Hilltoppers continue uphill battle
The Virginia cross country team remains undefeated after both the men's and women's teams finished first at the George Mason Invitational last weekend.
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The Virginia cross country team remains undefeated after both the men's and women's teams finished first at the George Mason Invitational last weekend.
The Virginia men's and women's cross country teams opened their seasons this past weekend, hosting the Lou Onesty Invitational at Panorama Farms. The Cavaliers managed to start their seasons off on the right foot, as both squads finished first in their respective events.
The Virginia cross country team will host the Lou Onesty Invitational at Panorama Farms to open its season Saturday.
The Virginia rowing team is widely recognized as one of the most talented national programs. Just this spring the Cavaliers' Varsity Eight squad placed fourth in the country at the NCAA championships, highlighted by a second place finish to Stanford that was determined by three-tenths of a second. And this summer, several Cavaliers captured a taste of international competition in the World Championships held in the Czech Republic, France and Poland.\nCoach Kevin Sauer said he believes the experience gained from competing internationally will help motivate the team to perform at an even more impressive level.\n"Having those kids as part of the team is an important factor," Sauer said. "They bring a level of accomplishment to the team that rubs off on everyone else."\nSenior Lauren Hutchins, a member of last season's Varsity Eight and a captain of the squad, competed in the Under-23 World Rowing Championships in the Czech Republic as a member of the Canadian team, finishing fourth in the women's eight. She also competed in the World Championships in Poznan, Poland, helping the Canadian team notch a third place finish.\n"Competing in both the Under 23 and the Senior World Championships was a tremendous experience for [Hutchins]," Sauer said. "She was in Europe for quite a while training for and racing in the events ... She works really hard, and sets a good example for people to aspire to."\nHutchins was not the only team member to represent the Cavaliers in the U-23 Championships. 2009 University graduate Victoria Burke and senior Summers Nelson participated in the U.S. team in the lightweight squad, finishing with a silver medal.\nThe open squad also featured two 2009 All-Americans, 2009 graduate Amanda Chase and senior Desiree Burns, both of whom helped the U.S. to a third-place finish.\nSenior Helen Tompkins participated in the women's single and notched an eighth place finish at the event.\nVirginia also was represented by two rowers in the Junior World Rowing Championships, held in France. Freshman Kristine O'Brien competed in the women's pair event, and freshman Betsy Nilan was in the women's four. The teams finished in sixth place in both races.\nOne former Cavalier, meanwhile, has built upon her success at Virginia with a string of impressive achievements in international competition. 2003 graduate Lindsay Shoop represented the U.S. in the women's eight at the World Championships in Poland. The team finished first in its heat and went on to win the gold medal for the event.\n"It reminds me of why you like what you are doing," Shoop said. "You end up doing a lot of training and workouts, and it feels good to see it all pay off, and show the world that you really enjoy what you do"
The Virginia softball team travels to Florida State this weekend for its final series of the regular season, hoping to pull an upset and finish the season strong against the No. 19 Seminoles.Virginia (25-18, 2-12 ACC) has struggled in ACC play this season, as the team managed its only wins against conference opponents early in the ACC schedule. Offensive production has been hard to find for the Cavaliers, who have averaged about two runs per game against conference opponents this season.Adjusting offensive play will be critical if Virginia wants to overcome Florida State’s potent pitching. As a team, Seminole pitchers boast a total ERA of 1.26, including 19 shutouts. Florida State (35-13, 11-4 ACC) is led by two pitching standouts, sophomore Sarah Hamilton and junior Terese Gober, who combined have kept opponents’ batting averages below .200 and totaled more than 400 strikeouts.Because the Seminoles have been able to significantly minimize their opponents’ opportunities to score this season, Virginia junior pitcher Nicole Koren said the Cavaliers will need to take advantage of any opportunities they receive on offense.“We need to string our hits together more,” Koren said, adding that it will be important to “focus on our contact points, and attack pitches.”Virginia has gone up against several teams this season that have displayed impressive pitching, so what the Seminoles bring to the table is nothing new for the Cavaliers. Senior outfielder Casey Steffan said she believes that Virginia can play successfully against any pitcher the team faces.“I really feel like our offense can score on any pitcher,” Steffan said. “We were able to score three runs off of [North Carolina’s] Danielle Spaulding, who is a notorious pitcher in the ACC.”Florida State also brings an impressive offense to complement its pitching. Though the Seminoles do not rank high in runs scored per game, they have proven an ability to hit with power, boasting impressive extra base numbers. They are also a threat to steal bases, ranking second only to Virginia in the conference in number of bases stolen this season.Though Virginia has not seen much success against ACC teams this season, it has shown that it can compete against the top teams in the conference.“This past weekend was a good example that we can bring it and we can beat teams like that,” Koren said. “I think we all know we can, so that is why we are working this whole week to fix things that have been going wrong every now and then in games so that when we come out we come out strong right from the start.”Unlike most weeks of the past few months, the Cavaliers did not play any games in the middle of this week, allowing the team time to recuperate and potentially return to form.“I think we are getting back on track offensively, with base running, and defensively,” Virginia coach Eileen Schmidt said. “Now it’s getting consistency in the circle like what we had towards the beginning of the season.”
