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Women’s golf steamrolls competition, claims first-ever ACC championship

<p>The No. 11 Cavaliers became the first team from outside North Carolina to win an ACC championship. Virginia outshot second-place Duke by 26 strokes. </p>

The No. 11 Cavaliers became the first team from outside North Carolina to win an ACC championship. Virginia outshot second-place Duke by 26 strokes.

The Virginia women’s golf team put on a show Thursday-Saturday at the ACC championships in Greensboro, North Carolina. The No. 11 Cavaliers captured their first-ever conference title in dominant fashion — Virginia outshot second-place No. 5 Duke by 26 strokes — while becoming the first team from outside North Carolina to claim an ACC crown.

“We’ve been close so many times, and to do it this year with a special group of young ladies and the way they did it by performing under the pressure — it was unbelievable to watch,” coach Kim Lewellen said.

Virginia improved throughout the three-day, 54-hole tournament while posting the 11-team field’s lowest score in every round. The Cavaliers led Florida State by a single stroke after Thursday’s opener but ran away from the competition with a 9-under 279 Friday and an 8-under 280 Saturday at Sedgefield Country Club.

Senior Briana Mao paced Virginia, firing a 10-under 216 to conclude Saturday’s final round atop the leaderboard alongside Duke freshman Leona Maguire. The Folsom, California native fell to Maguire in a two-hole playoff to finish the tournament in second place.

Junior Lauren Coughlin and sophomore Lauren Diaz-Yi joined Mao in the top five, shooting 6-under 210 to tie for fourth. Freshman Lyberty Anderson placed seventh at 4-under 212, while junior Elizabeth Szokol finished 20th at 2-over 218.

Virginia will compete in the NCAA regionals May 7-9 before traveling to Brandenton, Florida for the NCAA championships in late May.

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