Vanderbilt 2025
- Thread starter YoDore
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OOOF! That's not fun.
DefenseBB
Snark is always appreciated!
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Huh? I don’t get that impression at all from the article. The writer simply states Ralph appears to be a “relationship orientated coach” and something did not click with Pierre. He laments what could have been with both Pierre and Blakes. Maybe there is a hint of NIL money concerns but it is a well hidden hint. We know from previous comments that Pierre herself felt highly slighted by the SEC year end award voting (and justifiably so considering the great year she had). Whether Shea could have been “stumping more” for her or not is not known. It appeared to have been resolved but the timing of the NIL cap limit came and Pierre did not have what she wanted.
To me, both sides were at an impasse and parting was the only viable solution. The article talks about the “promise the program was showing with Pierre and their recent success. Nothing more is hinted or implied. Perhaps rereading will give you better clarity.
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Look at Vandy! Going Big Time! Good luck.
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Yikes! But you gotta rise and grind.
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What a great idea. Wish there was something similar in Canada for veterans.
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Have to say I like the way the opponents are spaced out. The past couple of years we seemed to have a stretch where we played the top five or six teams in the conference in a row. Also, the January 19 game against Michigan comes between Mississippi State and Auburn, which is not terrible.
There is a troublesome stretch at the end of the schedule where six of the final seven games are against Kentucky (2), Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama and Tennessee. On second thought, I might not like this schedule after all.
There is a troublesome stretch at the end of the schedule where six of the final seven games are against Kentucky (2), Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama and Tennessee. On second thought, I might not like this schedule after all.
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South Florida should be another good match up too.
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Among other things, the story indicates Pierre will be eligible this season. I think that's the right thing to do by the rules because she was dismissed from Vanderbilt and no longer had the opportunity to play there.
247sports.com
How NC State, Wes Moore landed a 'miracle' transfer addition in Khamil Pierre
NC State women's basketball head coach Wes Moore details how the Wolfpack added transfer forward Khamil Pierre after her dismissal from Vanderbilt and what she adds to the program.
247sports.com
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This is off topic but I think worth a mention here. After an absence of almost half a century, Vanderbilt's volleyball program has been resurrected, and the first home match will be played Friday night at 8 p.m. (ET) against Belmont, which is located within walking distance of the Vanderbilt campus. The match will be on SEC Network.
The setting will be somewhat unique as it will be played outdoors on Wyatt Lawn. The squad opened the season with a five-set loss at #14 Kansas over the weekend. It was a tight battle through four sets before the Jayhawks asserted their superiority in the fifth and decisive set, 15-4.
The program is being led by coach Anders Nelson, a former Kentucky assistant. I know very little about college volleyball, but everything I've read from that world indicates Nelson is an up and coming star. Should be a fun setting if you're looking for something to watch.
vucommodores.com
The setting will be somewhat unique as it will be played outdoors on Wyatt Lawn. The squad opened the season with a five-set loss at #14 Kansas over the weekend. It was a tight battle through four sets before the Jayhawks asserted their superiority in the fifth and decisive set, 15-4.
The program is being led by coach Anders Nelson, a former Kentucky assistant. I know very little about college volleyball, but everything I've read from that world indicates Nelson is an up and coming star. Should be a fun setting if you're looking for something to watch.
Dores Host Bruins for Home Opener
Match 1 presented by Vanderbilt Health will air Friday at 7 p.m. on SEC Network
vucommodores.com
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I'm a convert. Volleyball is fun. I mean, I knew that, but now I've got a team to pull for. What a great night on the Vanderbilt campus. The Dores beat Belmont in four sets in front of a packed and boisterous crowd.This is off topic but I think worth a mention here. After an absence of almost half a century, Vanderbilt's volleyball program has been resurrected, and the first home match will be played Friday night at 8 p.m. (ET) against Belmont, which is located within walking distance of the Vanderbilt campus. The match will be on SEC Network.