The Virginia softball team played its final home series of the season this past weekend against Georgia Tech. The Cavaliers failed to find an answer for the ACC’s leading offense, however, and the Yellow Jackets swept the series.With the losses, Virginia continued its late-season slide. The Cavaliers have won only two conference games this season. After a promising start, the team has regressed, struggling in losses similar to the ones Virginia suffered last year.“We haven’t really been hitting on any cylinders the past couple of weeks,” Virginia coach Eileen Schmidt said, “especially in the circle. We were using this weekend to do some things better.”The Cavaliers struggled offensively in Saturday’s doubleheader, whereas the Yellow Jackets’ potent offense dominated both games. During the first game, Georgia Tech started quickly, hitting 12 runs in the first three innings. Virginia’s lone run of the game came in the third, when freshman outfielder Giannina Cipolloni hit a triple to bat in senior shortstop Carly Winger, who hit an infield single in the previous at-bat. Georgia Tech added two more runs in the fifth to close out the game, 14-1. Senior pitcher Karla Wilburn suffered the loss after giving up seven runs off six hits in two innings.Georgia Tech’s bats were on fire again in the second game of the doubleheader, as a seven-run first inning led to a 13-4 Yellow Jacket victory. Virginia continued to struggle at the plate, picking up just three hits, two by Winger. Junior pitcher Nicole Koren only lasted through the first inning, giving up seven runs off six hits in the loss.Though Sunday saw another Cavalier loss, Virginia played much more respectably than during the two Saturday games. Virginia scored first Sunday when senior outfielder Sarah Tacke hit a home run in Virginia’s first at-bat of the second inning. After loading the bases in the third, Virginia picked up two more runs to increase its lead to 3-0.Georgia Tech’s offense finally made it onto the scoreboard with a solo home run in the fifth. A pair of Virginia errors in the sixth also gave the Yellow Jackets momentum and helped them take a 5-3 lead.All four of Virginia’s pitchers saw action in the deciding sixth inning of Sunday’s game. Wilburn, the starter, came into the inning having only given up one run, the homer in the fifth. She was taken out of the game after Georgia Tech batted in two runs to tie the score, though, and Koren came on in relief. She only picked up one out, however, before sophomore Allee Rife replaced her. Rife gave up what would be the game-winning run off a double by freshman third baseman Danielle Dike. Freshman Stephanie Coates then finished the inning, holding the Yellow Jackets to a hit and a walk while picking up the final two outs in the sixth.“We did a good job up until [the sixth inning],” Tacke said. “I think we worked really hard this weekend, and things are looking good.”For the Cavaliers’ seniors, Sunday’s defeat marked their final home game of their Virginia careers. Though they were not able to walk away from their final series at The Park with a win, many nevertheless maintained a positive outlook after the disappointing weekend.“This was our last chance to play on our home field,” Wilburn said. “I think it definitely touched our hearts a little bit. We have been here a long time, and it was great to be a part of this program.”Virginia wraps up its regular season next weekend at Florida State before heading to the ACC tournament, set to begin the weekend of May 8.
