Dores kick off NCAA Tournament this weekend

Vanderbilt is set to host the first round of the NCAA Tournament when Murray State travels to Nashville this Saturday at 7 p.m.

Vanderbilt is set to host the first round of the NCAA Tournament when Murray State travels to Nashville this Saturday at 7 p.m.

NASHVILLE – Vanderbilt is set to host the first round of the NCAA Tournament when Murray State travels to Nashville this Saturday at 7 p.m.

The No. 13 Commodores (15-3-1) clinched their spot in the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season after winning the 2018 SEC regular season championship this fall. Last year, they upset No. 14 Ohio State in the first round — the program’s first NCAA Tournament win since 1998 — before falling in the second round.

The Commodores will host their first NCAA Tournament match since 2005, when they lost to Samford in penalty kicks in the first round.

This season, Murray State received an automatic bid to the tournament after winning the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament last weekend. This marks the second consecutive year the Racers have reached the NCAA Tournament and the second straight time they will travel to Tennessee for the opening round. They took on Tennessee last year in the opening round and lost, 2-0.

The Dores will be back at home for the first time since clinching the conference championship in a 4-1 victory over Kentucky. They are 9-0-1 at home this season and have remained unbeaten in their last 12 home games, dating back to last season.

Saturday marks the third all-time meeting between the two schools, with Vanderbilt winning the first two. The last matchup took place in 2016 when the Dores defeated the Racers, 4-0, in Nashville.

Tickets are on sale online, with prices set at $10 for adults and $5 for students. Children under two receive free admission. In a special promotion, head coach Darren Ambrose purchased 150 tickets, and the first 150 students will get in for free for Saturday’s contest. Fans can call the Vanderbilt University Ticket Office at 615-322-4653 or by visiting vucommodores.com and clicking on the ‘Tickets’ section. On Saturday, the McGugin Ticket Office will open for sales beginning at 6:00 pm.

The game will also be streamed live on SEC Network+.