Everything Orange
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Everything Orange
Kylee Simmons
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Kylee Simmons is off to a fast start for Tennessee Soccer, already notching three goals and two assists in her first seven appearances and helping the Lady Vols climb into the top 10 of the national rankings.
But Simmons’ impact at Tennessee was anything but certain, as the fifth year had not played soccer in 683 days before making her Rocky Top debut. The West Chester, Ohio, native suffered back-to-back season-ending injuries between her junior year at Missouri and her senior year at Tennessee.
But those setbacks didn’t just set the stage for a major comeback this season, they provided Simmons with a new and invaluable mindset that has led allowed her to become a team leader and find renewed purpose beyond soccer.
In this episode of Everything Orange, host Sarah Detwiler and Simmons discuss that remarkable journey to recovery and the impact its made on Tennessee Soccer.
Great. I'm gonna laugh. I'm gonna smile, and I'm gonna love every second of it because the last thing I'm gonna do is like take the game for granted again. And that's kind of the same mentality that I told myself I would carry with me even now and like would not lose that perspective just because I'm playing again.
SPEAKER_00Hey y'all, welcome back to the Everything Orange podcast presented by First Horizon Bank. Tennessee soccer is off to a fantastic start, sitting at 6-0 and 1 this season with contributions across the field. But one of the best stories that has come out of this team is about someone who's waited so long to get back out onto the field. 683 days to be exact. And she's here in the podcast studio with us today to talk all about her journey both on and off the field that led to a remarkable moment to kick off her fifth year. So please welcome to the Everything Orange Podcast, Kylie Simmons. Kylie Simmons, welcome to the Everything Orange Podcast. Hi, thank you so much for having me. We're so excited to have you on. It's crazy that like we're already off and running with the soccer season. It feels like it was just summer like two seconds ago, but no, you guys have been well into your soccer season at this point. Do you feel like everything has just been moving a hundred miles per hour since the season started for you? 100%.
SPEAKER_01I always tell myself that I'm going to not let it go by fast and it somehow like slips away every single year. And this year is not any different. Right.
SPEAKER_00Especially after your journey and all that you've been through, like you want to cherish this fifth year. So speaking of, I really want to talk and start off with your journey through your collegiate soccer career because it it is one that hits all the buckets in terms of adversity and the comeback. And I don't know that everyone truly knows it because you were a new face for us before we even got to really see you play. Because the last time you played in a soccer match was 683 days prior to the first match of this regular season. When I say that, does it really sink in how long it was of a process of a journey to get back out onto the field?
SPEAKER_01I think yes and no. Um especially last year. Definitely had moments where it felt super long. But then I also look back now and I'm like, I can't believe that was a year ago. And it also goes by fast at the same time. I think the whole journey of college soccer in itself is more amazing to me that it's my fifth year. Like I'm like, oh my gosh, it goes by so fast. So I think that above anything, looking back, I'm amazed of how fast the time goes. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, you snap and it's like, man, I was just a freshman. Like, how where has the time gone with all of it? So take me back to your junior year. You were at Missouri, and that's when you experienced your first injury. What do you remember about going through the early stages of wanting to get back out onto the field?
SPEAKER_01My last collegiate game before that was against Florida, and it was at the end of September. So I guess coming up on that like two-year date or whatever. Um, and it was the practice after that, and I had just felt a pop up in my quad kind of near my hip flexor, um, after trying to serve a ball into the box um with my left foot, which is something I do now and kind of shows, and it's something I do every day. Like the um two assists that I have this year are the exact same ball that I tried to hit that same day. So it wasn't a new movement at all. Okay. Um, and I just collapsed. It honestly was probably one of the most painful moments, I would argue, even more painful than tearing my ACL. Um, I had never had a soft tissue injury before, so I was really scared and uncertain and confused because it was a mechanism that wasn't familiar to me. Right. And so didn't really know how to proceed after that. And we had Tennessee coming up two days, three days later, or something like that. So my coaches were really eager trying to get me to play for that, and I was trying to push through it, trying to be able to play in that game because it was really important for me to be there and I wanted to be there for my team. And I couldn't go to class, I couldn't walk. And so those initial days were really frustrating because something that I had assumed was going to be just a mild strain. I quickly realized it wasn't that. And I had ended up partially tearing that muscle in the top of my quad and tried to get back every week, every game I was trying to play the next one, and it ended up not working out. And so I kind of ended my junior season not stepping on the field again.
