Fall is best characterized as a time of transition — a shift from the warm temperatures of summer to the noticeable chill in the air that signifies the new season. This fall also brought transitions for the Virginia women’s golf team. After the 2024–25 season, the team graduated four members of its eight-person roster and brought in three freshmen and a junior to fill those spots.
After a strong start to the fall season, it seemed that the Cavaliers were embracing the change. But they were unable to maintain their early momentum, gradually falling to the transitional chills of fall and finishing their final of four fall tournaments Sunday in 15th place with a 28-over 880 in a highly competitive 19-team field at the Stanford Intercollegiate.
The event, held at the Stanford Golf Course, featured some of the nation’s strongest programs, including six teams ranked in the top 10 and 15 teams — Virginia among them — ranked within the top 50. Amid such strong competition, Virginia’s performance throughout the tournament was marked by moments of untimeliness and inconsistency, yet balanced by several strong individual showings that highlighted the team’s potential.
The first day of the tournament showed this potential, with junior Jaclyn LaHa and freshman Remi Bacardi opening with solid even-par rounds of 71. However, sophomore Kennedy Swedick and freshman Yuki Takada could not keep pace, each logging a four-over 75, while junior Mira Berglund’s nine-over 80 placed the Cavaliers in 12th alongside UC Davis.
The second round showed much more of the same inconsistencies but was punctuated by a few strong showings. LaHa posted another impressive round, shooting a one-under 70, while Swedick found her rhythm with a one-over 72. Berglund also bounced back with a three-over 74. But while they went into their own groove, Bacardi and Takada fell behind, shooting a five-over 76 and a six-over 77, respectively.
Now standing at 14th on the final day of the tournament, with hopes of finally putting everything together, the Cavaliers recorded their worst showing of the weekend, combining for a 13-over 296. While Bacardi, Takada and Berglund were able to improve their scores to close out the tournament, both LaHa and Swedick recorded their worst rounds of the weekend, each shooting a four-over 75.
Though the tournament cannot be written off entirely, it did highlight some challenges. While the Cavaliers did not finish the fall as strongly as last year, there were still glimmers of promise across this and other events. Swedick finished in the top four at the Windy City Collegiate Classic, marking her fourth top 10 finish of the fall, while the upperclassman LaHa finished fifth individually and helped lead the team to a runner-up finish at the Wolverine Invitational.
It is clear the Cavaliers have the talent and pieces in place — they simply need to overcome occasional cold stretches to reach their full potential. Entering the offseason, the Cavaliers will reach a much-needed break from the transitions of fall and will look to find some heat in the winter in their next tournament, the Collegiate Invitational at GCC, beginning Jan. 30.
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