The seniors on the Virginia softball team are hoping to miss their graduation. Doing so is a dream they have had since enrolling at the University.
"As a senior, you miss graduation week to go to Regionals," senior third basemen Abby Snyder said. "We don't care at all - we just want to go to Regionals."
The top 64 softball teams in the nation play in Round-Robin "Regionals" for a chance to make the women's College World Series. Making the field would be a first for the Cavalier softball program, which currently holds the dubious distinction of being the only varsity sport at Virginia to have never made an NCAA tournament.
This season, however, may change that. At the moment, Virginia (27-18, 9-5 ACC) ranks second in a highly talented ACC and owns wins against ranked squads such as then-No. 4 Michigan and then-No. 2 Arizona. Moreover, the Cavaliers' nine conference wins this season ties a team record set in 2005. All in all, if Virginia can finish strong in the season's final eight games, it will add a new chapter to the record book.
"We have a little work to do before that happens, but we have a good chance to do it in the next couple of weeks," coach Eileen Schmidt said about making Regionals. "If we just continue to do what we're doing, good things happen to teams that work hard and make their own luck."
During Schmidt's third year as coach, the Cavaliers are finally beginning to click together. They boast a legitimate ace in freshman pitcher Melanie Mitchell and a fearsome heart of the order in senior right fielder Sarah Tacke and senior pitcher Nicole Koren.
"Our heads are in the game more this year - our pitching has gotten a lot better, and our team chemistry has gotten a lot better," Tacke said.
Snyder could not agree more.
"Our team works together this year better than we've ever have before," she said. "We're definitely a team this year, everybody is contributing at different points ... which makes winning even more fun."
The three seniors on the team - Snyder, Tacke and Koren - have been at Virginia even longer than their coach. The team's struggles therefore have been a much more bitter pill for them to swallow and the winning that much sweeter.
"Going to Regionals would mean everything to us as seniors," Koren said. "We've been here a long time and have been through a lot of hard times with the team. Just being able to see where it's gone is incredible, and I'm excited for the future of U.Va softball."
Softball is often a forgotten sport at Virginia, and the players understand that. They realize that they won two conference games last season while the baseball team competed in the College World Series. They know they play in a park that is so far from campus - past the Law School - not even the University Transit System services it.
"We always wish more people would come out, but it's hard because nobody knows where we are," Snyder admitted.
Those that are willing to make the trek may be rewarded with witnessing history during the Cavaliers' postseason chase.
"We're having the best season we've had since I've been here," Snyder said. "To go to Regionals would put the cherry on top of all of it. That would be a dream come true"
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