SPEAKER_00It almost sounds like you thought you were taking a step forward, but in reality it was just pushing you three steps back. Like you could never get to where you wanted to be. And like you said, week after week, that's a really frustrating experience to have.
SPEAKER_01100%. It was the uncertainty of that, I think, was the most frustrating. Um because kind of like you said, every week I was trying to practice, I was trying to get back, and it would be okay, this next game is when I'm gonna be back, this next game, this next game. And so I never really had an answer, um, which uh in turn did kind of take me three steps back because I would pop my quad again, and then what ended up maybe would have been a four-week injury recovery if I would have just completely taken rest off, ended up being closer to like two months.
SPEAKER_00So when you did decide to enter the transfer portal, how were you feeling about the options that you thought you were going to have, considering you didn't get to play the back half of the season, and it kind of maybe put you in a place of limbo as to like, I don't really know how this is going to go, me entering the portal.
SPEAKER_01Hundred percent. Um, I actually entered that first day of the portal, not in it, because I was going back and forth. I hadn't really had my mind made up. My parents, they were of incredible support, but they couldn't give me an answer. And this was something for the first time that I had to make the decision completely on my own. And so I was really back and forth, uncertain. And when I woke up that morning with the transfer portal being open, I just was sick to my stomach. And I was like, that's my sign. As soon as it tomorrow hits, I'm going in. I was like, I can't wait any longer. I knew that I made the wrong decision when I wasn't in it, and I kind of just went with my gut and went with my heart in that. Of course, I was uncertain, but I just had a feeling that it was what I needed to do. So that next day I was in it.
SPEAKER_00So you took the leap of faith and you put your name in the portal. At what point did you connect with Tennessee and what were your initial thoughts and feelings towards the coaching staff, the program, and potentially becoming a lady vol?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so John's text was actually one of the first ones in my phone. Um, it took about like maybe 15 minutes after I was in the portal. I was actually driving home from telling my coaches and like getting into the portal, and I'm like checking my phone as I'm pulling into my house and I'm like, oh my gosh, like all the text kind of start flooding in. And John was one of the first ones, if not the first. I can't quite remember, but I know it was pretty early. Um, and initially I had thought that I would get a fresh start by changing conferences. I was initially like looking at the Big Ten is kind of where I thought I was going to go going into the portal. Okay. Not that I had anything against the SEC, but I kind of, of course, not clearly, but I kind of took it as this was going to be my fresh start. And so I looked at Big Ten schools first. And Tennessee, of course, was on my radar with just being a phenomenal soccer school school historically. That was my number one priority was choosing soccer and choosing a program that I know would bring the best out of me.
SPEAKER_00So when you continued to go throughout the process and you decided to land on Tennessee when you got here, what was what was the experience of continuing to rehab, getting adjusted to college life here, meeting the team, meeting the girls, and what were you feeling about this new kind of journey that you're about to go on?
SPEAKER_01I think the first week, weekend that I was there, one of my teammates had made a comment to me and they were like, It really feels like you had never not been here. And that's exactly how I felt too. I think stepping into campus on my visit with the coaches, I genuinely feel like I bleed orange, and I don't feel like a transfer, as I know that kind of sounds cliche, but like I truly found my home here, and the team made it feel exactly like that. They're telling me stories about what happened before I was here, and they're like, wait, you don't remember that? I'm like, No, I don't remember that. I wasn't here. I I guys, I just got here. Yeah. Um, and that spring was awesome. I had taken that winter to really rehab my quad. So when I got here in the spring, I was pretty much back, like full go. I was obviously in communication with Greg and we were on the same page with a lot of stuff, my athletic trainer. Um, but I was playing pretty much right away and was feeling really good.
SPEAKER_00And I think that we talked about this a little bit before we started. That was kind of when you look back and think of the, you know, almost 700 days that you weren't playing soccer, that's kind of the confusing part because you were for a little bit, because you were healthy and ready to go at the springtime, and you had even played in the exhibition match um against Clemson here at home. And things like kind of all hit at once.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, definitely. Yeah. I had spent the whole spring healthy and my excitement grew from there. I we played Carolina, we played Clemson again that first spring, we played uh Virginia, Virginia Tech. We spent that spring really building a great thing, and I'd played all those matches. So at that point I didn't feel new. I felt like I had built the rapport and the relationship with my teammates, ready to finally have the senior season that I had felt like I was building up to. And summer was great as well. And yeah, that um second exhibition at home is kind of where everything fell apart, I guess.
