After Vanderbilt Soccer’s subpar 2023-24 season, head coach Darren Ambrose needed his older players to step up. Throughout the Commodores’ blistering 5-1-3 start to the season, several players have answered the call, with Addie Porter being chief among them. The senior forward has built a sturdy foundation over the past three years on West End, and she is now primed to truly flourish.
Porter began her soccer career at age five in her hometown of Asheville, North Carolina. She fondly recalls the support she received from her dad despite his complete lack of soccer experience.
“My dad never played soccer, but he was always by my side. He motivated me and gave me a passion for the whole thing,” Porter told The Hustler. “He always put me first.”
Porter’s soccer journey rapidly took flight when she entered her teenage years, as she began playing both travel (Elite Clubs National League) and high school ball. Both of these experiences played a monumental role in her development, albeit in vastly different ways. Porter remembers ECNL honing the tactical side of the game while her high school team taught her to be more assertive on the field.
“ECNL taught me the importance of playing as a team. It showed that it’s really a team sport to create goals, as you have to all play together and connect from the midfield to the top. In high school, it wasn’t about passing combinations. It was more me running and scoring,” Porter said. “I’m pretty introverted, so as a soccer player, I had to develop a different mindset. You can’t be laid back. I learned how to be more assertive, more communicative.”
Porter’s speed, dribbling and finishing ability later caught the attention of college coaches across the country. Among other achievements, she played in the ECNL National Selection Game, was ranked in the nation’s top 200 high school players and won North Carolina State Player of the Year. Ambrose first noticed Porter at a tournament in Seattle during her freshman year in high school. Later on in Porter’s high school career, she ran into him again. From there, the relationship blossomed quickly.
“He [Ambrose] saw me again at another tournament, and we set up a visit that month. I visited, and I committed a couple of weeks later,’ Porter said. “I love the academic environment that Vanderbilt has to offer and amazing coaching staff for soccer.”
It was a cherry on top for Porter that Ambrose had grown Vanderbilt’s program into an SEC powerhouse. In the three seasons prior to Porter’s freshman year, the Commodores posted a combined record of 39-15-4. Once she graduated high school, it was time for the striker to bring her blend of attacking mentality and teamwork to West End.
Porter’s career started slowly due to injuries and the steep jump to the college level — she only appeared in eight games as a freshman. As she got healthy and found her footing at the Plex, Porter rounded into form. Her first goal came during her sophomore year in a game against Providence, while her first assist came a week later against ETSU. She appeared in 16 games throughout her second year, and Porter entered her junior season ready to roll. She started the Commodores’ season opener against Chattanooga.
“It was really exciting. After struggling with injuries and confidence, being a junior and starting, it was just like, ‘Whoa.’ It was crazy and such a great feeling,” Porter said.
After registering an assist against the Mocs, Porter started the vast majority (16 of 18) of Vanderbilt’s games, tallying a team-high four assists and tacking on an additional three goals.
Three years into her career, Porter knew that one goal stood above the rest.
“My favorite goal for Vanderbilt was easily at Texas A&M. We were winning by a lot, and I had a breakaway. It was one of the later goals, but it was such a good feeling,” Porter said. “That was the first goal that I scored in SEC play, which was amazing and so sweet.”
Now entering her senior season, Porter is ready to take another step forward as a leader for Vanderbilt. Throughout the adversity she’s faced over the past three years, Porter has grown as a player and a person. When asked to sum up her experience donning the Black and Gold down to one word, Porter took a holistic approach.
“It’s been fulfilling,” Porter said. “The development that I’ve gone through the past four years, as a person and a player, is nice to see compared to where I was freshman year.”
Porter embodies what it means to be a Vanderbilt student-athlete. She’s a kind and compassionate teammate who provides stability and leadership on the field.
Her senior season is off to a flying start. Named to the SEC Preseason Watchlist over the summer, the striker has already tallied two goals and two assists through just a month of the 2024 season. Porter has also embraced her unique role as a senior leader on Vanderbilt’s squad, starting in just three games but playing at least 30 minutes in all seven. Her ability to serve as a spark plug off the bench adds a new dimension to Vanderbilt’s attack.
Porter’s hard work over the past three years has built up to this season, and she will continue playing a key role for a Vanderbilt team with sky-high aspirations.
