The University of Virginia softball team begins ACC play this weekend as they travel to Virginia Tech for a three-game series.
Entering the series, the Cavaliers bring a 13-7 record and a well-balanced attack in pitching and offense.
Junior catcher and outfielder Amy McKean has been raising plenty of eyebrows this season, leading the Cavaliers' offense. Hitting .431, she comes in fourth in the ACC in batting average. McKean has had plenty of power in her bat this season as well, racking up five home runs and a .784 slugging percentage.
"Amy is on fire," assistant coach Carie Dever-Boaz said. "She likes being put on the spot in the game."
The Cavaliers also feature a strong pitching rotation -- senior Erin Horn, sophomore Karla Wilburn and freshman Madi Gore have all collected four wins and have earned run averages below 3.00.
"In the past, pitching wasn't our strength," Horn said. "[This season] is great. We're not having struggles of the past. Karla [Wilburn] is doing great after not pitching in a year."
Dever-Boaz also spoke highly of the three pitchers, emphasizing Gore's success despite being a freshman and noting Wilburn's effective arsenal of pitches.
"Karla [Wilburn] pitches one of the best change-ups in the whole country," Dever-Boaz said.
Virginia Tech features a 17-6 record and, arguably, the ACC's best pitcher -- Angela Tincher, who owns a conference-best 0.58 ERA and an 8-2 record.
Horn does not see Tincher as a serious threat.
"I think it'll be a good series," Horn said. "We've faced good pitchers before and we did fine."
As they enter ACC games, the Cavaliers will need to raise their level of play. Virginia Tech received 25 votes in the most recent USA Today Top 25 Poll and North Carolina is ranked No. 25.
"I would expect the ACC to be tougher than what we've seen so far," McKean said.
Dever-Boaz echoed McKean's sentiments. She expects the team to perform with as much success as they have already displayed.
"It's going to be a step up in competition," Dever-Boaz said. "But [the ACC teams] are very similar to some of the teams we saw [last week] in California."
With a strong lineup, the Cavaliers are not worried about getting runners on base; rather, the concern is manufacturing runs.
"We're getting people on, but we need to get better at getting people across the plate," Dever-Boaz said.
When a runner gets on base, the hitter has the opportunity to contribute, even if she makes an out, by advancing the base-runner. These are the opportunities the Cavaliers are hoping to take advantage of against the Hokies.
Thus far the team is pleased with their body of work as a whole, but they know plenty of work is ahead of them. In a sense, the season is just beginning.
"I thought we made a lot of improvements in California," McKean said. "We're not quite where we want to be, but we're getting there."
Entering ACC play, fans should expect plenty of excitement. Six of the eight teams in the ACC feature a winning percentage of .600 or higher, and a strong favorite is yet to be found. The Cavaliers feel that the conference could go to just about anyone.
"It's going to be a dog-fight to win the ACC," Dever-Boaz said. "You've got to avoid getting swept, but if you lose one [game], you won't get taken out of it."
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