SPEAKER_00So, what do you remember about what what you were doing on the field in that moment, what you felt, and also the immediate reaction of holy cow, am I really going through all of this again?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, um, I wasn't even sprinting. I was probably on a fast jog going to defend a player in the wide space, something we literally are expected to do all the time throughout a match. It is not an awkward side tackle, it's not a weird cut, it's not even full speed. And I just remember going to step and turn and just feeling that pop, it's like unexplainable to someone who hasn't gone through it. I know everyone here, if they have done it, they know exactly what it feels like. And given the fact that I had done it before, I knew instantly. Um, I remember thinking, okay, if I look down and my knee's not dislocated, I know I tore my ACL. Because it feels almost like you dislocate your knee from the inside, is kind of how I explain it. Okay. And I look down and I'm like, yeah, this is it. And I remember my teammates coming up to me, and Allie Brown was like, Are you okay? And I'm like, I tore my ACL. And she's like, you don't know that. Like she's trying to be reassuring. You know, a teammate, like, don't think the worst. And I was like, I know you're trying to help right now, but I I'm not saying it as worst case, I'm stating a fact. Like, I know I tore my ACL. So kind of like, don't say that to me right now, kind of thing. And that's Greg had come on the field and I was like, don't touch me. I just tore my ACL, just help me get off, is kind of all I said to him, and we walked off.
SPEAKER_00Was that emotional experience and the weeks and months that followed it similar to the first injury or different in a good or a better or a worse way, knowing that you had gone through this path before?
SPEAKER_01Um, similar to the quad injury, no. Similar to my first ACL, there were some similarities, but also I think I was so naive in that journey where I look at them as completely different, even though they were similar injuries from an anatomical standpoint. Yeah. Um I I would say it wasn't emotional really until I had the surgery and then like realized what I was going through again. I think is when it like fully hit me.
SPEAKER_00In that moment, well, I guess I read that article and you had reflected back, and part of I guess your maybe grief process of it all was you were you were saying, I just wish wish I could miss the goal again. Oh, yeah. It was a quote that really stood out to me because I feel like that's such an interesting perspective to have as an athlete where you were like, I don't even like, I just want to stand there and be able to kick the ball and have have it miss the goal because that means that I have gotten to the other side of it. So talk to me about that perspective that you had.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Um, I mean, I think as any athlete, you want to succeed in your role. And as a forward, obviously, my role is to create chances, score goals, assist, and be in that goal scoring process. And I think up until my injury, a lot of us will hold our heads pretty low if we miss those chances. I mean, it's hard mentally to kind of get past a goal that you wish you would have scored or should have scored, anything like that is something that I think separates a good forward between a great forward, is how they're able to move past that. And I remember going into the SEC tournament. One of my teammates last year was kind of getting in her head about that very thing, not scoring, missing, that type of thing. And I just, I don't know what hit me, but I like looked at her and I was like, I would give anything to miss an open goal right now. And that was a perspective I had never had. But in that moment, I was like, I would love to miss. Give me an open net in a game. Love to miss. I'm not even thinking about making it right now. I'm thinking about, yeah, give me on, get me on the field. If that means I miss, great. I'm gonna laugh, I'm gonna smile, and I'm gonna love every second of it because the last thing I'm gonna do is like take the game for granted again. Um, and that's kind of the same mentality that I told myself I would carry with me even now, and like would not lose that perspective just because I'm playing again.
SPEAKER_00To be able to have that perspective on the sideline to still bring a positive energy to the group, even have your parents continually come down from Ohio to support you, even though you weren't able to be playing in a game. What did that do for your personal morale? And then in turn help the team out by having like a light on the bench.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Um I actually told Joe this last year, kind of towards the end of the season. I don't remember what we were talking about, but I kind of made a comment and was like, this year was still one of my favorite college soccer seasons. And he's like, What? Like, you're insane. And I'm like, no, the perspective that it gave me, I was so like die hard for this team, like Tennessee, this program. At some point, it became a reality. I knew I wasn't stepping on the field. So what could I do? What could I control? Because it wasn't being able to play. I couldn't control that. It was done. At some point, I went through the grief journey and I had to move on. And that became being the best teammate I could possibly be because I loved being a part of this team last year, and of course this year. But seeing my teammates win and compete and doing anything I could to support them was all I could do. And so I decided to just put all of my energy into that.
