From the start, the fight was strenuous.

The battle between the Lady Vols and the Mississippi State Bulldogs proved to be an intense matchup, going back and forth throughout the entire game. As Tennessee entered Starkville on Friday, it commenced the start of conference play away from home, as a freshly ranked No. 1, facing the reigning SEC regular-season champions.

Things started slowly for Tennessee in the first half, going down 1-0 after a goal from the Bulldogs in the 10th minute. The team managed five shots in the first, but was unable to find a goal. At the beginning of the second half, the Lady Vols came out tough, quickly making their way past the heavy State defense. The score came to 1-1 after Anaiyah Robinson, the sophomore transfer from Arkansas, scored her first goal as a Lady Vol in the 52nd minute, assisted by Jenna Stayart.

Tennessee then brought the score to 2-1 soon after in the 54th minute, with Robinson’s second goal and assists from Keaton Mitchell and Luciana Latino. After a pair of goals from the Lady Vols, the tie was restored. The Bulldogs, looking for a comeback, brought the score to 2-2 in the 73rd minute, as each side stayed persistent in the clash. The Lady Vols kept pushing through the second half to try and keep the draw or bring in another goal. They succeeded in this trial up until the 88th minute in the match when State took its final shot, taking a 3-2 lead.

Tennessee didn’t go down without a fight, squeezing in three more shots right in the last minute and a half, coming from Stayart, Sarah Kate Rath and Mac Midgley. This game marked the first match of the season where the Lady Vols saw an opposing goal, on behalf of goalkeepers Cayden Norris and Ally Zazzara.

The Lady Vols encounter another on-the-road, in-conference matchup against Missouri on Sept. 18, hoping to keep their undefeated streak of the last five meetings against the Tigers.