Vanderbilt’s first volleyball season in nearly 45 years has officially come to an end after it lost to Texas A&M in straight sets in the quarterfinals of the 2025 SEC Tournament. Despite the team’s stats not looking incredible on paper after going 9-18 overall and 3-12 in conference play, the Commodores proved themselves worthy of an NCAA Division I team label with their sweep victories against Arkansas and Mississippi State in the regular season.
Entering this inaugural season, head coach Anders Nelson — hired by Vanderbilt back in December 2022 — spent the past three years cultivating a roster of athletes who would proudly represent the university on the court.
Middle blocker Jackie Moore — one of the team’s captains — encapsulated the Commodores’ spirit as she led them with her dedication, skill and range. Moore’s dominating performance this season was well-rounded: she led the Commodores in overall points (398.5), kills (334) and blocks (105). Moore’s performance was recognized by the SEC, as she was named to the All-SEC Second Team. The California native was also selected 21st overall in the 2025 Major League Volleyball draft. While Moore’s time with the Commodores was short, she truly has left her mark and helped set high expectations for Vanderbilt in seasons to come.
However, Moore was not the only player with a standout season. Sophomore outside hitter Reese Animashaun was a double threat on the court, registering three double-doubles and achieving a team-high 17 digs in the win over UC Irvine. With 250 kills and 239 digs, Animashaun has proven herself as a skilled scorer and an unmatched defensive presence. Fellow outside hitter freshman Maya Witherspoon also found success on both offense and defense, recording 109 kills and 33 aces this year.
Opposite hitter and captain Mia Soerensen continued to dominate following her undergraduate collegiate career at both UT San Antonio and Kent State, where she was a two-time weekly AAC honorable mention. In the 2025 season, Soerensen had some of the highest hitting efficiencies among the Vanderbilt players, including a .533 hitting percentage in its win over Arkansas and a .467 percentage in the win over UC Irvine. Despite Auburn defeating Vanderbilt in four sets, Soerensen matched her career high of 10 digs, adding to her season total of 46.
Sophomore Hailee Mack made an immediate impact on the defensive end, opening the season with seven straight matches of 10-plus digs. In total, Mack finished with 269 digs, averaging 2.56 digs per set. Mack’s fellow libero Elli Kinney fought to keep Vanderbilt in each set as she tallied 278 digs, averaging 2.67 digs per set.
Among the setters, graduate captain Isabella Bareford continued to show growth after four years with Loyola Marymount. Bareford registered the most assists by an SEC player in a match this season with 59 against UC-Berkeley. Even with Bareford’s departure this offseason, sophomore Taryn DeWese has proven she can hold down the fort and help elevate Vanderbilt next season. With a combined 28 service aces and 1056 assists, the power setting duo of Bareford and DeWese helped lead the Commodores to nine wins.
While the 2025 season was not as perfect as many expected, Vanderbilt Volleyball proved its ability to contend, laying the groundwork for its comeback next fall. Even with the losses of key players like Moore, Bareford and Soerensen, the Commodores appear ready to take a leap as new faces like Jordin Southall and Madi Victoriano join the lineup. Entering 2026, Vanderbilt fans hope that young players like Animashaun and Mack will continue to develop, and that the newcomers make enough of an impact to propel Vanderbilt to improvement.