SPEAKER_00So fast forward through the end of the season, you're still working on coming back, getting healthier, getting stronger, and you run a half marathon. Where did this idea come from?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so I am like a distance runner at heart. It's something that after soccer, I'm excited to be able to continue. I love running. And I did, I did it last year. Okay. And I'm from Cincinnati, so I do did the flying pig half marathon, which with my friends. It's a pretty big event um in Cincinnati, and it's really, really fun. And so I did it last year for the first time. Okay. And I remember um like when I went through the rehab process, I was like, wait, I don't know if I'm gonna be able to run that. It was a question I was right at eight months post-op, I think, at that at that point when the half marathon would be. Okay. And I kind of got closer to it, and I had asked, you know, Greg and the and the coaches as well, I was like, is this something that I could possibly do? Because I really wanted to do it again. And they're like, you know, we don't know. And Joe had said, well, as long as it's after the spring season and soccer's done, he's like, I'm I'm okay with it. Like as long as Greg and Sam are also okay with it. So at that point, coming back in January, um, that was kind of my big event at the end of the spring that I was looking forward to. Um, at that point, the coaches and I had had a conversation about just not playing any any spring games. I was able to incorporate myself back into practice. So I was playing with my team in the spring, but just not playing games because it wasn't really worth it at that point. Um, give my body more time to heal. And so this non-contact event of running this half marathon was my SEC championship, my Super Bowl, if you will. And I had taken that entire spring running, getting myself so fit just to kind of see where my body could go. And I ended up running that half marathon in May, and I did it in like an hour and 44 minutes or something. It was like a 750 pace the whole time. And it was like the fastest, like longest distance I've ever done, and took off like almost 20 minutes of my first time that I did last year, too. So Golly, that's insane.
SPEAKER_00Oh my gosh, I didn't know your time on top of the fact that you dropped like 20 minutes off of it. Yeah, that's crazy. Having run a half marathon myself, like I give you all the credit in the world. That is so impressive. How proud were you though of yourself, of your body to see your strength on display that you were able to do something like that, given everything you had been through?
SPEAKER_01Oh, yeah, I was totally on cloud nine, uh runner's high for sure. Like it wasn't even difficult. Like my body was in such a like fit space, and that's all credit to Greg and Sam and the coaching staff. Like they did so much for me over the spring, and I just did it every single day. I think I said like just paying dividends, and it eventually pays off. Like, even though you don't might not see it, that I think was the epitome of being able to see what I had done all spring finally kind of come to light, even if it meant not playing soccer yet. Right, right.
SPEAKER_00But that was to come. Yes. Yes. Um, but I do have to ask before we change gears, are you looking at running a marathon at any point? Is that like on your radar in the near future after soccer?
SPEAKER_01100%. I have I got into kind of longer distance running because my boyfriend is also a long distance runner. So we did like the half marathons together. Um, and 100% he is like not wanting to do that, and I'm like, you have to do one with me, like just one. Like so that's definitely something I would love to do. I also think once you do a half, I do believe you can do a full. Like at that point, the last like half of the full is mental, I think.
SPEAKER_00That's a good point. Is there a location that you're looking at that you want to do your first marathon?
SPEAKER_01I definitely think I would love to do the flying pig one. I don't know if that would want to be my first because I do love the thought of traveling for it. Like the one in San Diego is really um appealing to me. And the one in Cincinnati is so hilly. Like it is an awful like terrain. Yeah. So maybe doing one that's flat for my first would maybe give confidence.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and I think the travel part of looking at the different locations you can do a marathon is like the reward of it. Like it worked so hard. Like, let's make a little trip out of it. It can be fun. I was delusional when I was looking at the Hawaii one for this year, and then grad school got in the way. So we're not doing that. But that was a flat one too that I was like, okay.
SPEAKER_01Definitely put that on your bucket list.