The Virginia softball team tried to get back on track in the ACC this weekend during a series against the Maryland Terrapins. In the end, however, Maryland swept the Cavaliers, continuing Virginia’s conference struggles. The squad has now lost all three ACC series this season and has dropped five straight conference games.In Saturday’s opener, Virginia (23-12, 2-7 ACC) struck first in the third inning and maintained its edge until Maryland (19-16, 5-4 ACC) chipped in three runs in the fifth off two Virginia errors. Cavalier junior outfielder Nicole Koren notched a home run in the fifth, but the Terrapins added two more runs in the sixth, securing their 5-2 victory. Virginia senior pitcher Karla Wilburn picked up the loss, giving up five runs on seven hits and notching four strikeouts.Virginia’s offense disappeared in the second game, during which the Terrapins shut out the Cavaliers 5-0. The Cavaliers had only three hits to Maryland’s 12, and Koren gave up three runs off seven hits.Sunday started out better for the Cavaliers than the previous two games, but Virginia nevertheless saw another loss, falling 8-4. Senior catcher Carly Winger reached base after being hit by a pitch to lead off the first inning and scored on a wild pitch later in the inning. Though Virginia had the bases loaded twice in the first, the squad could not capitalize, coming away with only Winger’s run.Maryland responded immediately with a home run from junior outfielder Alex Schultz in the second inning to tie the score at one apiece.In a back-and-forth battle, Virginia took the lead again in the third with a home run from freshman outfielder Giannina Cipolloni — her third this season. An error by the Terrapin catcher then allowed Koren to reach first on a strikeout, scoring freshman shortstop Clara Kendall. While Virginia had no hits up to this point, the Cavalier offense exploited Maryland’s frequent fielding mistakes to produce runs.“We were more aggressive to our pitch,” Virginia coach Eileen Schmidt said, adding that Maryland “had a first-year pitcher out there for the first few innings, and she threw a little wilder and harder, which is something we hit better.”The Cavaliers’ hopes of snagging one win in the three-game series were silenced, however, by a Terrapin offensive onslaught in the sixth inning. Maryland tallied seven runs on seven hits to make the score 8-3. Although Virginia cut the lead in the bottom half of the inning on Koren’s 10th home run of the season, the Terrapins still took the 8-4 come-from-behind victory.Despite the sixth-inning breakdown, Virginia’s defensive play in Sunday’s matchup was better than in the previous games of the series.“I think we brought a better mentality to it,” Winger said. “[Wilburn] pitched well for the first five innings, and we had some easy plays.”Through five innings, Wilburn had given up four hits and four walks. With the bases loaded in the first inning, the Cavalier defense helped her keep the Terrapins from scoring.“The energy was a lot greater,” Kendall said. “We dropped it one inning, but when the energy is there, you are ready on every pitch, each pitch gets you there.”Virginia will take a short break from conference play, returning to the field Wednesday with a midweek series against Longwood at the Park.Game Notes:Koren had one hit in each game in the series, extending her hit streak to four games.