The setting will be somewhat unique as it will be played outdoors on Wyatt Lawn. The squad opened the season with a five-set loss at #14 Kansas over the weekend. It was a tight battle through four sets before the Jayhawks asserted their superiority in the fifth and decisive set, 15-4.
The program is being led by coach Anders Nelson, a former Kentucky assistant. I know very little about college volleyball, but everything I've read from that world indicates Nelson is an up and coming star. Should be a fun setting if you're looking for something to watch.
Dores Host Bruins for Home Opener
Match 1 presented by Vanderbilt Health will air Friday at 7 p.m. on SEC Network
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Prayers sent your way, young lady. Rehab will be hard, but you can do it. Stay strong!
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Yep. She did it once already. Tore her ACL after 11 games her freshman year, rehabbed and played a full season last year. Now, it's back to the training room. I'm assuming it's ACL again, but it could be any number of things. She has had a rough go of it.
It's also a huge blow to the team. I feel like she's a better all-around player than Iyana Moore, so I wasn't too worried about Iyana moving on for her grad season to Notre Dame.
Sheesh. It's been a rough summer in Nashville.
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I’m not expecting any ‘great leap forward.’
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For months I’ve been twisting around trying to figure out what I think about the newest edition of the Commodores. There has been a lot of upheaval. Grad Iyana Moore portaled to South Bend, Khamil Pierre was dismissed and landed at N.C. State, and Moore’s heir apparent, Madison Greene, suffered a late-summer injury that will cost her the season. This all makes it hard to get a grasp on the team’s prospects, but here is my best guess.
Very Much Amateur Predictions
Wins: 20+
SEC Finish: 6 to 9
Third Straight NCAA Appearance (Make round of 32)
As Good as last season?
Maybe. Close, at least. It’s natural to focus on what we lost, especially Khamil Pierre, and that is without doubt a big loss. I’m not going to minimize that, but I think it’s also fair to focus on what we’ve added, in particular Ndjakalenga Nwenentanda and Sacha Washington, The return of Sacha seems to be virtually overlooked by many even though she was a three-year starter at the post position who showed marked improvement every season. Vandy played last season without a true post. Sacha is totally healthy and had an entire year to work on her skills and conditioning after missing the season due to blood clots in her leg. She’s 6’2, which is not tall for an SEC post, but her quickness and skill around the basket, especially with her off hand, offsets that to a great degree. Also, she can run with the guards.
Sacha’s super power is her hands. Get the ball anywhere in the general vicinity, and she will catch it, a much underrated skill for a post player. I won’t be the least bit surprised to see her average a double-double. If size becomes a problem against certain larger posts, which it sometimes does, we now have 6’6 Aaliyah Del Rosario to step into the breach along with 6’4 Aiyana Mitchell, a junior who is athletic and has shown some skill but, so far. is locked in that “has potential” stage. Del Rosario seemingly has stayed healthy throughout the offseason, something she has struggled with her first two years of college ball at LSU.
Player Losses
Looking at it in a vacuum, it looks like the team has been decimated. Only Mikayla Blakes returns from last year’s starting lineup, and six of the usual 8-player rotation are gone. Khamil Pierre was dismissed from the team and landed at N.C. State for her junior year. Iyana Moore transferred to Notre Dame for her grad season, and wing Jane Nwaba graduated after serving as a sort of hybrid starter who gave way to another player who graduated, Leilani Kapiinus, early in most games. The other starter, Jordyn Oliver, also graduated but has been hired as the program’s director of player development. Then, a tough blow this summer, Madison Greene suffered a season-ending injury, her second in three years. Greene was set to step into Moore’s shooting guard spot, and I truly felt she would raise the level of play at that position, so her loss cannot be minimized. Still, there is depth at the guard position that could soften the blow somewhat, including senior Jada Brown who does everything well but has not been great at any of them. She’s had to compete for playing time with the likes of Jordyn Cambridge, Iyana Moore, Mikayla Blakes and Madison Greene since arriving on campus. This could be the opportunity she has been waiting for, and I expect she’ll be ready.