SPEAKER_00Yes, it'll it'll go, it'll live there for now for the time being. Um, okay, so now we get to August 13th, the first regular season match against Wreckers. You're finally about to step on the field 683 days after playing your last match. What are you thinking? What are you feeling? Is that reality what you're actually thinking of in that moment? Or are you kind of focused on the right here right now of the game ahead?
SPEAKER_01Definitely the right here right now. Okay. I would say, like, am I thinking about how long it's been since I stepped on the field? Absolutely not. I no, not even on my radar at all. I think it was just a night full of gratitude, is probably the number one emotion that I would say I'm was focused on and am still focusing on. And no expectations, nothing. I just was so excited to play. Yeah. Being on Regal Soccer Stadium is just one of the best feelings in the world. And when I transferred here, I was so excited to experience that moment. And so it didn't come as soon as I thought it did, but to be on that field that night was just overwhelmingly joy, excitement, just everything that I worked in the last year. It's almost like undescribable. Like I'm kind of like trying to figure out words to say because it was just so awesome that I don't even have words to like explain how I was truly feeling in that moment.
SPEAKER_00Your family was also there for that game, too. What do you remember about being able to experience the before, the during, and the after, knowing that they're just there to support you in that moment?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's funny, they are just absolutely incredible. I mean, my parents. Have their mindset on not missing a game this year at all. Like they're they're at everything. They have their flights to Texas, they had their LSU flights booked last week. So they're they're fully on this journey with me and traveling to every game. So I think on one side of it, it felt like it did every single game. They've been at every single soccer game I have ever played in or not played in. Like that's yeah, like they so that felt normal. But then when I kind of take a step back and realize kind of what that truly means, I could not be more thankful for them. And they are the reason of why I am the way I am today.
SPEAKER_00Okay, well, now I want to go into a film room session of the goals that you've scored this season because it goes hand in hand with that game in particular, which I just feel like makes the game in the moment even that much more special of like, she's back, don't you worry. This is your first goal as a Tennessee Lady Fall, which is also one that I feel like you'll remember forever because of that. So take me through it less than 10 minutes into the match. You take a shot from inside the box, and then the keeper can't quite quite get control of it. So you immediately follow that play. When the ball gets loose, though, are you thinking like, oh, I've got this easy, like getting getting there, beating her to it?
SPEAKER_01Um, I think so. I think um the ball that Ava had played was phenomenal, and the goalkeeper made a great save. I think initially I was like, just get something on this, and it's going in because of how well her cross was hit. And the goalkeeper, the reaction save was great. Um, but when it came off her hands, I was like, oh yeah, I got this. Like I'm like, this is my second chance. Yes, exactly. So, yes, talk me through it from start to finish from what you see there. Okay. Like I said, I just wanted to get something on the cross and sliding into it and scoring like the first goal of the Tennessee regular season in general, as well as my first as um a Lady Vol was, like I said, kind of indescribable. I love um the reactions from Ava as well. That's awesome. I actually haven't um watched rewatched that since, so that's actually really awesome. That's so screen. Um, yeah, but I think from like a symbolic standpoint of being able to kind of get the second chance um kind of embodies what the last year was for me. Kind of that second chance of yeah, you know, 2025 was not my senior season, but this is what I did the whole last year, and like this is now my senior season, kind of and yeah, it was awesome. I think from a physical standpoint, one thing that I really loved about it was I kind of have to like slide under my left knee a little bit and almost like completely like crunch my knee to kind of get that ball because I'm fully outstretching. Um, and that's something that I was a little bit nervous about of coming back is would I be willing to play without thinking about my knee again? You hope as an athlete that you're able to do that, but when it comes, you just never know. It's one of those things where you don't know until you're in it. And in that moment, I wasn't, I did not care. I did not care less about my knee. Like I didn't think twice, I just did what I had to do. And I think in that moment, if I would have thought, I wouldn't have been able to score it, because I think the goalkeeper would have been able to get to it.