Virginia Tech may have lost its best pitcher from last season, but that did not seem to matter against the Cavaliers. The Virginia women’s softball team, hoping to rebound from last weekend’s losses to N.C. State, lost two of three games against the Hokies at The Park this weekend.The series started off well for the Cavaliers, as Virginia (19-9, 2-4 ACC) posted a 5-2 win in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader. It was Virginia’s first win against Virginia Tech (12-17, 3-3 ACC) since the 2006 season. Going into the weekend, Virginia had lost six straight games against Tech; for this reason, it was difficult to articulate just how satisfying it was to break the streak, junior third basemen Abby Snyder said.“It was good to get a win,” Snyder said.Virginia struck first in the early Saturday game, with Snyder batting in two runs to put the Cavaliers up 2-0. The Hokies evened the game after scoring runs in the third and fifth innings. In the sixth inning, with one out, senior outfielder Sarah Tacke and freshman shortstop Clara Kendall both had singles, bringing Snyder back to the plate. Virginia then took an insurmountable lead, as Snyder smacked a three-run shot to deep center field to make the score 5-2.Senior Pitcher Karla Wilburn, pitching a complete game with three strikeouts, earned the win for Virginia.Things did not go as well for Virginia in the second game, however, as the Cavaliers’ only runs came exclusively in the first inning of a 10-2 loss. The two runs cut the Hokies’ lead to one, but the Cavaliers had no answer for Tech’s offense, which scored four times in the third inning and three more runs in the fifth. In her second appearance of the afternoon, Wilburn pitched 2 1/3 innings of the defeat.Virginia hoped to turn things around in Sunday’s deciding game. Virginia Tech got on the board first, though, with a home run in the first from senior third baseman Charisse Mariconda. The Hokies then scored another run in the second off an RBI double by junior catcher Amber Walker.In the bottom half of the second, Virginia had runners on the corners with two outs, and a wild pitch allowed Kendall to score. Virginia then cut the Hokies’ lead to one when sophomore outfielder Alison Pittman dribbled a slow roller to second, allowing junior outfielder Nicole Koren to score.Virginia Tech scored two more times in the sixth to put the Hokies ahead 5-2. Virginia tried to mount a comeback in the final two innings but was not successful. Wilburn pitched the complete game, striking out two and giving up three earned runs in the losing effort.“I think that just for a few innings we did not come out and play our game,” Snyder said. “We came back and got players on base, but we need to have that the entire time.”After taking yesterday off, the Cavaliers now travel to Fairfax, Va. to take on George Mason and will host Liberty Wednesday. Both teams have been up and down this season but are capable of staying in games and putting up tough fights.George Mason has a handful of players that power its offense, which averages almost four runs per game. Liberty, meanwhile, relies primarily on its pitching and defense. Liberty’s pitchers average less than three earned runs per game and strike out five per game, helping make up for a less proficient offense.For the Cavaliers, pitching has been decent, but the team has relied primarily on Wilburn for its strongest performances. She has appeared in the most games this season and pitched in all three this past weekend. Coach Eileen Schmidt said Wilburn is the most successful pitcher on the staff right now, and that is why she has seen so much playing time.“[Wilburn] has been the most consistent,” Schmidt said, adding that “she is our pitching leader and really what we need is consistency on the mound. But that tires her out, and you hope that someone on the staff is able to step up and spell her for a little bit.”Against George Mason and Liberty, the Cavaliers hope Wilburn and the rest of the pitching staff will help continue Virginia’s impressive 17-5 record against non-conference opponents this season. Notes: Before Sunday’s game, Virginia held a rededication ceremony in honor of the recent stadium renovations in the offseason. Virginia Athletic Director Craig Littlepage threw out the first pitch, and several alumnae were on hand to mark this special occasion ... Virginia left nine runners on base Sunday, the most so far this season in any one game.
The Virginia softball team will take on N.C. State this weekend in its first conference games of the season. Virginia was supposed to open its conference schedule last weekend against Boston College, but the games were rained out.N.C. State (10-8) won against top-10 team Oklahoma to start the season but faltered during the Cathedral City Classic, losing all five games. The squad recently has recovered, though, coming alive to win eight of its last 10 games.Even though the Wolfpack is playing strongly as of late, senior shortstop Carly Winger said she believes the Cavaliers will find success against the Wolfpack if Virginia (17-5) continues to play the way it has this season.“On offense, we just need to keep putting up a lot of runs,” Winger said. “If we can do that, our defense and our pitching can definitely hold us in games.”N.C. State, meanwhile, also has a strong pitching staff. As a team, the players have limited their opponents to less than two earned runs per game. The Wolfpack’s best pitcher, junior Lindsay Campana, has 62 strikeouts this season and an earned run average of 1.13. Virginia faced Campana twice last season, winning both games in which she started.Virginia coach Eileen Schmidt noted that seeing Campana play last season should prove beneficial, as the Cavaliers know what they will have to do offensively against the pitcher.“We need to bring her up in the [strike] zone,” Schmidt said, adding that Campana’s drop ball “keeps the Wolfpack in games and keeps the ball in the park. We need to keep her in the zone and hit our pitches.”Recently, one of the Cavaliers’ strongest suits has been their reliable and consistent approach. Through steady play, senior second baseman Casey Steffan said the Cavaliers can continue to pick up victories.“A big thing is just being consistent,” Steffan said. “We take the same approach at the plate as we always do and we don’t really change much from pitcher to pitcher. We just pick our pitches and attack.”Because of the rain-out last weekend, Virginia has had plenty of time to rest and recover from a busy start to its season. Schmidt said the time off allowed players to better prepare for this weekend.“Normally when we don’t play on a weekend, we would like to have games midweek but we didn’t have one scheduled,” Schmidt said. “I don’t think that it matters that the games were cancelled. It just means that we will be well-rested and healthy.”Even though the team could benefit from the respite, some players still missed the opportunity to open conference play last week.“We were disappointed that we didn’t get to play those games and we were looking forward to some ACC competition,” Steffan said. “We have to shift our focus from Boston College to N.C. State, but mentally, we are still the same.”Virginia plays in Raleigh this weekend and will head to Radford next Thursday for a midweek game before returning home to play in-state rival Virginia Tech.