Player Additions
Mwenentanda is the key newcomer. She does not have the explosiveness of Pierre and doesn’t leap as well. But, she’s 6’2 and quick and extremely tough. She started 15 of the final 19 games last year for a final-four team, the Texas Longhorns. Texas was about as tough as any team in the country on defense, and coach Vic Schaeffer sang Mwenentanda’s praises all season for how smart and tough and talented she was. She graduated in just three years and decided to play her graduate (and fourth) year elsewhere, and she was one of the most highly prized portal players. In a year where size was at a premium in the portal, she had offers across the country, including SEC schools, one of which was Tennessee. She shot 46 percent from the field and 77 percent from the free-throw line. She is not a three-point shooter (1 of 18). That’s pretty much a wash with Pierre, who was 4 of 23. I think Mwenentanda will also add a lot of intangibles.
Del Rosario picked a good year to hit the portal as teams across the country were beating the bushes in search of size. She played her high school ball right down the road from Vanderbilt in tiny Bell Buckle, Tn., home of Webb School, so she was familiar with the area. She was very highly ranked coming out of high school, a fact that I attribute mostly to her 6’6 frame and the potential that comes with it. I’m hoping she can help in spurts, especially on defense. I suspect her ability to keep up with a fast-paced offense for long periods, but that’s OK. We have Sacha Washington for that.
Freshmen
Aubrey Galvan, twice voted Illinois point guard of the year, has all the skills, some in abundance. Her only question mark is size, 5’6 or 5’7, but it’s not really a major concern. She can light it up beyond the arc, and her drive-and-dish game is elite. She’ll have to learn to contend with SEC guards’ physicality, but that’s something every incoming player has to do. In Greene’s absence, I look to see Galvan teaming with Blakes out front often. I’m really excited to see this kid play.
If coach Ralph wants to go bigger and stronger at guard, 5’10 freshman Ava Jaye Black walks in the door with an SEC body and outstanding skills. Shoots it well outside, passes it well and excels on the boards. Scores very well through contact. Should help at both the two and three positions.
I’m excited about 6’3 Aussie freshman Monique Williams. She was a key part of her country’s recent silver-medal winning Americup team. Can play anywhere from three to five, but I look for her mainly to contribute at the 3/4 with four being the predominant position. Very strong lower body and battles in the paint. Not a great leaper but understands positioning. Excellent passer and can shoot it beyond the arc. I don’t expect a fireworks show from her but a steady rise to become a key contributor.
Consistency
I think this team will be more consistent, and I mention it because Coach Ralph has bemoaned a lack of consistency for four years now. Generally, she’s talking about playing great for a few minutes then seeming to let up and allow teams back into games. Also, she points to a lack of consistency on defense. I can’t even remember the number of times I’ve heard her say, “It can’t just be either a turnover or a layup.” The team did create a lot of turnovers (21 per game, 17th in the country) but also gave up a lot of layups. As much as coach talks about defense being her team’s identity, the numbers show it is not always stellar.
Field Goal Percentage Defense 43.8% (324 nationally out of 356 teams)
Scoring Defense 69.1 ppg (284th)
Best Guess at a Starting Lineup
1 Jada Brown (senior)
2 Mikayla Blakes (sophomore)
3 Justine Pissott (senior)
4 Ndjakelenga Mwenentanda (grad)
5 Sacha Washington (senior)
Among Vandy fans, Brown starting at guard could be a bit of a hot take, I guess. But, she is very steady and, I could see coach Ralph going with her while freshmen Galvan and Black get their bearings on the sidelines and get coached up about what they’re seeing. I think Galvan and/or Black would have to be exceptional in pre-season practice to surpass Brown. If they do, that’s a good thing.
As for a full rotation, I look for eight or nine to get regular playing time with Galvan and Black plus 6’2 junior Aga Makarat, an outstanding outside shooter who will spell Pissott at the three. Del Rosario and Mitchell could share sub duties in the front court.
