The PA announcer at University Hall Turf Field has had to get used to saying Inge Kaars Sijpesteijn’s name a lot this year. The senior midfielder from the Netherlands is the backbone of the No. 10 Cavaliers, who are having one of their best seasons in recent memory.
Sijpesteijn is playing her final season in Charlottesville, ending her collegiate career very differently from how she started it. Sijpesteijn began her collegiate career in 2004 in East Lansing, Mich. playing for Michigan State University under Michele Madison. In her one year at Michigan State, Sijpesteijn played in all 20 games for the Spartans, finishing second on the team in scoring with eight goals while also adding four assists. Following Madison’s hire at Virginia in 2006, Sijpesteijn made the decision to join her coach in Charlottesville. Madison is the only NCAA field hockey coach to take three teams — Michigan State, Virginia and Temple — to the NCAA Tournament, and this fact does not go unnoticed by her players.
“She is the best coach I’ve ever had, [and] I didn’t want to leave her,” Sijpesteijn said of her decision to follow Madison to Virginia.
Madison is more than just a coach to Sijpesteijn; she is a mentor and friend.
“She gives me so much confidence in my game,” Sijpesteijn said. “And I have so much fun playing for her [because] she just wants to have fun [and wants you to] give it your all.”
The addition of Sijpesteijn and Madison brought life to the Virginia program. In their first year in Charlottesville, Sijpesteijn and Madison helped lead the team to a 14-8 finish and a berth in the NCAA Tournament, its first appearance since 2001. Sijpesteijn was named a first team All-American by womensfieldhockey.com during her first year as a Cavalier, and her performance that year put her in the Virginia record books as well. Sijpesteijn netted 14 goals that season, which tied her for sixth all-time in goals for Cavalier sophomores during a single season.
“Inge is just a brick wall,” Madison said. “She’s always there. She is always focused.”
This season, Sijpesteijn and the rest of the Cavaliers are 10-3 so far this season, the best mark by the team after 13 games since Madison and Sijpesteijn have arrived at Virginia. Sijpesteijn leads a defense near the top of national rankings that has allowed just 1.31 goals per game.
Sijpesteijn and the rest of the upperclassmen have played not only a key role on the field through their efforts to guide a freshman class that has been a big key to Virginia’s success this season.
“The upperclassmen are great,” freshman midfielder Paige Selenski said. “They help us so much on the field and off the field. Our team grows so well together and we are so close. I couldn’t ask for better upperclassmen than I have.”
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