NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Each week This Week on West End takes a closer look at what’s in store for the Commodores in the coming days.
The Vanderbilt men’s basketball was scheduled play arch-rival Tennessee not once, but twice this week in a scheduling quirk brought forth due to COVID-19 circumstances in the Southeastern Conference. But Tuesday’s matchup between the Commodores and Volunteers, which would have been the 200th in the all-time series history, was postponed.
Vandy’s women’s basketball team will be looking to rebound from an SEC-opening loss to Mississippi State on Sunday when it welcomes South Carolina on Thursday. The Commodores are then scheduled to travel to Kentucky on Sunday.
Vanderbilt women’s tennis makes its 2021 debut at 1 p.m. Sunday when its hosts Western Kentucky and the women’s track and field team begins its season Friday for the Commodore Indoor.
Here’s more of all the other happenings around West End this week:
Men’s basketball
Vanderbilt has suffered consecutive three-point losses in SEC play and is now 0-3 in the league standings as it faces a daunting week.
The Commodores were originally scheduled to travel to No. 13 Missouri on Tuesday, but COVID-19 concerns for the Tigers forced a postponement of that contest. Vandy then postponed Tuesday’s matchup with Tennessee and will now turn around and head to Knoxville, Tennessee, at 5 p.m. CT Saturday.
Had the two program’s met back-to-back it would have been the first time since 1946 that Vanderbilt and Tennessee squared off in back-t0-back games. Saturday’s matchup will be the 200th in a series that dates to 1921.
Women’s basketball
The Commodores returned to the court Sunday after a three-week absence and fell 80-56 to Alabama in the SEC opener for Vanderbilt. Head coach Stephanie White had just eight student-athletes available for the contests as her program continues to have players cleared from COVID-19 protocols.
Vandy did lead in the first quarter of that contest against the Bulldogs and a 15-0 run in the third quarter nearly got the deficit into single digits before Mississippi State pulled back away fro good.
No. 5 South Carolina now comes to town for a 7 p.m. matchup Thursday before Vanderbilt heads to Kentucky on Sunday.
Women’s tennis
The spring schedule for Vanderbilt women’s tennis starts at 1 p.m. Sunday when the Commodores host Western Kentucky.
Head coach Aleke Tsoubanos saw her squad play in three tournaments during an abbreviated fall schedule. Vandy has four seniors on the roster at the start of the 2021 season as it looks to build toward the SEC Tournament scheduled to begin April 19.
Women’s track and field
Vanderbilt women’s track and field team will host the Commodore Indoor starting Friday and running through Saturday.
Six teams – Auburn, Alabama, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Missouri and Tennessee – will come to Nashville to compete against the Commodores starting at 4 p.m. Friday. Competition will resume at noon Saturday.
