Vanderbilt Soccer Beats Louisville: The Anchor

Vanderbilt soccer got off to a 2-0 start to its season Sunday night with a 2-0 win over Louisville.

The Commodores got two quick goals in the first half and did not look back. Olivia Stafford got the scoring started off in the 13th minute off an assist from Mary Beth McLaughlin. In the 19th minute, Courtney Jones found her way on the scoreboard again with an unassisted goal to make it 2-0 early.

Vanderbilt refused to let Louisville gain much momentum through the game. The Commodores outshot Louisville 4-3 in the first half, but the Cardinals outshot Vanderbilt 10-4 in the second half. Just three of Louisville’s 13 shot attempts were shots on goal while four of Vanderbilt’s eight shot attempts were shots on goal.

Though Louisville gave themselves scoring chances, the Vanderbilt defense was too much. Goaltender Sara Wojdelko came up with three critical saves in 90 minutes as she helped her team win its second consecutive game to start the season. 

Sunday’s shutout marks the second consecutive season where Vanderbilt has shut out its opponents through the first two games of the season. 

Vanderbilt will look to start the season 3-0 as the Commodores travel to Cookeville to take on Tennessee Tech on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will be streaming on ESPN+.

Today’s Commodores Schedule

There are no games scheduled.

Yesterday’s Commodores Results Today

Vanderbilt soccer won against Louisville 2-0.

Did You Notice?

Vanderbilt volleyball coach Anders Nelson shared his excitement at the start of the upcoming season as the Commodores’ 45-year hiatus comes to a close.

“You feel that we are getting close to the first match. You feel we are getting close to go time just with how they are competing against each other and celebrating each other. We are proud of the depth we are seeing through that competitiveness,” Nelson said.

The announcement of the return Vanderbilt’s volleyball program came in 2022. Since being hired almost two-and-a-half years ago, Nelson has built a coaching staff and roster around him to get ready for his team’s inaugural season.

“It’s been an opportunity of a lifetime. It’s been so much fun and I’ve learned so much about myself and the athletes have learned so much about themselves. But the thing I’m most grateful for is that Vanderbilt attracts high-achieving people and attracts people that want to be great at everything they do,” Nelson said.

Countdown to Vanderbilt’s 2025 Football Season Opener

12 days

Commodores Quote of The Day

“Red [Sanders] had private moments of cynicism, but not about football. He kept all-state halfbacks on the bench throughout their college careers whenever he thought he detected an attitude of scorn on their part, and he once admitted he delved into the disciplinary history of athletes before allowing his recruiters to approach them.”James Murray, Sports Illustrated

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