No. 1/1 Vanderbilt (14-0-1, 7-0-1 SEC) vs. Texas (8-3-4, 3-2-3 SEC)
Friday, Oct. 23 • 7 p.m. CT
Vanderbilt Soccer Complex • Nashville, Tenn.
ESPN+ • Live Stats • Game Notes
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- No. 1/1 Vanderbilt hosts Texas in the penultimate match of the regular season.
With two matches left and a four-point lead in first place, the Commodores can clinch the regular season title with a win in either of their final two matches.
The Opponent
- The Longhorns have had an up and down season in Margueritte Bates’ first year in charge. After a 5-1-1 nonconference run saw them hit No. 19 in the coaches poll, they went winless in their opening three SEC matches.
- They won three out of four after and look safe to make the 12-team conference tournament.
- Addie Brink’s 83rd-minute equalizer against South Carolina last Sunday helped put the Dores in position to close out the conference on Friday.
Scouting Report
- The two-headed monster of Amalia Villareal (eight goals, two assists) and Ava McDonald (five goals, four assists) lead the Texas attack.
- Senior and Montana transfer Bayliss Flynn will get the start in net. She has kept six shutouts overall but just one in her last eight matches dating back to the end of nonconference play.
Series History
- The all-time series is tied at three wins a piece. Vandy won the first three matchups from 1995 to 1998, but Texas has won the last three in 2001, 2002 and 2025.
- Last season, a 90th-minute penalty secured a 2-1 win for the Longhorns in Austin. The Commodores wouldn’t lose again for another 12 games after that match.
Record Ranking
- Vanderbilt is No. 1 in both polls, just the second unanimous top team this season (Stanford, Aug. 31).
- They have been ranked No. 1 in six of the last seven TDS polls and reached the top spot for the first time in the USC poll this week.
- 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.
Top of the Table
- Vanderbilt holds the top spot in the SEC standings with two matches remaining. They need just two points from their final two matches, meaning two draws or one win would be enough for their first regular season title since 2018.
- The tiebreaker would be head-to-head result, followed by results versus common opponents.
Pacing the Nation
- Vanderbilt is fourth in the country in goals per game (3.27), first in assists (3.53) and second in points (10.07).
- They are one of three schools without a loss in 2026, and the only P4 squad. They lead the country with a winning percentage of .967, .074 points higher than second-place Ohio State.
Sydney’s Scoring Surge
- Even by her lofty standards, senior forward Sydney Watts is on a production heater to start 2026.
- With 14 goals and five assists in 15 games, the All-American ranks fourth nationally with 33 points.
- She is second in program history and sixth among active D-I players with 39 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 among the best in program history, with 49 goals through 15 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 15 games, they had 48 goals.
- The Dores’ next win will be their 15th, tied for the sixth-most in school history and third-most in the Ambrose era.
Best of the Best
- The win at No. 8 Alabama on Oct. 18 was the 11th win in 14 top-25 battles Vanderbilt has played since the 2025 season. It was also the highest ranked road win since beating South Carolina in 2015.
- 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 8-0 at home in 2026.
- Since 2022, they are 41-5-8 at home.