford after spending two seasons at SMU, while Ghoreishi, Shackelford, Studer and Watts all transferred from Washington State. Shackelford earned All-WCC Second Team honors in 2025 after scoring two goals and adding four assists, while Studer enters the season with 75 career matches and more than 5,000 minutes played.
STAY CONNECTED
Get rewarded for attending events by joining Rebel Rewards powered by Coca-Cola, the official fan loyalty program of the Ole Miss Rebels. Download the Ole Miss Sports mobile app, sign up for a Rebel Rewards account, and start earning points immediately that can be redeemed for exclusive prizes and experiences.
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Rebels by following Ole Miss Soccer on X at @OleMissSoccer, on the Ole Miss Soccer Facebook page, and on Instagram at @officialolemisssoccer.
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