Local Triumph: Lipscomb, Tennessee Tech, and Vanderbilt Women’s Soccer Teams Secure Conference Championships

By David Oglesby

In a remarkable display of skill and determination — and highlighting the dominance of Tennessee women’s soccer this year — the women’s soccer teams from Lipscomb, Tennessee Tech, and Vanderbilt each clinched their conference championships, setting the stage for an exciting NCAA Tournament. These victories mark major milestones for the programs and position all three teams as strong contenders on the national stage.

Photo by Lipscomb Athletics

Lipscomb University — A Historic Win, Lipscomb continued its recent dominance, winning the ASUN Championship for the second straight year with a 3–0 victory over North Florida at the Lipscomb Soccer Complex. The Bisons controlled the match from the start, dictating tempo and creating the better chances.

Graduate student Maddy Rhodes opened the scoring in the 27th minute with a back‑heel finish from a driven ball into the box. Junior captain Bella Carapazza marshaled the midfield all afternoon and was named ASUN Tournament MVP for her tournament‑long contributions. In the 65th minute senior captain Lucy Hurst finished a rebound to make it 2–0, and junior forward Hailey Johnson sealed the title in the 74th minute with a composed strike to push the score to 3–0.

Defensively Lipscomb was resolute, with the back line and goalkeeper Kaïna Cesar preserving the clean sheet. Lauren Bennett, Hailey Johnson, and Tatum Ahlemeyer joined Carapazza on the ASUN All‑Tournament Team.

With the win the Bisons secured the ASUN’s automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA Tournament and will aim to defend their program’s conference crown on the national stage. The NCAA selection show is scheduled for Monday, November 10 at 3 p.m. CST.

Photo by TTU Sports

Tennessee Tech — Rising to the Challenge, Tennessee Tech soccer reached the summit, claiming the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Tournament championship with a 2–0 victory over Lindenwood. In the 79th minute, Katie Toney scored twice in a span of 34 seconds — first heading home an assist from Tori Soutuyo, then converting a penalty after Natalie Howard was fouled — to lift the Golden Eagles to the title. Tech’s defense limited Lindenwood to just one second‑half shot, and goalkeeper Maggie Conrad made five saves to record her 24th career clean sheet and was named OVC Tournament MVP.

The Golden Eagles (7–6–8) earned the OVC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament — Tech’s second NCAA appearance and first since 2000 — and extended their program‑record unbeaten streak to 11 matches. Toney’s brace moved her to 23 career goals, one shy of second place on the program’s all‑time scoring list. Tech also tied the program record with five consecutive shutouts and placed four players (Conrad, Toney, Melina Hamm, and Ebba Melin) on the OVC All‑Tournament team.

TTU Athletics will host a free viewing party Monday during the NCAA selection show in the Eagles Nest at the Hooper Eblen Center.

Photo by Vanderbilt Athletics

Vanderbilt captured the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Championship in dramatic fashion, defeating LSU on penalties after a 1–1 draw. The Commodores entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed, riding a six‑game winning streak and a No. 8 national ranking, and finished the SEC Tournament with three wins to claim their first SEC title since 2020 and the program’s fifth overall.

After a quarterfinal 2–1 win over Alabama—sparked by goals from Reagan Pentz and Olivia Stafford—and a dominant semifinal performance against No. 19 Georgia highlighted by a two‑goal game from Sydney Watts, Vanderbilt faced LSU in the final. The championship was decided by an extended penalty shootout, which Vanderbilt won, with goalkeeper Sara Wojdelko making key saves and playing an instrumental leadership role.

Wojdelko earned SEC Goalkeeper of the Year honors during the season and was outstanding in Pensacola, recording 10 saves across the three tournament matches and several crucial stops in the shootout. Her play helped anchor a defense that produced multiple clean sheets and gave the Commodores the platform to flourish offensively.

With the SEC crown, Vanderbilt extended its winning streak to nine matches. The Commodores enter the NCAA Tournament as one of the region’s most formidable teams and are expected to receive a top seed, setting them up to host early rounds and make a deep postseason run.

Looking Ahead - As the NCAA Tournament begins, Lipscomb, Tennessee Tech, and Vanderbilt each bring distinct strengths and depth to the field. Fans across Tennessee are rallying behind these teams and others (expect Memphis and the Vols to also recieve bids into the NCAA tournament), as Tennessee soccer has a great chance to go deep in the tournament. Beyond immediate results, these programs represent a pipeline of talent that will keep Tennessee colleges successful for years to come.