Coaching
I’m all in on Shea Ralph. She took over a program that was very near full collapse after three starters transferred during the off season before she took over. She had great kids like Jordyn Cambridge and and the incoming Iyana Moore and Sacha Washington to build around, but the talent pool was way down. At the same time, she admits the depth of the league and the grind of the conference schedule were eye openers. By her third season, she had the program back in the NCAA tourney and repeated that in year four. This was to be the year where all her careful team construction reached a new level. With Blakes and Pierre, a truly dynamic duo, set to be bolstered by the return Sacha Washington and the Mwenentanda addition, this was supposed to be her breakout team.
I do think this team, led by Blakes, Washington and Mwenentanda, can be as good as last year. But, it was supposed to be those three plus Pierre. which could have raised expectations to a new level.
Very Much Amateur Predictions
Wins: 20+
SEC Finish: 6 to 9
Third Straight NCAA Appearance (Make round of 32)
As Good as last season?
Maybe. Close, at least. It’s natural to focus on what we lost, especially Khamil Pierre, and that is without doubt a big loss. I’m not going to minimize that, but I think it’s also fair to focus on what we’ve added, in particular Ndjakalenga Nwenentanda and Sacha Washington, The return of Sacha seems to be virtually overlooked by many even though she was a three-year starter at the post position who showed marked improvement every season. Vandy played last season without a true post. Sacha is totally healthy and had an entire year to work on her skills and conditioning after missing the season due to blood clots in her leg. She’s 6’2, which is not tall for an SEC post, but her quickness and skill around the basket, especially with her off hand, offsets that to a great degree. Also, she can run with the guards.
Sacha’s super power is her hands. Get the ball anywhere in the general vicinity, and she will catch it, a much underrated skill for a post player. I won’t be the least bit surprised to see her average a double-double. If size becomes a problem against certain larger posts, which it sometimes does, we now have 6’6 Aaliyah Del Rosario to step into the breach along with 6’4 Aiyana Mitchell, a junior who is athletic and has shown some skill but, so far. is locked in that “has potential” stage. Del Rosario seemingly has stayed healthy throughout the offseason, something she has struggled with her first two years of college ball at LSU.
Player Losses
Looking at it in a vacuum, it looks like the team has been decimated. Only Mikayla Blakes returns from last year’s starting lineup, and six of the usual 8-player rotation are gone. Khamil Pierre was dismissed from the team and landed at N.C. State for her junior year. Iyana Moore transferred to Notre Dame for her grad season, and wing Jane Nwaba graduated after serving as a sort of hybrid starter who gave way to another player who graduated, Leilani Kapiinus, early in most games. The other starter, Jordyn Oliver, also graduated but has been hired as the program’s director of player development. Then, a tough blow this summer, Madison Greene suffered a season-ending injury, her second in three years. Greene was set to step into Moore’s shooting guard spot, and I truly felt she would raise the level of play at that position, so her loss cannot be minimized. Still, there is depth at the guard position that could soften the blow somewhat, including senior Jada Brown who does everything well but has not been great at any of them. She’s had to compete for playing time with the likes of Jordyn Cambridge, Iyana Moore, Mikayla Blakes and Madison Greene since arriving on campus. This could be the opportunity she has been waiting for, and I expect she’ll be ready.
Player Additions
Mwenentanda is the key newcomer. She does not have the explosiveness of Pierre and doesn’t leap as well. But, she’s 6’2 and quick and extremely tough. She started 15 of the final 19 games last year for a final-four team, the Texas Longhorns. Texas was about as tough as any team in the country on defense, and coach Vic Schaeffer sang Mwenentanda’s praises all season for how smart and tough and talented she was. She graduated in just three years and decided to play her graduate (and fourth) year elsewhere, and she was one of the most highly prized portal players. In a year where size was at a premium in the portal, she had offers across the country, including SEC schools, one of which was Tennessee. She shot 46 percent from the field and 77 percent from the free-throw line. She is not a three-point shooter (1 of 18). That’s pretty much a wash with Pierre, who was 4 of 23. I think Mwenentanda will also add a lot of intangibles.
