Student-Athlete Features
VUCommodores.com — First to the Future
Vanderbilt Hustler – Isabella Bareford: Leading on and off the court
In the Studio with Vanderbilt Volleyball: Isabella Bareford
Coach Nelson on Isabella Bareford… Although skilled and experienced, Isa still plays hard and is hungry to grow. She also brings poise and steadiness to the court – something Team One loves about her. We’re constantly impressed by her ability to run a creative offense, especially when it comes to setting middles. Our fans will love watching her pick defenses apart with her gutsy decision making.
Academic Honors
• 2025 CSC Academic All-District
• 2025 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll
• 2024-25 First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll
As a Graduate Student (2025)
• Team captain
• Played in 104 sets, registering 915 assists, 184 digs and 25 aces this season
• Ranked top 15 nationally across all divisions, top 5 in NCAA Division I in career assists with 4,287
• Recorded five double-doubles this season
• Season-high 59 assists at Cal are the most by an SEC player in a match this season
As a Graduate Student (2024)
• Member of the 2024-25 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee
• Redshirted during the 2024 season
The Bareford File
• Graduate transfer from Loyola Marymount
• Earned her undergraduate degree in health and human sciences
• Four-year starter at LMU
• 2020, 2022 All-West Coast Conference first team
• 2021, 2023 All-WCC second team
• 2020 All-WCC Freshman Team
• 2022 NCAA Tournament appearance
• Averaged 10.46 assists/set as a junior
• 2022, 2023 WCC first-team academic all-conference
• 2021 WCC honorable mention academic all-conference
• Five semesters on the LMU Dean’s List
• SAAC representative all four years
• Volunteer at Agape Service Organization
As a Senior at LMU (2023)
• Team had an attack efficiency of .281, averaging 13.4 kills/set
• Led the team, averaging 6.10 assists/set
• Ranked second on the team in service aces, averaged .30/set
• 103 career service aces
• Averaged 1.48 digs/set
Personal
• Father, John, was on the first volleyball team at the UC Irvine
Why Vanderbilt?
“Vanderbilt has an unparalleled quality of education, athletics and location. I want to make a difference for this team, the university and the community. Few people have the opportunity to start a program and ‘dare to be first.’ I’m looking forward to helping build the foundation for Commodore Volleyball and its future success. I’m extremely grateful to Anders and the coaching staff for their belief in me.”
Isabella’s Essentials
Favorite Nashville food spot: Pelato
Favorite spot on campus: Memorial Gymnasium
First song on aux: The Lakes by Taylor Swift