The air in Lynchburg, Va. was filled with raucous cheers on Wednesday afternoon as the No. 24 Virginia women's lacrosse team's bench and traveling fans cheered it to a long-awaited first victory. After a grueling opening drought against some of the nation's premier programs, the Cavaliers (1–3, 0–0 ACC) finally broke through, pulling ahead from the Flames (0–3, 0–0 ASUN) early and never looking back.
By the time the final whistle blew, Virginia had secured a convincing 17–8 victory, moving 3–0 in all-time matchups against Liberty.
Both teams entered the contest following winless starts to the season. For the Cavaliers, this was their final opportunity to gain a confident win under their belts before entering the gauntlet of ACC play. They largely succeeded in that mission, outshooting the Flames 37–22 and dominating time of possession.
While the scoreboard reflected the offensive explosion, the real excitement came from the performances put up in the cages. Virginia's Coach Sonia LaMonica currently faces an enviable dilemma — choosing between two elite goalkeepers, senior Mel Josephson and graduate student Elyse Finnelle.
Finnelle, a high-profile transfer from Florida and the 2025 Big 12 Goalkeeper of the year, earned the start and recorded six crucial saves. Josephson, a veteran who anchored Virginia last year with 122 saves across 19 darts in 2025, entered late to provide a steady closing presence.
LaMonica expressed her satisfaction with their efforts and praised the team’s practice style of pushing one another. According to LaMonica, even though there is only one spot for a goalie stick out there, the internal, lighthearted rivalry is making both players better. This approach of testing the waters during games seems to be keeping both goalkeepers sharp — against Liberty, the defense looked more cohesive than it did in last Saturday's hard loss to Maryland.
“We can still improve on finishing better in some moments,” LaMonica said. “But this group is continuing to pound the rock and focused on getting better each day."
The Cavaliers’ offensive improvements were led by junior attacker Madison Alaimo, who currently sits at second in the ACC for assists per game with 3.00. Alaimo tied her career high with four goals by waiting for the Flames defenders to turn their heads or lose their mark before firing. She added three assists to finish with a game-high seven points.
Joining her was junior attacker Addi Foster, who tallied three goals for her fourth consecutive multi-goal game. Foster's play was defined by finesse — performing with aggressive technicality, handling the ball with control while executing strong fakes and finishes.
The game featured a unique family moment as freshman attacker Raleigh Foster — Addi's younger sister — netted her first career goal to open the second half, widening Virginia's gap 9–2. This exciting energy from the siblings provided a spark during a period where Virginia's lead seemed untouchable.
However, beneath the 17 goals and historic draw-control performance by junior midfielder Kate Galica — whose 13 wins on the circle tied for the sixth-most in a single game for a Cavalier — lingering questions remain.
Despite the definitive score, it would be a mistake for the Cavaliers to view this victory as a sign of complete stabilization. Liberty, while a respected program that secured its first-ever ASUN conference title in 2025, does not offer the same tactical resistance found in conference play.
The Flames struggled to maintain possession and lacked the defensive depth to mirror the ACC opponents that Virginia will face next. The Cavaliers still appear to be a work in progress. There were flashes of intentional brilliance, but they were often interrupted by moments of unorganized play and disjointed transitions.
Virginia was able to mask these chemistry issues through sheer possession time, but those cracks could become larger against higher-ranked opponents. A win against an unranked Liberty squad provides a necessary confidence boost for the Cavaliers, but the road only gets steeper from here as Virginia prepares for an avalanche of an upcoming schedule.
This Sunday, the Cavaliers travel to face No. 5 Notre Dame. Despite missing the NCAA Tournament last season, the Fighting Irish have surged into the top five this year and will be a strong competition. Following the battle in South Bend, Ind., Virginia returns home to face No. 2 Stanford, marking a stretch of games that will define whether this team is ready to compete for an ACC title.
For now, the Cavaliers need to keep their eyes on the prize. They came into the Liberty faceoff needing hard action, and left with a victory and additional experience together on the field. If the offense continues to score stealthily, and Virginia's goalkeepers push one another to higher levels, perhaps the No. 24 ranking will soon look like an undervaluation. But for now, the future of the Cavaliers’ season is incredibly uncertain.
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