SPEAKER_00I think that's such an honest and real feeling that many athletes who have some kind of injury that is related to a movement that they did in a game in a practice, there's always gonna be that little bit of fear of well, what if I do that same motion and something bad happens again? Or will I be scared of doing something like that ever again? And so to kind of have that real experience in the moment and not having a single thought in your mind of other than I'm just gonna go out there and score has to be so good too, knowing that you're not scared to meet the moment. You're not scared of letting this injury, you know, get inside your head. You're gonna play out there and you're gonna play with no fear. Yeah, exactly. Well, one goal wasn't enough for you in that game because you scored again later on. Now we're in the 67th minute, and Tennessee puts together a really nice sequence and you end up on the backside at the far post. Walk me through how this play developed from your perspective and what you were thinking as you saw the ball just come right to you.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, um, from my perspective, I personally love scoring off crosses. Um, I think Taylor is phenomenal at services in the box. And that is actually in the Clemson exhibition, we also had a goal together where she um kind of had a similar ball, kind of ish, and then I actually had a header that goal, and that was like my revenge moment of kind of having another goal against the same team that I tore my ACL in the same exhibition the year before. Um, but Taylor and I have kind of been working on that connection like all summer. So when she like was kind of she's fast, you know. I remember when she got that ball and took that touch, I was like, I have to make it into the box right now. That's all I could think about was my job is to get in the box. Whether it comes to me or not, I need to be there. And I'm wide open at the back post. And Taylor just like basically gives me a silver goal on a platter. Like, that's like the best way I can explain it. And yeah, it was just awesome. And then to share that moment with Shay, too, who is also coming back from injury and um is not only one of my best friends, but also my roommate now is also really cool too.
SPEAKER_00When the game was over and you're able to process really like what had just happened, you didn't just score once, you scored twice. It's like a welcome homecoming moment for you, back to soccer and to being a lady vol. Your family's there. I'm sure Coach had some things to say to you afterwards. What were you feeling? And and how were you able to, how long did it truly take you to process, you know, the whole day?
SPEAKER_01In some ways, I still haven't processed it. Because like I said, I hadn't like rewatched really that moment until now. And I think I kind of was like, okay, let's go. Like I'm like, we won, great, but we have so many other games left, kind of. I think um that was like maybe my initial thought, and I still think I kind of have that way because like it's awesome, it's cool, but I'm thinking of so many other things where I'm like, Taylor's ball was great, Ava's ball was great, like it's not just my finish, so I'm also like, okay, great, moving on. I don't know, I don't like love talking about myself in that way. Um I feel like a little awkward in that way. Um, but I think that game will be forever like ingrained in my memory of college soccer and will be a highlight for sure. I didn't have any expectations going into the game, and I think that's what made it even more special was to have that like come off the way that it did. I couldn't have, I could not have asked for a first game back, a better first game back.
SPEAKER_00And then after waiting almost two years for one, you've suddenly got three pretty quickly. You kind of did touch on this, but how much confidence does it give you in your game and coming back from this injury, seeing already the success that you've had this season?
SPEAKER_01I'm so excited for the rest of the season. I think someone coming back from an injury, any injury, not just an ACL, but any athlete, they can only hope to play with confidence after. That's just the one thing that some people just have a harder time getting back. And it's hard. It's really, really hard. I can't kind of sit here and act like I've always had confidence because that would just be lying. There's been it's taken a lot to kind of build that back. And sometimes you do kind of have to fake it till you make it and almost show it until you feel it type of thing. And to play with confidence now is all that I could have asked for. And I'm just so excited for the rest of the season and the way that we're playing right now to continue like winning and seeing all of that pay off is just amazing.
SPEAKER_00Right, because I feel like when you're playing with confidence, like you just get to go out there and have fun, like you really get to let go of all the stressors or all the you know things you're telling yourself, all the mental pressures, and just play free 100%. I want to talk too about your role this year being a little bit different because you are one of the captains along with Caden. So, what does wearing the captain's band mean to you after everything you've been through off the field?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, um, I think it just I I don't want to say it doesn't mean anything because I truly wear that like role with honor and I try and represent that in the best way that I can. But at the end of the day, it really just means serving my teammates, like whatever they need, that's my job to provide for them. And it's not about me, it's not about Caden, it's about what's best for our team. And so I am filled with so much honor at the fact that I was not only thought to have been a good person for that position from the coaches, but also from my teammates. It was something that was also like given their input on to. And so knowing that, I am so honored. But at the end of the day, it's all about them.
SPEAKER_00In terms of your leadership, how would you describe the way that you lead?