The Virginia softball team plays host to Boston College this weekend as both teams open up their conference schedules.After a relaxing Spring Break, Virginia (17-5) returned to what has become a routine, playing six games in the span of four days. The hustle and bustle of games has not mattered to the Cavaliers, though. They bring a 10-game winning streak into the weekend and have yet to lose at The Park this season.With a quartet of impressive seniors, Virginia possesses excellent leadership that could help guide the team to success.“We have had leadership from not just our seniors,” Schmidt said, “but also from our first-years and our second-years; we are a school of leaders. Our seniors and fifth-years have done a very good job of teaching our freshman and sophomores how it is going to be.”Boston College (8-12), on the other hand, is a relatively young team with only three seniors on its roster. But Virginia should not take its opponent lightly, as the Eagles have proven that they are contenders in the ACC. As a team, BC hits for a 0.258 average and puts up almost four runs per game.Pitching has helped complement Boston College’s modest offense. The pitching staff has a team ERA of 2.75 and averages nearly five strikeouts per game. For these reasons, Virginia cannot become complacent.Both the Cavalier offense and defense have contributed to the team’s success. Virginia scored eight or more runs in seven of its last nine games and did not allow more than four runs in any game during that span. The pitching staff has helped the defense, too, with senior pitcher Karla Wilburn pitching 12 complete games and only surrendering 1.58 earned runs per game. Coach Eileen Schmidt notes that improved mental preparation compared to last season has allowed Wilburn to excel.“She sees a lot of innings,” Schmidt said. “She eats up a lot of innings, and when she is on her game, she keeps us in games. We can hit, so we don’t need a whole lot, and she has done a great job.”Senior catcher Carly Winger works alongside Wilburn to create an impressive one-two combination.“We just work really well together,” Winger said. “I have been calling the game for her, and she has done a good job of hitting her spots and keeping people off balance. We are always on the same page, and that helps us a lot.”Senior outfielder Casey Steffan said she believes the team has used its non-conference games to make necessary adjustments before facing ACC opponents.“We realize that this weekend will be a challenge,” Steffan said, adding that winning “gives us a boost, but it also reminds us that we have some work to do.”But compared to previous years, this year’s team already has exceeded expectations. Virginia’s 17 wins so far top last year’s total — and the conference schedule is just beginning.“The difference between last year and this year is just remarkable,” Winger said. “We are doing so much better. Our offense this year has really turned it around, and as long as we can keep putting up runs each game our defense will be able to hold it.”
