Virginia women’s lacrosse faced off against Richmond in Charlottesville Wednesday, hoping to get in the win column for the first time in the 2026 campaign. The Cavaliers (0-2, 0-0 ACC) fell short by a 12-11 margin to the Spiders (1-1, 0-0 Atlantic 10) in a neck-and-neck affair. Due to icy conditions at Klöckner Stadium, the contest was played on the nearby Virginia practice field, where fans were barred from attending.
The Cavaliers’ loss was characterized by lapses in defensive judgment. During both halves, Richmond attackers were able to find openings to dodge and receive passes while cutting, leaving the Virginia net exposed. The Cavaliers’ goaltending, which is usually solid, was only able to muster three saves on the day, compared to the Spiders’ 10. The goalkeepers were faced with a tall task, given that most of Richmond’s goals came on exceedingly open looks.
The disparity should not take away from the heroics of the Spiders’ junior goalkeeper Abby Francioli, who made several game-altering saves in the latter stages of the contest. All in all, Richmond played a complete game on both ends — eight different players found the back of the net for the Spiders.
On Virginia’s side, junior attackers Jenna DiNardo and Addi Foster tallied three and four goals, respectively, while junior attacker Madison Alaimo collected a hat trick of assists.
Despite falling in back-to-back games by a total of just three goals, the Cavaliers retain their resolve — a resolve to put these losses behind them and push forward, something that Foster emphasized postgame.
“This is just fueling the fire,” Foster said. “And we are just going to keep believing in each other, keep working hard, keep making each other better every single day, and just focusing one day at a time, one game at a time, and not looking forward or focusing on the past.”
Virginia started the game off strong, quickly grabbing a 3-0 lead, but the Spiders would close the first quarter by scoring three of their own within a 2:06 interval. The second quarter remained tight, but Richmond pulled away towards the end to establish a two-goal lead going into halftime.
The second half saw the Cavaliers regain some control, but Virginia still went into the final period down 12-9. The Spiders were held scoreless in the fourth quarter, yet they did just enough on the defensive end to slow down the Cavaliers, who were unable to tie the game up.
Despite some great ball movement by the Virginia attack, it lacked the extra punch and finishing touch that was necessary to complete the comeback. Combining a lack of clinicality with two green cards in the final five minutes made the mountain too tall to climb.
The Cavaliers simply did not do enough to earn their first win of the season, but signs of life were certainly present. If Virginia can combine its second-half defensive display with some added consistency on the offensive end, a semblance of last season’s dominance may be in sight. However, the fact remains that the Cavaliers are winless, and need to get back on their feet quickly so that their season does not spiral so early.
With a tough schedule up ahead, Head Coach Sonia LaMonica needs to get Virginia back to its national-contending ways against some of the nation’s best. One thing that the Cavaliers have to their advantage is the unwavering belief of their third-year coach.
“I think our next opponent is a great opportunity to bounce back and, you know, really show what we're made of, because we've got a great team,” LaMonica said. “We just have to do better in some moments, and we're going to have an opportunity to do that.”
Virginia will have that chance to earn their first win of the season when they head to College Park, Md., to face No. 6 Maryland Saturday. The first draw is set for noon and will be streamed on B1G+.
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