Shaving and tapering. They may not be the first things that come to mind when thinking about the Virginia women's swimming and diving team. But they could be critical aspects for the Cavaliers in their fight to defend their ACC title when the tournament takes place tonight and this weekend at the AFC.
The team hopes that shaving their bodies and easing up at practices could trim precious milliseconds from their times and cause them to move up in the rankings. And if the ACC standings are any indication of what's to come in the tournament, this one could come down to the wire.
The top four teams -- Maryland, North Carolina, Florida State and Virginia -- are all ranked within four spots of each other in the most recent coach's poll. No. 15 Maryland (11-0, 6-0 ACC) and No. 18 Florida State (15-2, 2-0) both come into the tournament undefeated in the conference. No. 17 North Carolina (7-3, 4-1) enters with one ACC loss, while Virginia (6-4, 4-2) is ranked 19th nationally.
Despite losses to the Tar Heels and the Terrapins during the regular season, the Cavaliers feel they have yet to show their best this season.
"There's going to be a catfight out of four of us," sophomore Rachael Burke said. "We were defending champions last year and we're ready. We haven't rested at all yet this year. For everyone but a couple of us, this is the huge, shaved, tapered meet that we're ready for. In a way, that kind of scares other teams because they know we haven't shown anyone the best yet, and they've all shown us what they got and we've looked at it."
Burke was winner of last's year ACC Rookie of the Year award and is one of three Cavaliers who return after victories in last year's conference tournament. Burke won the 1650-yard freestyle, sophomore Brielle White placed first in the 100-yard backstroke and senior Cynthia Roller swam to victory in the 100-yard butterfly.
Because the tournament is a meet between nine teams that lasts several days rather than the standard multiple hour dual meets, depth and stamina are key factors that could provide the difference in crucial points.
"I think the championship meet presents an entire new set of challenges," coach Mark Bernardino said. "Endurance becomes a critical part of the meet [as does] the ability to stay emotionally ready though seven sessions of swimming in three-and-a-half days. I think a team that's able not to get low in the down times, but yet able to roll with the punches, is a team that will have a great opportunity to win."
That opportunity could come on the last day, when the Cavaliers have some of their strongest swimmers. The 1650 freestyle, the 200 butterfly and the 200 backstroke are all scheduled for Saturday. Virginia has three of the top six times in the 1650 freestyle and two of the top four times in the 200 butterfly.
The Cavaliers also are favored in several other events. The Virginia women have the top five times in the 1000-yard freestyle, and sophomore Katie Gordon and senior captain Amy Baly occupy spots two and three in the 400-yard individual medley.
If the tournament comes down to the final races, another boost for the Cavaliers could be the support of a rowdy home crowd of family, students, professors and the men's swimming team.
"I think it will be more fun for us than anybody else," Burke said. "We're here, we're going to have a crowd of people here ready for us and waiting; and it's our home here, so we're ready to go after it"
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