Hoping to build on recent triumphs, the Virginia softball team opens its home schedule this weekend in the freshly renovated The Park, beginning with a matchup against George Washington.Virginia (9-5) ends its busy on-the-road run and will play its first home game in three weeks. “There is nothing like playing in your home stadium, especially since ours is brand new, and we haven’t played any games in it yet,” junior pitcher and outfielder Nicole Koren said. “Since it is our home field, we will have our friends and fans, and we won’t have a lot of the fans from other schools. Overall, it’s just different.”Thus far this season, the Cavalier offense in particular has been impressive, averaging nearly six runs per game. Four separate players have hit home runs, and the offensive support has been more than adequate in light of equally superb defensive play.Virginia pitchers only have surrendered an average of three runs per game and have produced a team ERA of 2.56. Most notably, senior pitcher Karla Wilburn has pitched nine complete games — three of which were shutouts. Wilburn said she is confident in the team’s ability to win this weekend.“I think right now our team is in a very good place,” Wilburn said. “We have been playing really well.”During the past three weeks, the Cavaliers have faced some proven postseason contenders, competing well against experienced teams. Virginia coach Eileen Schmidt said she believes that playing against such talent will prove advantageous for the squad.“The competition that we played, especially Louisville and [California,] Fullerton in the Las Vegas tournament, and the first weekend against East Carolina — there are some teams that will make regionals in there, and I liked the way we competed against those teams,” Schmidt said.George Washington (2-4) is a younger team, returning six of last year’s starters and welcoming eight new players to its squad. While it has not yet had as many opportunities to put its team on the field, George Washington has won its past two games.Though the Colonials’ offense has struggled to produce runs early, it recently has proven it can score runs during key points of games. The team’s pitching also has come alive, only giving up five runs over two games, including one shutout.Although the Cavaliers will play against a team that is not as experienced as they are, they must continue to play at a high level if they want to win.“We like to play to us more,” Wilburn said. “We know what our opponents’ strengths and weaknesses are, and we combine them with our own strengths.”The Cavaliers are finishing up the first part of their non-conference schedule, with games this weekend as well as during Spring Break. Next week, Virginia will travel to George Mason before returning home to play against against Rider and Lafayette.
Senior weekend was a success for the Virginia wrestling team, as the squad picked up its first two conference wins of the season.The Cavaliers (11-10, 2-2 ACC) faced N.C. State (4-13, 0-4 ACC) Saturday in the first of two meets, and after staking an early lead, Virginia held on to top the Wolfpack 24-13 at home.The bout between Virginia sophomore Nick Nelson and N.C. State senior Joe Caramanica at the 141-pound weight class was arguably the highlight of Saturday’s win, as the two grapplers fought through three periods and overtime to knot the score at 1-1. In the second tiebreaker, Caramanica pulled out an escape to take the edge, but Nelson came back. The Cavalier sophomore, ranked No. 17 in the nation by InterMat, notched a takedown in the final seconds for a 3-2 victory.“That was such a huge win [for Nelson],” coach Steve Garland said. “Caramanica is an ACC Champion and has been ranked as high as ninth in the country this season. It’s the way Nick beat him — in overtime with 20 seconds left — he took Caramanica down and the place goes nuts. That’s the kind of stuff we want in this gym.”Another important bout took place in the 174-pound class between sophomore Chris Henrich and Wolfpack freshman Jacob Burge. Henrich was able to pull out a 4-3 win, bringing his season record to 32-1 and snapping Burge’s eight-bout win streak. In the 165-pound weight class, Virginia senior Mike Sewell escaped in the second period against N.C. State freshman Quinton Godley to score a 1-0 victory.One day after grappling with the Wolfpack, the Cavaliers capitalized on an emotional edge from Senior Day by toppling another conference foe, Duke (8-4, 1-3 ACC). The Virginia mat men took an early 12-5 lead after junior Calvin Cardillo pulled out a 2-0 victory against Duke redshirt sophomore Robert Holbrook in the heavyweight division, and did not look back.Senior Peter Ferrara, wrestling in his final home bout, added to Virginia’s edge. After mounting an early 7-0 lead against Blue Devil sophomore A.J. Guardado in the first period, Ferrara cruised to a 13-2 victory in the 149-pound weight class.The biggest bout of the day pitted Sewell against Duke senior Addison Nuding in Sewell’s second extended test of the weekend. The contest was close throughout, but Sewell managed to rally in the third to go into sudden-victory time. After 13 seconds in the extra period, Sewell took down Nuding to secure the 4-2 decision and close out his career in Memorial Gymnasium.“This was our last one [at home],” Nelson said, “It meant a lot to the seniors. It was a big match, and they really wanted to leave a lasting impression.”This weekend also marked a turning point for the Cavaliers. Hampered by multiple injuries, including an illness to senior Rocco Caponi, the Cavaliers finally found a way to push through and get the job done against ACC competition.“I think that you can see that it is the beginning of a new era,” Ferrara said. “Just to show the depth our team has, with all of the guys we have out, that we can still step up in matches against Duke and N.C. State and finish the season off with a bang.”With only one match remaining before the ACC Championships, the Cavaliers hope to use these victories as a springboard to greater success.“As a team, it feels pretty good,” Nelson said. “We don’t look at the past; we don’t worry about our record. When it comes times for the ACC Tournament and the NCAAs, that’s when we will be ready.”The Cavaliers head to Maryland for their final match of the regular season Sunday.“We have to use this effort as a motivating factor going through this week and as momentum going into the Maryland match,” Garland said.
