Driven Hopkins leading VU soccer amid rise

NASHVILLE – It’s easy to pinpoint the origin of Haley Hopkins’ competitive spirit.
 
A Newport Beach, Calif. native, Hopkins grew up the daughter of a father, David, who had played football and baseball at the University of Virginia and went on to play professional baseball in the Texas Rangers organization. But Haley Hopkins’ memories of her father mostly feature countless postgame postmortems after youth soccer games.
 
“The car ride home was always a recap of the game with my dad,” Hopkins recalled. “He’s just so invested in everything I’m doing. Growing up, that helped me develop a love for sports. He’s shown me that competitive attitude, and it carries into my will to win at Vanderbilt.”
 
That competitiveness belies Hopkins’ status as a redshirt freshman. In fact, Hopkins has quickly become one of the most productive players in the SEC. Perhaps not coincidentally, Vanderbilt is enjoying historic levels of success; the No. 12 Commodores (13-1, 6-0 SEC) have won a school-record 13 games in a row, lead the SEC standings and have won two straight games against ranked conference foes in then-No. 9 Tennessee and No. 25 Mississippi State.
 
On Friday, Vanderbilt meets No. 9 South Carolina in Nashville (7 p.m. CT SEC Network+) in a matchup that will help determine the SEC regular-season title. Though the Commodores have won 13 straight, Hopkins said the most important game is always what’s next on the schedule.
 
“We joke around that our freshmen don’t really know what it’s like to lose,” Hopkins said. “It’s just been a positive mood all around. But we still know we need to be locked in for every practice and every game.”
 
Hopkins knows a bit more about overcoming adversity than her younger teammates. She appeared in just one game for the Commodores in 2017 before an injury forced her to redshirt the rest of her freshman campaign. Hopkins’ initial disappointment turned into gratitude as she sat back and witnessed the Commodores rally to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006.
 
During that season, Hopkins took time to watch and study upperclassmen like then-senior Simone Charley, a multi-time All-SEC forward. Hopkins soaked in those lessons of leadership, and this fall she has put them to good use. She leads Vanderbilt and ranks top-five in the SEC with 26 points (No. 2 in SEC), 11 goals (second) and four game-winning shots (tied for third). Hopkins also leads the SEC in points (13) and goals (six) during conference play.
 
This week, Hopkins earned SEC Offensive Player of the Week following a two-goal outing in a 3-1 victory over No. 9 Tennessee, her fourth multi-goal game of the season. She has already earned SEC Freshman of the Week earlier this fall. Vanderbilt head coach Darren Ambrose said Hopkins has played beyond her years for the surging Commodores.
 
“It’s nice to see Haley hit her stride so quickly,” Ambrose said. “Everyone looks up to her work ethic. She’s a redshirt freshman, but when we’re in a tight spot in a game, she’s one of several kids who steps up and says, let’s find a way to win this.
 
“If we’re winning but not playing well, she gets frustrated. She wants to play well and win and score. When she brings the intensity rather than coaches, it’s far more effective. It’s natural for her; it’s not forced. That’s the kid you want on the field.”
 
Hopkins said she has worked to embody a sense of leadership, but she said juniors like Kaylann Boyd and goalkeeper Lauren Demarchi also help set the tone for the Commodores. That tone will be key when Vanderbilt hosts South Carolina on Friday. The Gamecocks come in second in the SEC standings, and Hopkins said the Dores can’t afford to rest on their laurels with another SEC game on tap.
 
“Whether we’ve won 13 games in a row or whatever, we know a team like South Carolina is always a top team in the country,” Hopkins said. “We’re excited because we know it will be a good match. We have to come out strong, because our goal is to win that conference title this year.”
 
Zac Ellis is the Writer and Digital Media Editor for Vanderbilt Athletics.