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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Vanderbilt
Soccer Welcomes No. 3 Vanderbilt to Oxford
9/23/2026 | Soccer
OXFORD, Miss. –Ole Miss Soccer prepares to host No. 3 Vanderbilt on Thursday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT.
QUICK KICKS
• Ole Miss is 5-0-0 in matches decided by one goal this season, including four 1-0 victories. The Rebels have scored first in each of their seven victories and are 7-0-0 when opening the scoring.
• Allison Kolski is the only Rebel to play all 900 minutes this season, starting each of Ole Miss’ 10 matches.
• Ole Miss concluded nonconference play with a 7-1-0 record, including a perfect 3-0-0 mark in road matches.
• Ole Miss has used 10 different starting lineup combinations through 10 matches, with 20 players earning at least one start. Granno, Maizy Kluksdal, Alena Watts and Allison Kolski have started every match.
• Six different Rebels have scored a game-winning goal this season. Ava Ghoreishi leads the team with two, while Paxton Bock, Sarah Granno, Katie Ramsden, Audrey Shackelford and Becca Skinner have one apiece.
• Ole Miss has limited its opponents to 8.6 shots and 3.1 shots on goal per match. The Rebels have outshot their opponents 134-86, including a 51-31 advantage in shots on goal. Ole Miss has also earned 64 corner kicks while allowing 35.
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 dropped its first Southeastern Conference road match of the season, falling 3-0 to Auburn on Friday night at the Auburn Soccer Complex. The loss moved the Rebels to 7-3-0 overall and 0-2-0 in conference play. Auburn opened the scoring in the 30th minute on a goal from Gracie Brown before Grace Ivey doubled the Tigers’ advantage less than six minutes later. Kennedy Husbands completed the scoring with an unassisted goal at the 55:23 mark. Auburn finished with an 18-3 advantage in shots, including a 6-0 edge in shots on goal, and earned eight corner kicks to Ole Miss’ three. Alena Watts, Ava Ghoreishi and Teaghan Irvin accounted for the Rebels’ three attempts. Anna Claire Jacobi played all 90 minutes in goal and recorded three saves.
SCOUTING REPORT: VANDERBILT
Vanderbilt enters Thursday’s match unbeaten at 8-0-1 overall and 1-0-1 in Southeastern Conference play. The Commodores opened conference action with a 1-1 draw at Georgia before earning a 5-0 home victory over Texas A&M. Vanderbilt has outscored its opponents 34-8 this season, averaging 3.78 goals and 17.8 shots per match. The Commodores have also recorded three shutouts and hold an 80-20 advantage in corner kicks.
Sydney Watts leads Vanderbilt with nine goals, four assists and 22 points through nine matches. Courtney Jones ranks second on the team with four goals, while Olivia Stafford and Lena Tusche share the team lead with seven assists and have recorded 11 points apiece. In goal, Alexa Gianoplus owns a 6-0-1 record with a 0.71 goals-against average, 17 saves and a .773 save percentage. Vanderbilt is led by head coach Darren Ambrose.
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
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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.
