NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt swimming will take on another SEC opponent when the Commodores meet Arkansas for a dual meet at the Arkansas Natatorium Saturday at 10 a.m. It’s the second straight week Vandy will swim against another league school following a visit to Georgia, and the third conference matchup for the Dores in 2023-24 after opening the campaign against Florida.
Ellie Taliaferro recorded season-best marks in two events last time out—highlighted by a school-record performance in the 100 freestyle—with Mercedes Traba and Kailia Utley also posting the program’s fastest times in the 400 individual medley and 200 butterfly, respectively. Sophia Kosturos and Abby Francis each moved into second on the Vandy’s season performer list at Georgia, with the former accomplishing the feat in the 50 freestyle and the latter in the 200 breaststroke.
“We’re happy with our performance from last week, we want to build off that. As we get closer to the end of the regular season, we need to continue to fine-tune some of the little things,” head coach Jeremy Organ said. “There will be an opportunity for us to have a lot of close races tomorrow, for the most part the two teams line up pretty well against each other. As the two women’s-only programs in the SEC, we spend a lot of time together so we enjoy swimming against them. It’s always a great environment and something we look forward to.”
The Commodores enter the Arkansas meet with Faith Knelson having already posted an NCAA B Standard time in the 100 breaststroke, and she is one of eight members of the program—with the group also including Grace Ciaramitaro, Megan Ciezczak, Francis, Kosturos, Taliaferro, Traba and Utley—to post multiple times that meet the B Standard for the CSCAA National Invitational Championships in March.
This is the third straight season that the Dores and Razorbacks will compete, and the 15th matchup all-time in the series.
