IN PHOTOS: Sports starts off strong

Vanderbilt Athletics kicks off its season, facing off in soccer, football and more.

Abi Brighton slides to recover the ball during Vanderbilt’s match versus Northwestern, as photographed on Sept. 3, 2023. (Hustler Multimedia/Ophelia Lu)

September 10, 2023

As Vanderbilt students return to campus, the Commodores have returned to the field as well, starting their season with non-conference matchups in football, soccer and cross country. Take a look at how we’ve captured these season opening games.

Football

Vanderbilt Football kicked off its season against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors on Aug. 26. Hawaii took an early lead after a failed two-point conversion, but Vanderbilt regained the lead at the end of the first quarter and kept it through the end, sailing to a 35-28 victory.

Vanderbilt claimed its spot as the only 2-0 team in the SEC with a victory over the Alabama A&M Bulldogs on Sept. 2. Similarly to the Hawaii game, Vanderbilt fell behind early in the game but quickly caught momentum to take the lead back, never trailing again in the game. The game ended with a 47-13 win for Vanderbilt, showing promise for upcoming games.

Soccer

The soccer team has begun its fall season, playing seven non-conference teams over the past few weeks. Recently, it took a 1-0 victory over Kansas State and a draw against No. 20 Northwestern, bringing its overall record to 3-0-3 in a great week of matches.

This week, the ‘Dores wrap up their non-conference season, having hosted Ball State on Thursday and MTSU coming up Sunday. They took a 1-0 win over Ball State, remaining undefeated (4-0-3) leading into their matchup versus MTSU at Geodis Park on Sunday.

Cross country

The men’s and women’s cross country teams began their seasons at the Belmont Opener, hosted at Percy Warner Park right here in Nashville. The women’s team finished second this year, with five runners finishing in the top 15 overall. The men’s team finished third, with no runners finishing in the top 15 and only one in the top 20.

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About the Contributors

Josh Rehders, Photography Director

Josh Rehders ('24) is from Houston and is studying computer science in the School of Engineering. When he is not shooting for The Hustler, Vanderbilt Athletics or freelancing, he enjoys finding new music and good food. He can be reached at [email protected].

Jaylan Sims, Podcasts Director

Jaylan Sims ('26) is from Chattanooga, Tenn., majoring in communication studies and communication of science and technology with a minor in Jewish studies in the College of Arts & Science. When not working for The Hustler, you can catch Jaylan aimlessly roaming around campus. He can be reached at [email protected]

Nikita Rohila, Deputy Social Media Director

Nikita Rohila ('25) is from a small town in Arkansas and is majoring in psychology and medicine, health and society in the College of Arts and Science. During her free time, she enjoys roaming around the city and getting cinematic-style shots for her photography account! You can reach her at [email protected].

Nour Abida, Staff Photographer

Nour Abida ('25) is majoring in political science and medicine, health and society with a minor in Spanish in the College of Arts and Science. She is from Tunis, Tunisia. You can reach her at [email protected].

Anseley Philippe, Staff Writer and Photographer

Anseley Philippe ('25) is a potential biomedical engineering and Spanish double-major who aspires to be an immunologist. Outside of The Hustler, he can be found queuing up at 2301, wandering around campus during his evening promenades or trying to keep up with his Spanish. He can be reached at [email protected].

Sofia Healy, Staff Photographer

Sofia Healy (‘27) is from Los Angeles and studies cinema and media arts in the College of Arts and Science. Outside of The Hustler, Sofia enjoys driving alongside the beach blasting folk music with her friends. You can reach her at [email protected].

Ophelia Lu, Deputy Photography Director

Ophelia Lu (’26) is from Los Angeles and is double majoring in biomedical and electrical engineering in the School of Engineering. She previously served as a staff photographer. When not covering events and sports games for The Hustler, you can find her listening to a lot of music, studying at Starbucks or lying on Alumni lawn. She can be reached at [email protected].

Barrie Barto, Senior Staff Photographer

Barrie Barto ('25) is majoring in medicine, health & society with a minor neuroscience in the College of Arts and Science. She previously served as Photography Director. Outside of The Hustler, you can find Barrie cheering on the St. Louis Blues or tracking down the best gluten-free food in Nashville. She can be reached at [email protected].

Lyton Mhlanga, Staff Photographer

Lyton Mhlanga (‘27) is majoring in computer science and economics in the College of Arts and Sciences. A keen nature-lover, Lyton enjoys sightseeing and hiking when not shooting for The Hustler. He can be reached at [email protected].

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