The Preview: Ole Miss Rebels Soccer Hosts UT Martin in Thursday Night Matchup

WHAT'S ON FILM
UT Martin (0-0-3) enters after a 0-0 draw against Austin Peay last Sunday. Kylee Thompson leads the Skyhawks in goals to start the season. Mac Titus has started all three games between the posts, surrendering just one goal and making 15 saves. UT Martin is led by Mike Varga who is in his 31st coaching collegiate soccer. Varga has 263 career wins and is in his third season at the helm of the Skyhawks.

WEAR RED
Fans are encouraged to wear red to Thursday's match. It is the annual welcome back game for students who can take in the action from the brand-new berm seating area behind the northwest goal. Right field rules apply (no glass is permitted). Students and the general public who choose to engage must enter through the northwest gate next to the Gillom Center. Fans wishing to sit on the berm area but do not bring a chair or cooler may enter through the main gate.

13 IS CRAFTY
Sophomore Katie Ramsden showed promise last season for Ole Miss, leading the Rebels in assists during her rookie season. The Leeds, England native has scored in every game to start the season and is the first Rebel since Channing Foster in 2019 to score in three consecutive matches. She leads Ole Miss in goals (3), points (6), shots (8) and shots on goal (5) to start 2025.

A NEW CHAPTER
The Ole Miss Soccer Stadium underwent a 3.75-million-dollar renovation this summer which included a new playing surface, new practice area, 9000sqft turf area, new video board, new audio system, a berm seating area on the north end and new team shelters.

Since the complex was christened on Sept. 28, 1997, in a regionally televised game against Alabama, the Rebels have been victorious in nearly 62 percent of their home matches, posting an impressive 172-74-33 mark through 2024.

A GLANCE AT 2024
Eleven different players scored a goal for the Rebels in 2024, with five of those 11 returning for the 2025 season. Ole Miss allowed one or fewer goals in eight of the 19 matches in 2024. Shu Ohba ranked third in the Southeastern Conference with 79 saves and second in saves per game. She competed with Team Japan in the 2024 Paris Olympics and finished her Ole Miss career 10th all-time in career saves, 10th in career goals against average, and seventh in career shutouts.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS
The Rebels return 11 players from the 2024 roster. Juniors Kate Smith, Evie Ewing and Sarah Granno combined for four goals a season ago.

In the midfield, Lauren Montgomery, Grace Smith and Taylor Howarth add experience to a talented incoming class of players.

Montgomery started 17 games in the midfield in 2024, tallying 1,411 minutes of action. Smith enters year two after a strong freshman season where she appeared in 16 games, making 10 starts. Howarth looks to spark Ole Miss in 2025 after missing all of 2024 due to injury.

The strength of the Rebels a season ago lived on the back line, with standouts Katie Ramsden and Tate Blincoe returning for their sophomore seasons. Ramsden led Ole Miss in assists and Blincoe started all 19 games, leading the team in minutes played.

Taylor Prigge returns between the posts after appearing in five matches a season ago. Prigge surrendered just one goal, making five saves. She led the team in wins and forced two shutouts, tallying 306 minutes on the pitch.

BETWEEN THE POSTS
The trio of Taylor Prigge, Sidney O'Bilovich and Lexi Baldwin make up the goalkeeper room in 2025.

O'Billovich comes to the Magnolia state after stops at New Mexico State, Portland State and Texas Tech. At Portland State, she saw action in 31 games, making 22 starts. She tallied 121 saves in her two seasons with the Vikings and recorded a career-high 11 saves in a match against Idaho State.

Lexi Baldwin arrives as the lone freshman keeper for the Rebels. The 5-9 product from Paradise Valley, Arizona led Chaparral to a 23-2-2 record her senior season including a 5-0 record in region 5A play. She allowed one or fewer goals in 24 of the 27 games.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
Coach Rouse and the Ole Miss staff signed 10 freshmen in the 2025 class, building a unit that brings speed and versatility to the pitch.

Katie Lakin was a Top 100 Prep Soccer player in the state of California and led Bay Area Surf to a NorCal conference championship in 2023. Brooklyn Marn tallied 40 goals, 31 assists and was a two-time All-State First Team honoree at St. Thomas Aquinas. Bella Gray lettered all four years at Ogden high school and was a 2023 First Team All-State selection.

Timéa Thorel is one of three international players on this year's roster hailing from Clamart, France. Bekah Allen scored 45 goals and dished 43 assists in four seasons at Clarksville high school. Ava Clonce is one of three players from the state of California and played alongside teammate Sarah Granno at Woodcreek high school.

Landri Allee, a native of Stillwater, Oklahoma, was named Offensive MVP three consecutive seasons at Stillwater high school. Sydney Torres was a four-time State Premier League Champion and a two-time Utah State Champion. Cassidy Kuehne rounds out the freshman class and comes to Oxford after guiding Chamblee high school to a 5A Region Championship in 2024.

COME TO THE SIP
Through the portal Rouse and company found 10 players who exude the toughness and grit it takes to play in the SEC.

Savannah Wylie comes from Norman where she spent one season at Oklahoma. Mila Erceg looks to provide experience in the forward line after one season at West Virginia.

Briana Rodriguez brings a wealth of experience over from Pitt and Peyton Dyess looks to bolster the defense, becoming the second addition from Texas Tech alongside O'Billovich. Marieke Ten Brink brings her talent from the west coast, having played 35 games for UC Riverside.

Ryann Reynolds played in 35 matches between Oregon and Kansas State. She became the first player in program history at KSU to score four goals in a three-match span. Emerson Andrews joins Ole Miss from Kentucky and Allison Kolski comes by way of Mississippi State. Yaritza Trejo rounds out the portal class after spending two seasons at Northwest Mississippi CC.