Virginia softball will head out to Las Vegas this weekend to play in the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic. The Cavaliers will play six games in four days, including games against Brigham Young and Louisville, which may be among the Cavaliers’ toughest challenges this weekend. Virginia will also battle Southern Utah, South Dakota State, Saint Louis and Cal-Fullerton.This season already looks to be off to a more promising start than those in the past, as the Cavaliers took three of four games on their way to winning the season-opening Pirate Invitational last weekend. In particular, Virginia performed well from both the offensive and defensive sides against Middle Tennessee State and East Carolina. In the four game set, the Cavaliers put 26 runs on the board off 28 hits. The pitchers also held Virginia’s opposition to under four runs per game.After their strong showing in the first week, the Cavaliers are looking forward to the rest of the season and hope to use a boost in confidence to their advantage this weekend.“Obviously we had a good weekend,” senior second baseman Casey Steffan said. “We had good performances from our pitchers, and our offense also played well. Overall, right now we are pretty strong.”Louisville appears to be the strongest of this weekend’s opponents; the Cardinals come in off a tournament victory of their own, winning all five games at the Florida International Tournament. Brigham Young also will be a test; the Cougars won four of six contests at the BYU/UVU Red Desert Classic last weekend, falling only to No. 15 Washington and No. 12 Tennessee. Both schools are not ranked but have received votes in the national poll.Both Southern Utah and South Dakota State, meanwhile, enter the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic with just one win each. Cal-Fullerton, on the other hand, has played just one game thus far, after its three other games last weekend were cancelled because of inclement weather. In their sole softball contest, though, the Titans hit four home runs en route to a convincing 9-2 win in a rain-shortened, five-inning game against Indiana.How the Cavaliers handle the quick turnaround time between games this week will be a good indication of how things will play out for the rest of the team’s season. In this regard, Virginia coach Eileen Schmidt said she has been working with her players to keep them focused and ready to play on short rest.“With only one day of practice, there is not a lot of time to make many significant changes to our team,” Schmidt said. “This week it will be more about mental preparation, as opposed to physically, and remaining focused on what we need to do.”Team members also said they have come a long way since last season, noting that the addition of several new players has helped the team improve both offensively and defensively. Junior pitcher Nicole Koren said she is sure that this year’s team is different from those of years past.“Our skill level has really improved,” Koren said. “Our mental game has also gotten better, and it is really showing on the field. Pitching has been very solid for us so far this year, and our freshmen will help us out.”To continue playing at their current level, however, the Cavaliers may need to continue working to improve in certain areas, Schmidt said. “As far as pitching is concerned we need to do a better job of staying ahead of hitters and making sure we are finishing off innings,” Schmidt said. “On offense, it is important that we make our adjustments quicker and remain aggressive.”While having a big inning every now and then can be uplifting and beneficial, being consistent about putting runs on the board is more essential. In the championship game Sunday against East Carolina at the Pirate Invitational, Virginia put up all 12 of its runs in the final two innings.“We really need to get better at our short game, and being able to score more consistently — not just relying on the big innings to carry us through,” Steffan said. “We want to have a fence post, scoring a run each inning.”With all the excitement surrounding Virginia’s positive start to the season, Schmidt also had some additional words of advice for her team that she hopes will help it show that last weekend’s success was not an aberration.“The most important thing we need to do is keep everything simple,” she said.
