Oct. 29, 2016
Teams: Vanderbilt vs. Bellarmine
Day, Date: Sunday, Oct 30
Tip-off time: 2 p.m.
Site: Memorial Gym (Nashville, Tenn.)
TV: None
Vanderbilt Radio: None (All regular-season games can be heard on WNSR 560 AM/95.9 FM)
Bellarmine Radio: HERE
Ticket information: Available HERE or by calling 615-322-GOLD
Game Notes: Vanderbilt Game Notes 
Bellarmine Game Notes
After months of anticipation, Vanderbilt fans will get their first peak at the new-look Commodores — and first-year head coach Stephanie White — for Sunday’s exhibition game against Bellarmine. The game will take on a festive feel, with several Halloween-related activities planned. (Info: HERE) Here’s a closer look at the game.
l Update on the Commodores: Vanderbilt enters the 2016-17 season with a new head coach and a new style. Stephanie White, who will make her Memorial Gym debut today, enters her first season with the Commodores after being named head coach on May 24. Becoming just the fifth head coach in the program’s history, White is replacing former head coach Melanie Balcomb, who resigned in April after 14 seasons with the team. White comes to Vanderbilt after spending two seasons as head coach of the WNBA’s Indiana Fever. She led the team to the playoffs each season, including guiding the Fever to the 2015 WNBA Finals in her rookie season to become the first rookie coach in league history to take a team to the finals. White’s plan is to now bring an WNBA-style energy to the Vanderbilt program.
l Remodeled roster: Although Vanderbilt has a strong cast of experienced players — including seniors Marqu’es Webb and Minta Spears — the roster also has plenty of new names, with five freshmen being added to the mix. Together, those five players — LeaLea Carter, Erin Whalen, Kayla Overbeck, Cierra Walker and Kaleigh Clemons-Green — formed one of highest-rated recruiting classes in the program’s history. The group was ranked No. 6 by Blue Star Basketball, No. 9 by Prospects Nation and No. 17 by ESPN HoopGurlz on Signing Day of last season.
l Looking back: Vanderbilt posted an 18-14 record last season but missed the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season after struggling through SEC play with a 5-11 record. Christa Reed, a junior, led the team in scoring at 11.6 points per game and Marqu’es Webb was the Commodores’ top rebounder at 5.7 per contest. Minta Spears led the team in assists and minutes played.
l The skinny on Bellarmine: The Knights, from Louisville, Ky., are a Division-II program who compete in the Great Lakes Conference. Coached by Chancellor Dugan, Bellarmine posted an impressive 24-4 record last season (15-3 in the GLVC) and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA D-II Tournament. The team returns its top six scorers from last year’s team.
l What’s ahead for the Commodores: Vanderbilt will host its second, and final, exhibition game on Sunday, Nov. 6, against Union University at 2 p.m. The Commodores will then open the season on Nov. 11, playing Kennesaw State at 7 p.m.