With the women's soccer conference schedule under way, the Southeastern Conference has made its mark on the national scale. Six SEC teams are listed in the national top-25, while several players have made their mark with individual success.
With conference play coming to an end later this month, several teams have put themselves on notice at the national level.
Six SEC teams are nationally ranked
At the top of the conference, the No. 5 Tenneesee Volunteers and No. 7 Arkansas Razorbacks are the only SEC teams ranked in the top-10.
The 9-1-1 Volunteers have proven themselves to have one of the best defenses in the country, as they are tied for the most shutouts in the nation with eight. Meanwhile in Fayetteville, Arkansas, the Razorbacks are the lone SEC team to win all of their conference games outright so far.
Right on the brink of top-10 sits the No. 10 South Carolina Gamecocks.
South Carolina has made a mark on the defensive end of the field, as they rank third in the nation with a 0.25 goals against average. The Gamecocks have recorded a 9-1-2 record through their first 12 games and have yet to lose a game against an SEC opponent.
South Carolina head coach Shelley Smith spoke about the anticipation of the No. 10 Gamecocks hosting the No. 7 Arkansas Razorbacks on Oct. 2.
"We appreciate when the teams in our conference put themselves in a great position going into conference play with rankings," Smith said. "It makes (it) more exciting for our conference to have two ranked teams battling."
The No.13 Mississippi State Bulldogs also reside in the NCAA's top-15 rankings. Mississippi State impressed during SEC play with a 3-2 come-from-behind victory against Tennessee on Sept.12.
Rounding out the ranked SEC teams are the No. 17 Georgia Bulldogs and No. 24 Vanderbilt Commodores. The Georgia Bulldogs have seen success in conference play early on, as they have notched a 3-0-1 record which includes a 1-0 win over Kentucky on Sept.18.
Although they remain unranked, the Kentucky Wildcats and Oklahoma Sooners produce the highest scoring offenses in SEC women’s soccer. The Wildcats and Sooners lead the conference in goals forwarded through their first 12 games this season, with 30 and 29 respectively.
The trio of SEC tiger mascots — Auburn, LSU and Missouri — have all picked up at least one conference win and a tie so far in 2025. These teams add parity to the conference, such as Auburn forcing a 1-1 tie against then-No. 12 Mississippi State Bulldogs on Sept. 21.
The Texas Longhorns, who are the reigning SEC Tournament champions, have struggled this season. Just a season after defeating South Carolina 1-0 in the 2024 conference championship match, the Longhorns have fallen to a 3-7-1 record so far in 2025.
SEC player spotlight
Approaching the back half of the conference schedule, several SEC players have recorded notable statistics in terms of goals, assists and shutouts.
On the offensive end, Georgia’s redshirt junior midfielder Summer Denigan leads the SEC with nine goals. Denigan found the back of the net twice during a 3-0 victory against the Michigan Wolverines on Aug. 24, which included a strike from 25 yards out.
Right behind Denigan with eight goals are Auburn’s redshirt senior midfielder Erin Fleury and South Carolina’s sophomore forward Katie Shea Collins. After starting in 18 games as a freshman, Collins has put together a strong second year campaign that consists of an SEC-best five game winning goals.
Alabama’s senior forward Gianna Paul is tied for first in the conference with 19 points as she has notched seven goals and five assists. Right behind Paul with 18 points is Mississippi State’s freshman midfielder Ally Perry, who has six goals and six assists this season.
On the defensive end, South Carolina’s senior Christina Tsaousis, Tennessee’s sophomore Cayden Norris and Vanderbilt’s graduate Sara Wojdelko have been some of the top statistical goalkeepers in the SEC. The trio of netminders all rank top-3 in the conference in both shutouts and goals against average.
While the Rebels remain winless in conference play, Ole Miss senior goalkeeper Sidney O’billovich leads the SEC with 42 saves. O’billovich was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week earlier this month after recording 11 saves against the Auburn Tigers on Sept. 12.
On the backline, South Carolina senior defender Gracie Falla and Vanderbilt’s senior defender Hannah McLaughlin are potential SEC Defensive Player of the Year candidates. South Carolina’s returning defender is looking to reclaim the award, as Falla won it as a sophomore in 2023.
What's Next?
The No. 12 South Carolina Gamecocks continue its quest through the heavyweight SEC conference with the No. 7 Arkansas Razorbacks in its first ranked SEC matchup of the season. The game will take place on Oct. 2, with kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Stone Stadium.