SPEAKER_01Oh, that's a good question. I think before actually stepping into a captain's role, I was very much like lead by example and then support. I think it was one of those things where we talk about accountability a lot and you can't really hold other people accountable if you're not accountable yourself. So it starts with self-accountability. So everything I do every day, I try and make sure it's holding the standard that we set as a Lady Vol. Yeah. And then it's just building relationships with your teammates. You can't lead them if you don't know them. And so I think finding ways to get to know your teammates personally and build those relationships are really important as well. So I think, especially last year, I really focused on the relationship aspect because that's all I could do. Because I wasn't I didn't have an on-field relationship with them. So the only option was personal. Yeah. And so I really took the time to do that off the field. So I think that helped a lot.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and you can tell when the relationships off the field are strong because they directly affect what's happening on the field as well, which is great to your point. Yeah. 100%. So let's zoom out now because this team has had a really great start to the season. You're 6-0-1, and Tennessee has scored first in all of its matches. What do you think has allowed this group to come out so aggressive in the way that you set the tone early?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I think just the quality of our attacking group, it is truly not just one person. It's not two people, it's not even three people. Like we have five, six, seven attackers, and it's not just who we start on the field, it's who comes in. It it like our attacking line is so deep. And I think that's really, really important because now we're getting into the part of the season where teams kind of scout your players, and it's kind of one of those things where I'm always a little nosy and I'm like, I wonder what they say, because I'm like, you can't just scout one person, right? You can't. We um, as like a team here, we'll have certain players that we highlight, and I'm like, so are you putting six people on your like highlight thing going into the game? Because I can think of six or seven people that are dangerous. Like, and so that's really, really cool. I think the quality of our attacking group is phenomenal and it's really exciting.
SPEAKER_00Well, that goes directly into my next question because it's not just one or two people producing, like you're saying. So far this season, 11 different Lady Vols have scored, and six have had multiple goals as well. And you mentioned as an attacking player, how dangerous is it for other groups, knowing that they have to have eyes on so many different players and not just focus on one or maybe two shining stars.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's incredible. I mean, that's I like coming in as a transfer, this is exactly what I wanted. I wanted to play with players around me that would not only allow me to compliment them, but them compliment me and try and find a way to almost show all of our strengths, and maybe not in the same game, because every game requires something differently, but at some point we will all shine. And I think that's what makes this team so incredibly special. And I mean, iron sharpens iron, and that's something my like dad kind of grew up saying, and I've always grown up kind of wanting. And I think that just is so exciting because we are so good, and it's not like it's gonna come from just one or two players, like you said.
SPEAKER_00Well, also, Joe has mentioned over and over again how impressed he is with the work ethic of this group and the togetherness of all of you guys. What's what stands out to you about the chemistry of this group?
SPEAKER_01I think at the end of the day, the selflessness is really awesome to see grow. And it's something that I think is really unheard of from a young team, which we are overall. Um, I mean, it takes a level of selfishness to be an attacker, to score goals. Of course, you want the ball, of course you want the moment. It that just comes with the job. And I think it makes our forwards awesome. Like we are all a little selfish and a little cocky, and like we know that we can do it, but that makes us amazing soccer players. And I think what sets us apart is at the end of the day, the pure joy that we have when another one of us scores is fully what sets us apart. Is like that ability to put any ego aside and focus on the selflessness of the team and knowing that kind of your moment is our moment, and we share that, and it's not just about the one person, I think really sets us apart and something we're still growing into. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And I think that's a testament to the Lady Evolve standard that this soccer program and also our athletic department is really proud to represent across the board with all of our sports. Oh, yeah. So you opened SEC Play on the Road against LSU, came out of that one with a three to one win. What did you learn about this team and the way that they were able to handle their first conference test, especially with it being on the road?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, um, I love conference play. I think I will like look back in 20 years from now and be like, yeah, that that feeling I miss. Not even just the game specifically, but there's something in the air when SEC play comes around. And at that point, we talked a lot going into that game that rankings mean absolutely nothing anymore. Non-conference really doesn't mean anything anymore. Everyone has a like O and O slate starting conference, and a lot of teams look to that as their opportunity for a fresh start to get a good seed in the SEC tournament and still be able to make a run when we get into postseason. And at that point, every game is a dogfight, and it's hard to win in general, no matter who you're playing, and it's especially hard to win on the road. I think home field advantage is really important when you get to this part of the season, just with fatigue and travel and all that. So going into the first road game and seeing us come out in the way that we did was awesome. As a captain, I was so proud. So incredibly proud.
