Oct. 13, 2010
The Vanderbilt women’s swim team will host its first dual meet of the season against Arkansas at the Nashville Centennial Sportsplex on Friday, October 15, at 1 p.m. The following day, the Commodores host South Carolina and Western Kentucky at noon.
Vanderbilt is 0-3 all-time against Arkansas, with the last meet coming on November 6, 2009, when the ‘Dores headed west to Fayetteville. The Commodores swam 18 season high marks, despite falling to the Razorbacks, 206-87.
“Arkansas is a very strong team and really well coached,” Coach Jeremy Organ said. “Hopefully our girls are ready to step up to our first SEC competition and compete at the highest level they can. It’s early in the season for both teams but there should be some good competitive races.”
This marks the first time Vanderbilt has hosted meets on back-to-back days since the program started up in 2006, and only the second time the team has hosted two events in one season.
“It’s going to be a lot different on Saturday, especially early in the season like this,” Organ said. “The girls will be pretty tired from Friday and have to compete the next day so we will need to be mentally tougher this weekend.”
The Commodores traveled to Columbia last season to face off with South Carolina, falling 192-94. Laura Dillon took first place in the 200-yard breaststroke while Jess Eccher won the 200-yard IM. The Gamecocks won the only other meeting between the schools 152-115 in January 2009.
Vanderbilt has competed against Western Kentucky in the Hilltopper Invitational every year since the swim team resurrected in 2006, but this marks the first time the Commodores have hosted the Hilltoppers in a dual meet. Vanderbilt will travel to Bowling Green, Ky., in November to compete in the Hilltopper Invitational once again.
“Both Western Kentucky and South Carolina are well coached and deep teams so I think we will see some very competitive races,” Organ said. “On Saturday we will look to the upperclassmen who have been there and done that to lead the way and show the freshmen that it’s going to be difficult but that they have to be prepared for it.”
Aside from hosting the South Carolina and Western Kentucky women’s teams on Saturday, Vanderbilt will welcome the men’s teams as well.
The Commodores are coming off a 127-96 loss to Southern Illinois in Carbondale. There were strong individual performances, including freshmen Melissa Roberts and Chloe Ott. Roberts finished second in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle while Ott finished second in the 200-yard IM and third in the 200-yard breaststroke. Laura Dillon is coming off a first-place finish in the 200-yard butterfly and Jess Eccher won the 200-yard IM.
Results and a recap from both days will be posted at vucommodores.com.
Make sure to check out the Vanderbilt swim team blog called Swimmers’ Stories. Stephanie Falcone and Laura Furr, along with guest bloggers, will be posting updates throughout the season.
