Vanderbilt Soccer entered the SEC Tournament in Pensacola, Florida, as the No. 2 seed in the conference. Riding a six-game winning streak and ranked as the No. 8 team nationally, the Commodores began their quest for their first conference SEC Championship since 2020. 

With a first-round bye due to being a top-four seed, Vanderbilt saw its first action of the tournament against Alabama in the quarterfinals. The Crimson Tide took the lead in the 12th minute, but the Commodores responded; the first-year tandem of Reagan Pentz and Olivia Stafford both contributed goals to give Vanderbilt a 2-1 win. 

In the semifinals, Vanderbilt took on red-hot No. 19 Georgia. The Commodores dominated possession, with the 2025 SEC Forward of the Year Sydney Watts putting two goals past the Bulldogs for her third brace of the season. Thus, Vanderbilt was set to take on No. 25 LSU for the conference title, a rematch of a 0-0 draw that took place back in September. 

In a thrilling contest that spanned 90 minutes of play and two additional overtime periods, Vanderbilt finally secured victory in a penalty shootout. Goalkeeper Sara Wojdelko rejected defender Jazmin Ferguson to deliver the Commodores a 1-1 (8-7) win. The championship was Vanderbilt’s third in the past seven years.  

Brick wall 

Wojdelko has continued the sheer dominance that earned her SEC Goalkeeper of the Year and All-SEC First Team honors this season. The graduate student made 10 saves across her three games in the SEC Tournament, not counting her crucial three saves during the penalty shootout against LSU.  

The shutout against Georgia gave Wojdelko her ninth clean sheet of the season and her 20th clean sheet of her career. She is now tied for third-most clean sheets in a season in program history and tied for third in career clean sheets. Within head coach Darren Ambrose’s 3-5-2 formation, Wojdelko has been an anchor for the back line, giving the McLaughlin sisters and other defenders much more freedom as she protects the net.

More notably, Wojdelko has been a vocal and steadying leader for the Commodores. She has shown up time and time again in  the most tense situations. Even in the penalty shootout, she bounced between the posts before each shot, yelling and getting in the heads of LSU’s shot takers. Without a doubt, Vanderbilt would not be where it is now without her, and her stellar tournament performance cements her among the nation’s best goalkeepers. 

Winning in every way 

The Commodores thrived in a variety of situations and circumstances in each of Vanderbilt’s three tournament games. The best teams know how to adapt and the Black and Gold did just this, responding positively to everything thrown at them. 

Vanderbilt found itself trailing early against Alabama in its first game of the tournament. The Crimson Tide started with energy, and for a couple of moments, the Commodores weren’t matching the challenge. Alabama goalkeeper Madi Munguia was then sent off with a red card and Vanderbilt immediately went on the attack. On an ensuing free kick, Courtney Jones got a clean cross into Stafford for the equalizer. Pentz would add another goal in the 50th minute, while Vanderbilt’s defense locked down Alabama’s counterattack. That formula resulted in the Commodores cruising to a 2-1 victory. 

The Commodores were brilliant when they took on Georgia. Vanderbilt sought to control the ball from the start of the game, working on build-up play through its midfield that translated into scoring opportunities. The Commodores swarmed the Bulldogs when they had possession, ensuring that they maintained a steady, focused style of play. Vanderbilt ultimately outshot Georgia 14-5 (7-1 with shots on goal) and held possession for 56% of the game. 

LSU managed to get Vanderbilt on its back heels, though. The Tigers came out strong and for most of the game — especially the first overtime period — the Commodores were forced to play defense. A lot of credit goes to the back line for the Tigers, who shut Watts out of the game, ensuring that other Commodores would have to beat them. Vanderbilt was outshot and outpossessed but remained clinical when needed. Instead of winning in open play, the Commodores squeezed out a penalty shootout victory in thrilling fashion. 

Champions once more 

Vanderbilt has seen continued success in 11 years under Ambrose. However, this team is slowly proving it could be one of the best assembled under his tutelage. With their three wins in the SEC Tournament, the Commodores have now won nine matches in a row, pushing their record to 15-3-2. The last time Vanderbilt hit the 15-win mark was in 2018.  

The SEC championship is Vanderbilt’s first since 2020 and with a Sweet Sixteen trip a year ago fresh in its mind, this team is poised for a run at the national title. The SEC Championship was the first step in proving it could do just that. Vanderbilt will likely be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, meaning it will have the luxury of playing postseason soccer from the comforts of the ‘Plex and in front of a reliable fanbase.  

The official NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Tournament selection show is scheduled for Nov. 10, at 3 p.m. CST. The Commodores will find out who they will host in the first round as the journey for a national championship begins.