Alissa VonderHaar called it a half chance. The Tennessee midfielder made full use of it.

Her goal in the 85th minute completed the Lady Vols’ rally for a 3-2 SEC women’s soccer victory over Kentucky on Friday at Regal Stadium.

VonderHaar’s goal, UT’s second in the final 30 minutes, was set up by goalkeeper Jaimel Johnson’s free kick. The ball was won in the air by Lady Vol Mick Imgram. VonderHaar wound up with the ball and struck her shot from 23 yards out into the upper right corner of the net.

“Coach (Angela Kelly) is always telling me to get forward on free kicks so I was just trying to get up,’’ VonderHaar said. “Mick did a great job of winning it and it was a great ball by Jaimel. I honestly thought I was going to take another touch but she (Kelly) always talks about taking the half chances. So I just took the half chance and it went in.”

Kylee Rossi had tied the score for Tennessee (6-7, 3-2 SEC) at 61:39. She converted Devon Swaim’s feed by working around two defenders to the left side of the penalty spot before striking a shot past Kentucky goalkeeper Sydney Hiance for her 10th goal of the season.

A Swaim cross set up Rossi’s first goal of the match in the 10th minute.

Kentucky (3-8-2, 1-3-1) nearly struck back for the tying goal in the 88th minute. The most dramatic save was not by Johnson, but by defender Grace Cuenin, who cleared a shot by Giuleana Lopez off the goal line.

Tennessee plays host to Vanderbilt at 2 p.m. Sunday.

Volleyball: Tennessee fell in three games at South Carolina 25-22, 25-14, 25-23.

The Lady Vols (10-7, 4-3 SEC) hit .371 in the first game but couldn’t overcome South Carolina (14-2, 6-1 SEC), which hit .368.

“To be successful on the road in this conference you really have to bring your most consistent ‘A’ game every night,’’ UT coach Rob Patrick said.

Swimming: The White defeated the Orange 173-125 in the men’s meet, then the White won the Lady Vols’ meet 145-141 at the Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center.

Sophomore Geoff Sanders won the 1,650-yard freestyle, 150 butterfly and 300 freestyle for the White. Freshman diver Ryan Helms was the top scorer in diving.

Brad Craig led the Orange, winning 150 individual medley, 150 breaststroke and was second in the 50 breastroke.

Freshman Jenny Connolly led the Lady Vols White with wins in the 100 back, 200 back and 100 butterfly.

Aleksa Akersfeld led the Orange — winning the 1,000 and 500 freestyles and 200 butterfly. Jody McGroarty, a freshman from England, won 1- and 3-meter diving.

The Vols and Lady Vols open against University of the Cumberlands and Louisville on Thursday.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.