Volleyball Is Vanderbilt Athletics’ Latest Success Story

Fourteen months ago, there was no Vanderbilt volleyball team. Now, the 17-member roster is competing for a national title.

Consistent wins in the highly competitive SEC have turned heads — specifically Vanderbilt’s home victory over the Florida Gators, a perennial powerhouse. Heading into the final stretch of the season, Vanderbilt has 17 wins to just three losses with growing postseason aspirations. 

College volleyball has three different ranking systems, and all of them have Vanderbilt as one of the nation’s top squads. The nationwide American Volleyball Coaches Association coaches’ poll puts Vandy at No. 23. The sport’s formula-based rating percentage index has Vanderbilt at No. 13. The NCAA D1 committee, which will seed the national championship tournament in December, has Vanderbilt at No. 11 — a promising sign for playoff hopes. 

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Anchor Up: Candice Storey Lee Leads Vanderbilt Athletics to Victory

The school’s athletic director — the first Black woman to hold the position in the SEC — is helping her teams dominate

Vanderbilt sports programs have surged into national contention under athletic director Candice Storey Lee, who took over the top administrative post from longtime AD David Williams. She has helped steer Vanderbilt through major changes in college sports following landmark court rulings allowing college athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness.

Women’s sports have found particular success under Lee, battling for championships in basketball, soccer and now volleyball. This season is already a comeback story: After the university shuttered the program in 1980, women’s volleyball returned from a 45-year hiatus in August of last year.

Only three SEC rivals — Tennessee, Kentucky and Florida — sit higher on the standings table. Kentucky and Tennessee are responsible for two of Vanderbilt’s three losses, along with a loss to Missouri in September. With a strong finish to the season, Vanderbilt will earn a top seed at the NCAA tournament. In three weeks, just before Thanksgiving, the Commodores have a chance to avenge their few losses at the SEC tournament in Savannah, Ga., beginning Nov. 20.

Over the weekend, Vanderbilt secured convincing wins over South Carolina and Georgia. The Commodores take on Texas A&M at home on Friday, Nov. 6.