Oct. 19, 2017
NASHVILLE— While the 2017-18 season has been officially underway for several weeks, the season got ramped up with the annual SEC Tipoff on Thursday at the Omni and Country Music Hall of Fame.
Head coach Stephanie White, senior Rachel Bell and sophomore Kayla Overbeck represented the Vanderbilt women’s basketball team in previewing the upcoming season.
The team returns 77.5 percent of its scoring including its top two scorers in Bell, who averaged 11.3 point per game last season, and Overbeck who added 9.4 points per game. Overbeck is also Vanderbilt’s top returning rebounder with 7.2 rebounds per game. The Dores will be young with just three of its 14 players, donning the black and gold for more than a season, but they will be experienced as the sophomore class got lots of experience as rookies.
The sophomore class of LeaLea Carter, Kaleigh Clemons-Green, Kayla Overbeck, Cierra Walker and Erin Whalen averaged 32.7 points per game and 16.2 rebounds per game last season and accounted for 48 percent of the Vanderbilt’s scoring last season.
Vanderbilt adds six new faces to the team: True freshmen Chelsie Hall (Seffner, Fla./Seffner Christian), Autumn Newby (Lawrenceville, Ga./Archer). Paige Warren (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Coffman) and Blessing Ejiofor (Ebonyi, Nigeria/Eastside [N.J.]) will all suit up for the Commodores this season. The team will also gain the services of two transfers in Bree Horrocks (Buford, Ga./Purdue) and Mariella Fasoula (Athens, Greece/Boston College). Horrocks will take to the court this season after transferring in as a graduate transfer and will have two years of eligibility. Fasoula will sit out in 2017-18 and will have two years of eligibility when she hits the hardwood in 2018-19.
Here’s a roundup of the Dores morning at SEC Tipoff:
What a fun day at #SECTipoff, we’ll see YOU in Memorial in 22 days for a little #MemorialMagic pic.twitter.com/2uSUIODvSS
 Vanderbilt WBB (@VandyWBB) October 19, 2017
⚓⬇ feat. @VandyWBB #SECTipoff pic.twitter.com/uqdYemIR8V
— SEC (@SEC) October 19, 2017
Back at #SECTipoff. First up @StephanieWhite for @VandyWBB. pic.twitter.com/tkEn7G9eAO
— Autumn Allison (@Aallison_TN) October 19, 2017
Three things you didn’t know about Kayla Overbeck:
1. She can sing and play the piano
2. She treats her dogs like people, they are her babies
3. Her mom taught her to run before she taught her how to walk
For more behind-the-scenes from SEC Tipoff check out the Vanderbilt WBB Instagram story @VandyWBB
Kayla Overbeck on Rachel Bell: “If we’re down a bucket with 10 seconds to go and we need it to win the game, she’s taking the ball and driving to the basket, no matter who or what is in front of her.”
Three things you didn’t know about Rachel Bell:
1. She’s been skydiving
2. She rides motorcycles
3. She knocked her two front teeth out riding a four-wheeler when she was 6 or 7
-Rachel Bell on Kayla Overbeck: She’s an emotional player, she a competitor first and foremost”
For more information on the Vanderbilt women’s basketball team check them out on the website at www.vucommodores.com , Twitter at @VandyWBB., Instagram at @VandyWBB and on Facebook at Vandy Hoops.
