Sept. 16, 2014
Swezey Interview | Forker Interview
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – To Vanderbilt lacrosse coach Cathy Swezey, it looked as if her team never stepped off the field last spring.
The energy, effort and enthusiasm were apparent to Swezey as the Commodores took the field for their first Fall Ball practice on Monday.
“It is great to be back out here,” said Swezey, who begins her 18th season. “You finish a season like we did last year, a close game against Northwestern in the ALCs, it kind of makes you want more and get back out on the field. I think our kids played like they wanted more today. First day is always exciting. The energy is always high. It is probably one of my favorite practices of the year. So it went well.”
Calling the fall season a building block, Swezey hopes to see her team grow before the regular season begins in February.
The Commodores will have plenty of opportunities this fall to test themselves against outside competition. On Oct. 4, they’ll play in a tournament at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., against James Madison, Delaware, Boston College and Navy. On Oct. 16, they’ll get a test from Loyola University in Baltimore and they wrap up competition at Duke on Oct. 26.
Vanderbilt welcomes in nine freshmen to the 21 letterwinners returning from a 2014 team that went 5-12 and upset two ranked teams. The Commodores head into a new era in 2015, joining the BIG EAST Conference after 13 years in the American Lacrosse Conference.
