NASHVILLE, Tenn. — One of Vanderbilt’s primary concerns going into the 2022 season isn’t necessarily the start of the campaign or the end of it.
While those two stages of the next three are undoubtedly vital, it’s the middle stage of the marathon that the Commodores hope returns better results when all is said and done.
“It’s usually around that mid-April mark when we start to sometimes lose sight of our goals and our objective and what our mindset is,” Vandy senior attacker Callie Sundin said. “This year our goal is the national championship and making it to that final game and coming out victorious.
“That (tournament) run is something we want to improve upon from last year. I think staying hungry and always keeping our objective and our mindset and our goal in mind is what’s going to make the difference this year.”
Sundin is part of a veteran group returning to Nashville this season that is intent on making the ’22 season a memorable one.
Vanderbilt has 26 returnees from a team that won 12 matches in 2021 and made the program’s first NCAA Tournament since 2010. Eight of those returnees are seniors and 10 are juniors giving Vandy a solid foundation of experience.
Sundin said the chemistry and the work ethic of that group combined with an impressive group of young players has created a deep roster.
“Our talent level this year is supreme,” Sundin said. “The number of individuals we have who could step up on any given day is incredible. From position-wide and grade-wide, there is so much skill on this team which is something I’m super excited about this season.”
Sundin was fourth on the team in goals scored in 2021 with 29. Her return, along with Bri Gross, Gabby Fornia (a team-high 55 assists in 2021) and Maddie Souza, gives the Vandy offensive plenty of firepower.
Gross begins the campaign as the ILWomen preseason American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year, a preseason All-AAC selection and preseason All-America selection. Fornia is the AAC Preseason Attack Player of the Year and Souza is a preseason All-AAC selection.
Part of Vandy’s success will not only be dictated by just how Gross goes, but how the Commodores adjust to her garnering so much attention.
“As a midfielder, we don’t want all of the points coming from (Gross). We want her to be additional points, but really we would love to see the attackers being the ones to putting up the big numbers. Then whatever she gives us is supplemental,” Vanderbilt head coach Beth Hewitt said. “What she does on the draw circle and between the 30s and even defensively is so much more important, in our opinion, than what she can do in getting us the goals and assists.
“She’s a huge target, everybody is going to eye her, so the best part about her is she’ll draw a lot of attention. We’re working to make sure she can disperse the ball well under pressure.”
Hewitt begins her fourth season and is 26-18 since taking over the program. She also has Paige Gunning back in goal (177 saves in 2021) and Melissa Hawkins, Megan MacGillis and Devin Fitzpatrick returning to the defense.
All those student-athletes got a taste of the NCAA Tournament one year ago and are eager to not only return to college lacrosse’s main event, but make a long postseason run.
“Getting our team back to NCAAs was a huge step for us last year. I think for the coaching staff now it’s just making sure we build on that and taking steps forward,” Hewitt said. “I think getting to the first round is great, but you never want the early exit.
“So without getting ahead of ourselves we’re trying to evaluate where we are right now, how do we take some of those steps forward in the beginning of the season – but then also keep it going without any kind of hiccups in the middle of the season.”
Vanderbilt opens it season at 1 p.m. Saturday against Liberty at the Vanderbilt Lacrosse Complex. That’s the first of 10 straight nonconference games before the AAC slate begins April 2 at Temple.
Six of Vandy’s nonconference opponents had winning records in 2021 and four made the NCAA Tournament.
The Commodores also had an exhibition Sunday at Ohio State to unofficially kick off the season. But on Saturday, it gets real.
“Going into the opener I think we have a really optimistic mindset,” Sundin said. “We’re definitely hungry for a victory because we’ve spent the past few weeks, months – the entire fall really working toward a goal. That goal is to give it our all, 100 percent when we walk on the field.
“This is the first step in that and we’re excited to get on the field. I think the scrimmage last weekend helped to ease some of the nerves and jitters and we are ready to go out there and really secure a really big team win.”
— Chad Bishop covers Vanderbilt for VUCommodores.com.
Follow him @MrChadBishop.
