No. 3 women’s soccer sweeps late week slate versus George Mason and George Washington
(09/01/21 4:45pm)
At George Mason, Aug. 26
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At George Mason, Aug. 26
No. 3 Virginia is ranked highly in the United Soccer Coach ranking after an impressive run to the semifinals in the 2020 College Cup — which took place in the spring of 2021 — and four big wins to start the season. The first three were shutout wins — the first, an impressive 8-0 win over Richmond that featured five different goal scorers, the second being a 1-0 victory over West Virginia and the third, a 2-0 defeat of George Mason. Most recently, Virginia crushed George Washington 6-1 after getting on the board early. While it’s still early in the season, let’s break down Virginia’s schedule, roster and share some predictions for the squad.
No. 4 Virginia women’s soccer delivered in a tough non-conference battle against No. 12 West Virginia Sunday in Morgantown, W.Va. The Cavaliers (2-0-0, 0-0-0 ACC) downed the Mountaineers (1-1-0, 0-0-0 Big 12) 1-0 thanks to a goal from junior attacker Diana Ordoñez in the seventh minute.
Virginia is a basketball school, evidenced by championship wins and consistent push of talent into pros. Every year since 2014, the Cavaliers have had someone from the men’s basketball team sign to an NBA team, while the women’s basketball team claims WNBA All-Star and Hall of Famer Dawn Staley and 2020 WNBA Draft first-round pick Jocelyn Willoughby as alumni. What many may not know is that the Cavaliers also bridge international waters — most recently, in the Olympics.
Three former Virginia soccer players appeared in the sport at the Tokyo Olympics. Combined, they played 966 minutes and registered a grand total of one shot, zero assists and zero goals. But all three players — American women Becky Sauerbrunn and Emily Sonnett and New Zealander Joe Bell — made contributions well beyond the box score.
In March, Virginia women’s swimming and diving won its first national championship, soundly defeating its competition. However, for four Cavaliers, a national championship was simply not enough as they traveled to Tokyo to compete on swimming’s biggest stage and brought home hardware for the United States.
After bringing home the National Championship, several athletes on the Virginia women’s swimming team had high hopes heading into the United States Olympic Trials. Those hopes were realized as the Cavaliers saw four women qualify for the United States Olympic team ahead of this summer’s Tokyo Olympic games, while Virginia Coach Todd DeSorbo was named an assistant coach to the Olympic team’s staff.
Day one
For the fifth time in program history, Virginia is advancing to the College World Series. To get to the Super Regionals, the Cavaliers (35-25, 18-18 ACC) had to win four straight elimination games during the Columbia Regionals — a hefty task they handled with poise. After this amazing feat, Virginia was pitted against Dallas Baptist in this best-of-three Super Regionals series. In the first game Saturday, the Cavaliers fell by one run to the Patriots (41-18, 18-6 MVC). Virginia turned it around quickly, however, and won the next two matchups — advancing to the big stage in Omaha, Neb. for the first time since 2015.
Day one
This is the second national championship for Coach Lars Tiffany during his five years with the Cavaliers.
In the most unique of years, the Virginia men’s lacrosse team is the last one standing. Two years removed from the 2019 national championship game, in which Virginia took down Yale 13-9, the No. 4 Cavaliers (14-4, 2-4 ACC) held on to win in nail-biting fashion against long-time rival No. 3 Maryland (15-1, 10-0 Big Ten) in a thrilling matchup.
After splitting the two regular season matchups, No. 5 Virginia (13-4, 2-4 ACC) was able to take down No. 1 North Carolina (13-3, 4-2 ACC) in the rubber match to advance to the 2021 NCAA Championship game. In an absolute thriller, the Cavaliers rode a 12-8 fourth quarter lead to hang on in a 12-11 victory. Redshirt freshman attackman Connor Shellenberger paced the Cavaliers with two goals and four assists, while senior goalie Alex Rode recorded 15 saves on 26 shots faced.
Freshman Emma Navarro became the second player in Virginia women’s tennis history to win an NCAA singles championship Friday, downing Miami senior — and reigning national champion — Estela Perez-Somarriba 6-3, 6-1 in Orlando, Fla. She joins current world No. 50 Danielle Collins — who won NCAA singles titles in 2014 and 2016 — in the record books as she brings home the Cavaliers’ third singles title.
The Cavaliers are returning to Championship Weekend for the second time in the past three years — excluding the shortened 2020 season. We all know what occurred the last time Virginia was in the semifinals in 2019 — then-sophomore attackman Ian Laviano’s overtime goal gave the team a date against Yale. The No. 3 seeded Cavaliers proceeded to upend the No. 5 Bulldogs on the shoulders of then-sophomore attackman Matt Moore who posted four goals and an assist in a 13-9 victory, winning the team the National Championship. It was a picture-perfect way to wrap up the spring during the Year of the Hoo.
Sports have always been bigger than just wins and losses. They play a prominent role in our lives and are deeply interwoven into the very fabric of our society. Countless sociocultural issues are inextricably linked to sports, but they don’t always get the attention they deserve. Over the course of three years writing for The Cavalier Daily’s sports section, I’ve learned firsthand that it's the responsibility of sports journalists to go beyond the box score and shed light on the lesser-known stories within the sports world.
As four years come to an end for hundreds of Virginia student-athletes, we want to reflect on the unique four years these graduating Cavaliers have spent on Grounds. Here, we answer a few key questions about the Class of 2021 and look back on their impact on the University.
Following the Cavaliers’ 2021 regular season, let’s take the chance to acknowledge the immeasurable contributions of this team in its chase for a second consecutive national championship. Virginia, who heartily welcomed back midfielder Dox Aitken — who left the Cavaliers to pursue one year of football at Villanova — as well as long-stick midfielder Jared Conners, entered the 2021 season with a seasoned and uber-talented senior class.
My final days of undergrad have arrived. However, they did not come soon enough. I think seven out of my eight semesters I have had the wonderful fortune of tests scheduled on the last exam day or at least the second-to-last day — this semester was no different.
There’s a great irony surrounding my time covering Virginia sports. I joined the Cavalier Daily sports section because sports were — and always will be — my comfort zone. It was supposed to be a place where, in the midst of all the changes and challenges that come with college, I would feel right at home. I had no idea that the exact opposite would happen, but in the best way. This role and this community of incredibly talented and passionate individuals who gave me a platform to do what I love has truly pushed me to find new passions, skills and perspectives that I am hard pressed to imagine I would have found anywhere else.