No. 2/1 Vanderbilt comes from behind to beat No. 8/11 Alabama
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – No. 2/1 Vanderbilt picked up its biggest win of the season to date on Sunday, defeating No. 8/11 Alabama on the road, 2-1.
The Commodores (14-0-1, 7-0-1 SEC) fell behind early, but a Courtney Jones penalty on the cusp of halftime sent the SEC’s top two teams into the halftime break level. In the 65th minute, Megan Hinnenkamp cut in on her right foot and struck a belting shot into the upper left corner in what would become the match-winner.
It was the sixth goal of the season for both Jones and Hinnenkamp, tied for second-best on the squad. Defender Mary Beth McLaughlin was credited with her first assist of the season on the match’s final goal.
The victory is Vanderbilt’s third top-25 win of the season (No. 21 Memphis, at No. 9 Tennessee) and their 11th in 14 ranked battles dating back to last season. It’s also the highest-ranked road win since 2015, when they won at No. 8 South Carolina.
Alabama’s (13-3, 6-2 SEC) goal broke a 305-minute streak without conceding for Vanderbilt, but Alexa Gianoplus was nonetheless impressive in a two-save performance in goal. The Dores outshot the Tide, 16-9, with seven finding the frame.
The result, in tandem with South Carolina’s draw at Texas, means that one win or two ties in the final two matches would ensure a regular season title for Vandy, their first since 2018. They will get a chance to secure the conference’s top spot at home on Friday against Texas at 7 p.m.
