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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Memphis
Soccer Welcomes No. 24 Memphis Thursday Night
8/26/2026 | Soccer
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss Soccer will welcome No. 24 Memphis to Oxford, Mississippi, on Thursday for its second home match of the season. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
•Ole Miss enters the matchup with Memphis 4-0-0 for the first time since 2013 after wins against Murray State, Louisiana, College of Charleston and UAB.
•The Rebels are 3-0 on the road this season after picking up wins at Louisiana, College of Charleston and UAB. It’s the most road wins in a season since 2022.
•Ole Miss has outscored opponents 6-1 through its first four matches of the season. The Rebels have recorded three shutouts in four matches, blanking Murray State, College of Charleston and UAB.
•Ole Miss has held opponents scoreless in the first half in all four matches this season. Taylor Prigge has played all 360 minutes in goal for the Rebels, posting a 4-0-0 record, three shutouts, a 0.25 goals-against average and an .800 save percentage.
•Ole Miss has outshot opponents 59-19 this season while holding a 22-5 advantage in shots on goal.
•Six different Rebels have scored this season: Sarah Granno, Isabella Pontieri, Becca Skinner, Katie Ramsden, Ava Ghoreishi and Paxton Bock. Pontieri leads the Rebels with 10 shots and four shots on goal this season.
•Becca Skinner scored her first goal of the season Sunday at UAB, converting a penalty kick in the 63rd minute.
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 improved to 4-0-0 on the season Sunday night, earning a 2-0 road win over UAB at PNC Field. After a scoreless first half, Sarah Granno broke through in the 57th minute off an assist from Teaghan Irvin to put the Rebels in front. Becca Skinner added insurance less than seven minutes later, converting a penalty kick in the 63rd minute for her first goal of the season. Taylor Prigge played all 90 minutes between the posts, making two saves to record her third shutout of the season. Ole Miss outshot UAB 13-5, put five shots on goal and held an 8-1 advantage in corner kicks.
SCOUTING REPORT: MEMPHIS
Memphis comes to Oxford with a 1-2-0 record through its first three matches of the season. The Tigers opened the year with a 2-0 win over Kennesaw State before falling to No. 3 Alabama, 2-1, and No. 3 Vanderbilt, 4-1. Memphis has scored four goals on 37 shots while allowing six goals on 18 shots. The Tigers are led offensively by Ai Kitagawa, who has tallied two goals, one assist and five points, while Taliah Brooks and Natalie Dvorakova have each added one goal. Ava Galani has played all 270 minutes in goal for Memphis, recording eight saves and one shutout. The Tigers are led by head coach Brooks Monaghan, who is in his 27th 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 freshman 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.
