For the first time in program history, Virginia volleyball will be hosting multiple matchups at John Paul Jones Arena this season — taking on Stanford, California, Virginia Tech, NC State and Wake Forest at the basketball arena in five conference matchups.
Playing several games in a large arena is monumental for the Cavaliers, as they and Coach Shannon Wells have been working hard to transform the program into a lethal conference foe over the past few years. They have had to fight harder than other fall sports for the improved seating and setups which comes with equitable recognition and treatment.
More recently, with Memorial Gymnasium closed for renovations and not slated to reopen until the fall of 2026, it was unclear where the Cavaliers would play in the fall. But with the announcement of the five games at JPJ, not only was this question clarified, but the dedication of the team paid off, enabling them to have a bigger arena to play in and ensuring that they are treated more equitably as a women’s team.
Not long ago, in late October 2023, Virginia got to host a home game at JPJ for the first time since the arena’s opening in 2006, and the crowd that showed up to support the team blew Wells and the team out of the water. A whopping crowd of 3,162 came out, demolishing the previous attendance record of 1,089 over at Memorial Gymnasium.
This was the first sign that the Cavaliers could fill the seats when given the opportunity. Then, last year, the team was given an opportunity to return to JPJ, and yet again, the Cavaliers had a fantastic turnout, with an arena full of 2,892 fans. The fans’ reactions to volleyball’s now-annual JPJ matchup likely influenced this decision for the upcoming season, as it made it clear that JPJ is where the Cavaliers should be.
Memorial Gymnasium — and the Aquatic & Fitness Center where most matches will be played in 2025 — simply does not have the space and capacity that JPJ has, and the volleyball program’s fanbase exceeds it. Giving the team the opportunity to play consistently at JPJ gives every fan the seat they deserve, and it offers a consistently large, energetic crowd to support the Cavaliers at home games.
And these crowds have influence over more than just where the team plays — both matchups at JPJ spurred the team to play like they never had before. They first clinched the Commonwealth Clash against long-time rival Virginia Tech, and second swept Miami, a team that had just upset two ranked opponents.
Looking forward, Virginia’s upcoming schedule is stacked. With 15 home matches — and many conference foes coming to Charlottesville — a huge, rowdy fanbase is exactly what the Cavaliers need.
And this is certainly a team that deserves to be in the spotlight. Despite the confined quarters of Memorial Gymnasium, the volleyball program has earned recent success over the past few years — largely due to Wells joining in spring 2021.
In her first year, Wells helped Virginia earn the best start to the season since 2015, with an 8-4 record in the first 12 games. By 2022, the program began to dominate over both ranked opponents and NCAA Tournament contenders, also earning recognition from being one of the 11 teams to record 16 blocks in a three-set match. By 2023 and 2024, the team had built a newfound standard of success, and was ready to make history.
In addition to being reflective of the growth of Cavalier volleyball, the recent decision to host five games at JPJ matches other systems that conference opponents have in place — ensuring that the Cavaliers have a more level playing field at home.
For example, the Hokies use their Cassell Coliseum to host home matches for volleyball and wrestling, not just basketball. In the context of Virginia Tech’s volleyball program ranking from last season, which was No. 18 out of 18, this is a standard that it believes volleyball deserves and does not necessarily have to earn. Other conference foes that also share one of their largest arenas with both basketball and volleyball include Duke, California, Stanford, Notre Dame and SMU.
The Cavaliers going on the road and playing at these larger stadiums than they are used to, but not being able to match that energy at home games, can hurt the outcome of a match and overall the season. However, by now being able to host five different conference opponents at a stadium that can seat nearly 15,000 fans instead of 2,500, Virginia may have found a new offensive tactic.
But it is not good enough to make this a one-off for just a season — Virginia Athletics should be planning to continuously increase the number of volleyball games at JPJ for the seasons to come. Only allowing a popular women’s sport to play in a larger arena once one believes they have earned it sets a destructive narrative for women’s teams all around.
If these four seasons with Wells match the predicted strength of the program for her upcoming fifth season for Virginia, then the team could be better than ever before. This team has the skills to execute yet another amazing season, and it is well-deserved that this year they receive a higher level of recognition and support that comes with the success.
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