So the Commodores (11-8-1, 5-6 Southeastern Conference), winners of four straight before falling in the first round of the SEC Tournament to LSU last Wednesday, will watch and wait to see if they made the cut.

 

The field will be announced on ESPN News at 7 p.m. CDT.

 

“We’ll be waiting with anxious breath, there’s no doubt about it,” said Vanderbilt head coach Ronnie Woodard. “We’ll probably train immediately if we see our name go up there, which would be exciting and a true credit for these girls. I can’t say enough positive things.”

 

Despite the hot streak to end the season, no things are ever guaranteed with the NCAA.

 

“Do I think we’re one of the 64 best teams? Yes,” Woodard said. “Am I sure that we’re going to get that bid? No, I’m not positive. I’m sitting on the fence myself. So hopefully we’ll see our name, but at the same time … let’s just leave it with, I’m hopeful.”

 

After posting four straight shutout wins, the Commodores allowed the Tigers two goals in the first 20 minutes on Wednesday at Orange Beach. Sophomore midfielder Candace West headed in a cross from junior midfielder Molly Kinsella to narrow the lead to 2-1, but the Tigers added another goal before halftime to go up 3-1 and controlled the second half from there.

 

“I think LSU came out full of energy and extremely relaxed going into our match,” Woodard said. “We played as if we hadn’t been there, so to say. We were a little nervous and we played a little tentative, and LSU just felt it and they were all over us early in the game. To our girls, a great learning experience because we came out a bit apprehensive.”

 

They’re even more apprehensive now, as Vanderbilt’s RPI was 46 going into Sunday, making the Commodores what Woodard called an “extreme bubble team.” The final RPIs on Selection Monday are not released to the public.

 

However, seeing as teams with RPIs of 48 and 49 made the field last year, the Commodores were practicing hard over the weekend and working out the kinks in defense and overall game mentality that hurt them in the loss to the Tigers.

 

Helping out Vanderbilt’s RPI was the fact that LSU reached the title game Sunday where they fell to South Carolina.

 

“We know where we are,” Woodard said. “If the NCAA puts our name out there (Monday) as the 7th team from the SEC, we want to be ready. We didn’t want to miss any opportunity to get better.”

 

It’s been a remarkable turnaround overall for the Commodores, who weren’t even sure they would make the SEC Tournament three weeks ago. Woodard has appreciated the grit and development her players have demonstrated in crawling back from the rough start to the cusp of the NCAA Tournament.

 

“We learned an awful lot about ourselves towards the end of the year, and I think we became better soccer players throughout the year,” she said. “They always believed that they could continue to win, and I think it’s a great lesson for any team that we have at Vanderbilt, that the season’s not done until you play your last game.”