Vanderbilt Volleyball took the court on Friday night for its inaugural home opener on Wyatt Lawn against Belmont. The game marked the first time volleyball has been played at Vanderbilt in 45 years, a historic moment for Vanderbilt Athletics and the greater Nashville community.
The Commodores took down the Bruins, 3-1, to get their first win of the season. Vanderbilt was led by Kamryn Chaney, who had 20 kills, and Hailee Mack with 16 digs.
“[There] was the curve ball of playing outside and the moment and the crowd. I was impressed that we handled that for the most part,” head coach Anders Nelson said after the match.
Set 1
Belmont served first in the match and earned a point off a quick kill from Brenna Kauffeld. However, the Commodores gained momentum right back after two consecutive aces from Isabella Bareford, giving them an early 3-1 lead. Vanderbilt’s Reese Animishaun then had a quick kill to give Vanderbilt the clear momentum early in the match.
A few service and attack errors were the difference makers early in the game, as Vanderbilt took a 10-5 lead in the first set. The rally of the game then came as Belmont’s Alexia Smollen killed a ball in the short right corner of the court, just out of reach of Vanderbilt’s Kamryn Chaney. Both teams exchanged back and forth points, as Vanderbilt slowly inched its lead forward to 13-8. Vanderbilt’s front row was simply too dominant for the Bruins, as Jackie Moore killed a ball right in between Belmont’s back row to make it 15-9.
Libero Hailee Mack was a stalwart in the back row, masterfully orchestrating Vanderbilt’s defense while setting up her teammates for several kills. Animishaun took Vanderbilt up 18-12 with back-to-back kills as it closed in on a first-set victory. A sliding dig from Hailee Mack set up Maddy Bowser for an easy kill to make it 19-12, quickly followed by a kill from Chaney to extend the lead to eight.
Belmont then went on a 4-point streak to get the score to 21-17. After Nelson called his first timeout, the Commodores earned back-to-back points off two kills from Chaney and an excellent serve from Animishaun. The Commodores took Set 1 with ease, 25-17.
Set 2
Vanderbilt and Belmont exchanged points early in the second set, as Belmont’s Bella Mathis committed a service error to bring the game to 3-3. The Bruins went on a three-point run to get their offense going, led by a kill from Kauffeld, to take a 6-3 lead. However, a controversial net violation went in the Commodores’ favor after Nelson used his second challenge of the night, saving Vanderbilt a point in the process. A kill by Jackie Moore gave the Commodores a momentary lead but a kill by Belmont’s Brooke Gillieland kept them within striking distance.
A block by Maya Witherspoon gave Vanderbilt a 4-point lead halfway through the second set, 14-10. Vanderbilt’s offense really showed its power as Bareford set up Sydney Conley for an easy kill to take a 15-11 lead before the media timeout.
Slides by Witherspoon and Bowser extended Vanderbilt’s lead 19-14, before an ace from Taryn DeWese broke the set open. An ace by Bareford sealed the second set for Vanderbilt, 25-15.
Set 3
There was early excitement in Set 3 after Mack made three incredible digs to set up Chaney for the kill and a 1-1 tie. Both teams exchanged points before Witherspoon earned a kill to knot the game up at 4-4. A Taylor Porter ace brought Vanderbilt within 1 point and the set remained very competitive. Bareford laid down the perfect dump to cut Belmont’s lead to 10-9, and a kill by Moore tied it up at 12-apiece
Vanderbilt trailed 16-13 as Nelson took a timeout to reset his team. The Commodores came out firing, winning two consecutive points to bring Belmont’s lead to 1. However, several kills by Belmont’s Gillieland and Lucy Kay gave them a big advantage as the set neared its end. Several unforced errors, including a missed serve, by Vanderbilt was the final dagger that killed its momentum and chance at winning the third set. A final kill by Gillieland gave the Bruins the set victory, 25-18.
Set 4
A Bareford ace kicked things off in the fourth set, but an error by Moore gave Belmont the ball back. A kill by Conley was offset by a slip-up by Mack to keep things even at 3-apiece. Chaney earned a pivotal block and kill to give Vanderbilt an 8-7 lead. The junior had already amassed 15 kills and 27 total attacks to that point to keep Vanderbilt alive in the match.
An attack error by Animashaun kept Vanderbilt at bay, but a Conley kill kept Vanderbilt afloat, 12-13. A Bruins ace and a missed kill by Chaney dug the Commodores into a 4-point hole. However, Chaney redeemed herself with a kill to keep Vanderbilt down 15-17. The Bruins committed multiple consecutive unforced errors, prying the door open for Vanderbilt. The Commodores took advantage, as they took the lead 19-18 after another Chaney kill.
“We knew that we had to come in here very poised and have a lot of self control and discipline — not let the outside factors kind of determine how we play this atmosphere,” Chaney said after the match. “It was amazing. I felt the support of the fans. It was so great having everybody out here.”
The crowd began to chant and rally around the Commodores, giving them the boost to cross the finish line. A decisive block by Conley and a Chaney-Mack assist combination put the Commodores up 3, 21-18. An untimely fault by Gillieland and a powerful block by Chaney put Vanderbilt just 2 points away from victory. A final kill from Moore sealed the deal, 25-21, and Vanderbilt walked away with its first victory of the season.
“We’ve been talking for two and a half years about this match, and for it to be the way it was, environment wise, it was impossible to not just have the most big celebration after we won,” Nelson said after the match.
The Commodores return to action on Sunday, Aug. 31, as they take on Illinois at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.