Del Rosario picked a good year to hit the portal as teams across the country were beating the bushes in search of size. She played her high school ball right down the road from Vanderbilt in tiny Bell Buckle, Tn., home of Webb School, so she was familiar with the area. She was very highly ranked coming out of high school, a fact that I attribute mostly to her 6’6 frame and the potential that comes with it. I’m hoping she can help in spurts, especially on defense. I suspect her ability to keep up with a fast-paced offense for long periods, but that’s OK. We have Sacha Washington for that.
Freshmen
Aubrey Galvan, twice voted Illinois point guard of the year, has all the skills, some in abundance. Her only question mark is size, 5’6 or 5’7, but it’s not really a major concern. She can light it up beyond the arc, and her drive-and-dish game is elite. She’ll have to learn to contend with SEC guards’ physicality, but that’s something every incoming player has to do. In Greene’s absence, I look to see Galvan teaming with Blakes out front often. I’m really excited to see this kid play.
If coach Ralph wants to go bigger and stronger at guard, 5’10 freshman Ava Jaye Black walks in the door with an SEC body and outstanding skills. Shoots it well outside, passes it well and excels on the boards. Scores very well through contact. Should help at both the two and three positions.
I’m excited about 6’3 Aussie freshman Monique Williams. She was a key part of her country’s recent silver-medal winning Americup team. Can play anywhere from three to five, but I look for her mainly to contribute at the 3/4 with four being the predominant position. Very strong lower body and battles in the paint. Not a great leaper but understands positioning. Excellent passer and can shoot it beyond the arc. I don’t expect a fireworks show from her but a steady rise to become a key contributor.
Consistency
I think this team will be more consistent, and I mention it because Coach Ralph has bemoaned a lack of consistency for four years now. Generally, she’s talking about playing great for a few minutes then seeming to let up and allow teams back into games. Also, she points to a lack of consistency on defense. I can’t even remember the number of times I’ve heard her say, “It can’t just be either a turnover or a layup.” The team did create a lot of turnovers (21 per game, 17th in the country) but also gave up a lot of layups. As much as coach talks about defense being her team’s identity, the numbers show it is not always stellar.
Field Goal Percentage Defense 43.8% (324 nationally out of 356 teams)
Scoring Defense 69.1 ppg (284th)
Best Guess at a Starting Lineup
1 Jada Brown (senior)
2 Mikayla Blakes (sophomore)
3 Justine Pissott (senior)
4 Ndjakelenga Mwenentanda (grad)
5 Sacha Washington (senior)
Among Vandy fans, Brown starting at guard could be a bit of a hot take, I guess. But, she is very steady and, I could see coach Ralph going with her while freshmen Galvan and Black get their bearings on the sidelines and get coached up about what they’re seeing. I think Galvan and/or Black would have to be exceptional in pre-season practice to surpass Brown. If they do, that’s a good thing.
As for a full rotation, I look for eight or nine to get regular playing time with Galvan and Black plus 6’2 junior Aga Makarat, an outstanding outside shooter who will spell Pissott at the three. Del Rosario and Mitchell could share sub duties in the front court.
Coaching
I’m all in on Shea Ralph. She took over a program that was very near full collapse after three starters transferred during the off season before she took over. She had great kids like Jordyn Cambridge and and the incoming Iyana Moore and Sacha Washington to build around, but the talent pool was way down. At the same time, she admits the depth of the league and the grind of the conference schedule were eye openers. By her third season, she had the program back in the NCAA tourney and repeated that in year four. This was to be the year where all her careful team construction reached a new level. With Blakes and Pierre, a truly dynamic duo, set to be bolstered by the return Sacha Washington and the Mwenentanda addition, this was supposed to be her breakout team.
I do think this team, led by Blakes, Washington and Mwenentanda, can be as good as last year. But, it was supposed to be those three plus Pierre. which could have raised expectations to a new level.