NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt swimming goes on the road for the first time this season when the Commodores visit Illinois on Saturday, with the meet getting underway at 11 a.m. at ARC Pool.
“We have to prepare and attack this just like we have the two home meets,” head coach Jeremy Organ said. “We have a chance to go on the road so and experience a little bit of a difference in preparation with all the fun stuff that goes along with traveling, but at the end of the day it’s still just a pool so we have to be ready to get up for some good competition.”
It will be the second week in a row that Vandy takes on an opponent from the Big 10 after defeating Iowa at home last weekend. Kailia Utley led the way with her first two individual victories of the season—in the 100 and 200 butterfly—with the Dores also getting wins from Grace Ciaramitaro (200 backstroke), Megan Ciezczak (50 freestyle), Abby Francis (100 freestyle) and Sophia Kosturos (100 backstroke).
The Commodores posted season-best times in all but two individual events against the Hawkeyes, with Ellie Taliaferro accomplishing the feat in both the 200 and 500 freestyle. Faith Knelson recorded Vandy’s fastest mark in the 100 breaststroke while Madelyn Porter touched the wall with a season-low time in the 1,000 freestyle as well.
“That’s part of the challenge, to stay up at the level that we’ve been able to get to and do it again one week later,” said Organ. “That’s our big challenge, and it’s going to be a good challenge.”
The two programs have met on one previous occasion, with the Dores earning a 134-128 victory over the Fighting Illini in Nashville on Oct. 30, 2021.