At barely 5-foot, senior midfielder Kayla Lockaby might not be the most imposing figure on the soccer field.

But after knocking in the golden goal in a 2-1 overtime win at Florida last Friday and assisting on the earlier goal, it’s fairly certain that her presence was still remembered in the minds of Gator players hours later.

Lockaby has been on an offensive streak. She has scored five goals over the past five games, helping the Lady Vols to a program-best 4-0 start in SEC play.

Her performances against Florida and South Carolina last weekend earned Lockaby SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors and a place in the midfield of this week’s Soccer America team of the week.

But Lockaby said part of the honor has to go back to her teammates.

“It is a great honor,” Lockaby said. “But all the credit goes to my teammates because without them I would never have had this opportunity.”

Soccer seems like second nature to Lockaby, who started playing soccer when she had just barely started to elementary school.

“I started playing soccer when I was five, because my two older brothers played and I wanted to do whatever they did,” Lockaby said.

She may have followed her brothers into soccer, but Lockaby says her entire family has played an enormous role in making her the player she is today.

“My family has been my biggest influence,” she said. “They all believed in me and didn’t care about my height. They were always there for every game.

“They have given so much to me that I can’t explain it all.”

Her small stature has seemed, at times, to be her strength. Lockaby eludes defenders with a quickness most players can’t attain and is able to get to loose balls with ease.

She thinks, though, that her biggest asset is simply in her dedication.

“I give my all every game,” Lockaby said. “My goal for every game is if I can walk off the field and say I gave all that I could have and have no regrets, then I have done my job.”

That dedication, combined with that of her teammates, could pay off this year. Lockaby thinks that the 2004 soccer team is the best that’s taken the field since she arrived at UT.

“This year’s team is one of the best teams we have had,” Lockaby said. “The coaches brought in women who would jump right in and give us a life.

“They fit in our style and our personality as a team.”

Tennessee, with Lockaby’s leadership, has gotten off to a 7-2-2 start to the season and tied its highest ranking at 7th nationally in this week’s Soccer Times poll.

“We are excited about being ranked as high as seventh this week in the Soccertimes.com poll,” Lady Vol coach Angela Kelly said. “As far as I’m concerned, rankings and polls are discretionary anyway.

“If we handle our business on the field…the proper rankings will work themselves out at the end.”

Regardless of the team ranking, Lockaby said she is just happy to be part of the Tennessee family.

“I came to Tennessee because it provided me with the opportunity to play the best of the best,” Lockaby said. “There is no other team in the country like our team. That is how close we are.

“It’s like one giant family.”