No. 3/1 Vanderbilt (10-0-1, 3-0-1 SEC) vs. Kentucky (6-4-1, 2-1-1 SEC)
Friday, Oct. 2 • 6 p.m. CT
Vanderbilt Soccer Complex • Nashville, Tenn.
SEC Network+ • Live Stats • Game Notes
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- No. 3/1 Vanderbilt soccer plays host to Kentucky on Friday night at 6 p.m. at the halfway point of SEC play.
Series History
- Vanderbilt holds a 22-16-2 record in the all-time series, thanks to an 8-1-2 mark under Darren Ambrose.
- The Commodores have won eight of the last nine against the Wildcats. Last season, it was two second half goals from Sydney Watts that earned three points for Vandy in Lexington.
The Opponent
- Kentucky sits in fifth in the conference standings through four matches, having won its first two matches before picking up one point in the subsequent two.
- The one common opponent is Texas A&M, with both teams defending home field against the Aggies. UK won, 3-2, in a thrilling conference opener, and Vanderbilt beat them, 5-0.
Scouting Report
- The Wildcats were one of the most prolific offenses in the country in nonconference play, scoring 28 goals in seven matches, but they have scored just five in four SEC battles.
- Freshman forward Kyla Dawn leads the attack with nine goals and two assists, followed by Alabama transfer Nadia Ramadan with seven goals and one assist.
- The defense kept its first clean sheet since Aug. 20 this past Sunday, playing Mississippi State to a scoreless draw at home.
Record Ranking
- Vanderbilt is No. 3 in the United Soccer Coaches poll and No. 1 in TopDrawerSoccer, their first top ranking in program history. They have been ranked No. 1 in three of the last four weeks.
- The Commodores are the first team on campus to be ranked No. 1 in a national poll since bowling received the top ranking in December 2024.
- They join bowling, baseball, women’s basketball, women’s tennis, and men’s and women’s golf as programs to receive the No. 1 ranking.
Pacing the Nation
- Vanderbilt is third in the country in goals per game (3.73), first in assists (4.18) and second in points (11.64).
- They are one of eight schools without a loss in 2026, and the only SEC squad. They lead the country with a winning percentage of .955.
Sydney’s Scoring Surge
- Even by her lofty standards, senior forward Sydney Watts is on a production heater to start 2026.
- With 12 goals and four assists in 11 games, the All-American is second nationally with 28 points.
- She is second in program history and T-fifth among active D-I players with 37 career goals. She set a program record by scoring in seven consecutive games to open the season.
Chasing History
- This Vandy attack is in the running to be the best in program history, with 41 goals through 11 games.
- Their biggest competition is the 1994 squad, which went 18-5 and scored a school-record 77 goals en route to an SEC regular season and tournament title. Through 11 games, they had 44 goals.
Best of the Best
- The win at No. 9 Tennessee on Sept. 27 was the 10th win in 13 top-25 battles Vanderbilt has played since the 2025 season. It was also the first top-10 SEC win on the road since they defeated the Lady Vols in 2018.
- The Dores went 4-2 in top-25 regular season battles in 2025, won three more en route to the SEC Tournament title and went 2-1 against ranked competition in the NCAA Tournament.
- At home, they are 7-1 in top-25 matchups.
Protecting The Plex
- The Dores went 11-1-1 at home last season and are 6-0 at home in 2026.
- Since 2022, they are 39-5-8 at home.
Alpha Attackers
- Sydney Watts (four goals) and Mia Hebert (three goals, two assists) lead the conference with eight points through four SEC matches
- Sophomore Olivia Stafford and freshman Lena Tusche are first and second in the conference with eight and seven assists, respectively.
- Tusche tied a freshman record with three assists against Tennessee Tech on Sept. 3, while Stafford has logged an assist in six of the opening 11 games.