SPEAKER_00Well, what positives do you take away from that match? Knowing that this Friday, and by the time this podcast comes out, it'll be game day for you guys on the road again against Texas. What do you take away from that LSU match that you want to also bring into this Texas one and maybe even some ways that you hope to see growth?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I think that if anything, I would love for just even the rest of my teammates to be filled with even more belief and confidence that like we can do this. Any opponent, bring it on. It's not where we play, it's not who we play. We hold the standard and we set that, and we don't adjust playing to anyone else's style. Like we know our standards, our game, and we can beat anyone in the country. And that's like what I hope to see that confidence continue to grow throughout like SEC play and into the postseason. What do you believe the ceiling is for this Tennessee team? I do not think there is a ceiling. I truly believe there is no ceiling, and it is so exciting to see. I am so proud of this team. Like, genuinely, there's no ceiling.
SPEAKER_00Which is so awesome to hear, especially giving it your fifth year. Like, that's what you want. You want to have a team that just gives it everything that they've got because while it might not be their last opportunity, it is your last season, and you're sh already showing that you want everyone to make the most of it. And it's great that that's the perspective that they have too.
SPEAKER_01Oh, yeah, 100%. I think I had told Caden, I was like, if you need to keep me in check, keep me in check, because I've never wanted to win more in my life. Like I'm like, this is this is truly my last chance. So yeah, it's not there is a little bit more emotion riding on it for me, which is a perspective I have. Like, I I know how I was my freshman sophomore year. Like, you do think, well, I have another season, and then it gets to a point where you don't have another season, and that's me right now. So yeah, I am truly giving my all for this team and almost thinking of every game of being my last game because I mean, at the end of the day, like that taught that's something that I learned last year. It could be your last game. Right, and to never take it for granted.
SPEAKER_00When you look back on the Kylie who was going through all the ups but also downs of her soccer career, what would you go back and tell her based on the person that you are sitting here today and how you've been able to go through all the stages?
SPEAKER_01Wow, that's a really tough question. Wow, what I would tell her. Um I think that I would probably someone at the beginning of my college career, I would say just like focus on living in the moment. Because I think I was um kind of very like future thinking um in my first couple years of like kind of always wondering what was next and not what I was currently doing. So I think that's like really important. But I think my last year self going through rehab, I spent a lot of it wondering why it happened to me and feeling like I didn't deserve it. Like a lot of people may feel that way, but um going through that a second time when some people don't even have to experience it once. I definitely had a little bit of like bitterness, I would say, that I'd had to work through at the beginning. But now I'm like, if someone were to tell me, like, oh yeah, you could go back and not do that and play last year, I'd be like, no, I don't want it. Like everything that last year was, I is so worth it. Like I would not change my journey or any part of it for a second.
SPEAKER_00For anyone who went through something similar to you or is currently going through something, what is your advice to them?
SPEAKER_01My advice would just be like consistency makes all the difference. It's not about what you do in six months, it's about what you do today and tomorrow and what you can do. Instead of focusing on not being able to play your sport or running, focus on walking, focus on being able to get your range of motion back, whatever you're working on. Every day there's something that you're doing and it will pay off.
SPEAKER_00Oh my goodness. Kylie, this has been amazing. You are incredible. I think you have such a wise maturity to you. Um, I know you're a fifth-year senior, you're like, oh yeah, girl, she's got all the wisdom you need. But no, seriously, it was like truly so wonderful getting to know you and your story. And I think that it's so relatable to so many people who have gone through injuries that have sidelined them or you know put them back in their progress in their collegiate career. But you're a testament to like you're saying, if you put in the work and you believe in the process, like good things will come to you. And now you're living out your fifth-year dream here at Tennessee, and it's so exciting. So um, gosh, I can't wait to see what the rest of this team does this year. You guys are like full steam ahead on a great path, and uh good luck the rest of the way, and we'll be cheering you guys on. Thank you so much. Thank you for having me. Like we talked about earlier in this episode. You can catch Kylie and the Tennessee soccer team in action tonight on the road against Texas at 8 p.m. Eastern time. As always, thanks so much for tuning in, and we will see you guys next time. Bye, y'all.