If Ally Brown’s family had decided to travel West for a vacation in 2020, she might never have become a member of the University of Tennessee soccer team.
Brown and her family drove through Tennessee on their trip after leaving their home in Wheaton, Illinois. Once they approached Knoxville, Brown noticed all the signs for UT and started doing some research about the program.
She decided to contact the UT coaches and see if there was any mutual interest. Although she wasn’t allowed to make official visits during that time because of COVID, Brown stopped to look at the UT campus on her way back from vacation.
“I fell in love,” Brown says. “I loved everything about it. When I was texting the girls, I got a good vibe for the team culture. The coaches were very personable and I could tell they cared about you as a person outside of soccer.”
Brown, a senior centerback, has developed into a cornerstone of a formidable UT defense. The Lady Vols shut out their first seven opponents this season to earn the first No. 1 ranking in program history before opening SEC play last week with a 3-2 road loss to Mississippi State.
“She’s kind of our rock,” UT senior midfielder Mac Midgley says of Brown. “She’s the one person who is the most consistent and everybody relies on her. She’s always calm and composed under pressure, and she’s just very reliable and can keep it together at all times. I think everybody really respects and admires that about her.”
Brown started playing soccer at age 4. Her father, Skip, played the sport at Wheaton College and helped the Thunder win an NCAA Division III title in 1997.
“He was actually my first coach when I was playing for the park district and I really enjoyed it,” Brown says. “I ended up playing on a boys team because I was very competitive and my dad thought the girls weren’t good enough.”
Like her father, Brown found a positional home as a defender.
“I honestly love defending. I love that the whole game is in front of me. I like getting the ball and being able to see the field,” she says. “I like being able to head the ball. It’s awesome being able to have big blocks and tackles.”
Staying committed
Brown’s recruiting process came down to a pair of SEC programs. She eventually chose to commit to Tennessee over South Carolina.
“I literally just woke up one day and was like, Tennessee,” says Brown, whose family moved to Nashville after she committed as a junior in high school. “I’m very much an indecisive person, so I didn’t know how I was going to decide. But I literally woke up and just had peace of mind. I knew it was Tennessee.”
The start of Brown’s college career didn’t come without some adversity. As a freshman, she didn’t make the travel roster. When the Lady Vols played on the road, Brown would spend time with her family in Nashville.
“She was almost invisible in a way and kind of thrown to the side and not really given a direct chance,” says Midgley, Brown’s longtime roommate. “But just seeing how much belief she had in the team and how much she was for the team, even in a time when she wasn’t getting minutes, was very inspiring. You see people complain. Ally never complained. She just put her head down and would go to the field to do extra work.”
Brown developed into a full-time starter by her sophomore season and logged a team-leading 1,800 minutes played last season. As her role has grown, Brown has become more of a commanding presence on the backline. She’s tried to balance providing encouragement and tough love to teammates when needed.
Brown credits her participation in UT’s VOLeaders Academy for helping her develop into a more effective captain for the Lady Vols.
“It allowed me to see what my strengths are as a leader and see what I need to work on,” Brown says. “I’m more of a quiet person off the field, and people have challenged me to use my voice more and speak up more in group settings. Honestly, I think that class was really reflective of how much I’ve grown in that way.”
Brown has earned respect from her teammates through her actions as much as her words.
“She’s always willing to do the work, but she will never, ever brag about it,” Midgley says. “She’s the most humble person you’ll meet, and she’s the most willing to help others and do things behind the scenes.”
Keeping the faith
A strong Christian, Brown has appreciated being surrounded by others who share her faith throughout her time at UT. It’s helped her weather some tough moments and tightened her bonds with teammates.
“One thing our team has done this semester that’s been awesome is we have a team Bible study, where we meet once a week. And then we have prayer groups and we’ll pray before games,” Brown says. “I think that’s something that kind of sets our team apart from others, and kind of makes Tennessee special.”
Brown graduates in December with a degree in finance. Her goal is to play professional soccer and stay in the sport as long as possible. Given all the ups and downs the Lady Vols have endured throughout her college career, Brown hopes they can sustain their early success and contend for titles.
“I feel like our team has been on the brink of being so good, but each year we’ve come up short,” she says. “So just starting off this year strong has meant everything. I feel like it shows all of our hard work is paying off.”