The Virginia men’s tennis team will have its hands full this weekend as it hosts two nationally ranked opponents: No. 15 Illinois Friday and No. 30 Notre Dame Sunday.Although the Cavaliers lost three of their starting players from last season, they are currently ranked No. 5 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association preseason poll — a drop from last season’s No. 1 ranking. The team has started its season on a good note, though, with a 7-0 win against William & Mary Tuesday that ran the Cavaliers’ regular-season winning streak to 35 matches. Following an impressive performance last year, when Virginia went undefeated in the regular season and made it to the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament before losing to Georgia, the Cavaliers are looking to improve and return to the NCAA Tournament.One of the team’s key players this year is sophomore Michael Shabaz. Shabaz finished with an overall 18-8 singles record during the 2007-08 season, including an impressive 8-1 conference record. Coming off a strong fall season, in which he beat several ranked opponents, he is currently ranked No. 11 in the ITA singles poll. In last Tuesday’s match against William & Mary, he finished with a win in singles play as well as a doubles victory while paired with senior Dominic Inglot.Though the Cavaliers are without some of the players who contributed to last season’s success, Shabaz said he and his teammates believe this year can be just as good.“Obviously, you can’t replace certain guys like Somdev [Devvarman], who was awesome,” he said. “At the same time, we feel that [the No. 5 ranking] is a good start and we’re looking to climb up.”Usually, it is difficult to improve on the accomplishments of previous seasons, especially when key players graduate. So far this year, however, Virginia coach Brian Boland has been impressed with the progress his team has made.“This is probably some of the most improvement I’ve seen out of a group, collectively, in my entire coaching career,” Boland said. “In terms as a team, they really do work hard. They want to get better; they’re really coach-able.”When the team members work with each other to achieve a common goal, it leads to true accomplishments, Boland added.“I really just want to see the team develop individually and collectively as a team — come together and push each other every day in practice, and the results will take care of themselves,” he said.The players are trying to do what it takes to make this season just as successful as the last. The team is “definitely working harder,” Shabaz said. “We took a different kind of approach to this season with practice, and guys were busting each other. We started doing individuals in the morning and we started practicing as a team in the afternoon. I think just the discipline — day in and day out with practices and stuff — definitely helped me.”Under Boland’s direction, the Cavaliers continue to work on overall improvement by focusing on specific individual skills.“I’m sure everything will come together in the end when we really peak,” Boland said.Even though the Cavaliers expect to return to the NCAA Tournament, they try not to let the fanfare of rankings, streaks and records get in the way of progress.“It’s not such a bad thing,” senior Dominic Inglot said of the Cavaliers’ No. 5 rank compared to last season’s No. 1. “People won’t be expecting us to do as well as I think we can do. It takes a lot of pressure off us, but yet we have the confidence in ourselves and the team’s ability to do well.”
The Virginia women’s soccer team will attempt tonight to do something it has never done before: go toe-to-toe with the North Carolina Tar Heels and win.After winning their last game against Boston College, the No. 8 Cavaliers (12-2-1, 6-1 ACC) are undefeated at home this season, and sophomore midfielder Kika Toulouse considers this game as a great opportunity to end their losing streak against No. 2 North Carolina.“Coming off beating a team we never beat before, we just want to keep that going against UNC since we’ve never beat them,” Toulouse said. “We just want to keep this momentum going and it’s a good feeling that we want to keep as long as we are at home.”North Carolina (14-1-1, 7-0 ACC) is known as a stronghold of women’s college soccer, having won the ACC Championship 18 times, as well as 18 NCAA titles since 1982. Tar Heels coach Anson Dorrance has coached the Tar Heels through all their championships.Virginia coach Steve Swanson has been preparing his team for the game.“With UNC you know what you are going to get,” Swanson said. “They are going to come at us and send a lot of numbers forward. It’s nothing we haven’t seen. It will be good for us at home; it’s always been a good match with them. It’s now a matter of getting our rest and preparing for them this week.”When preparing for any game, evaluating an opponent’s abilities so far that season can be very helpful, but that is not necessarily true with the Tar Heels.“They are always difficult to play against in some ways because you don’t see what they bring throughout the season,” Swanson said. “A lot of teams don’t do what they do. They play a different system; they commit a lot of numbers forward. We have to be ready for that.They will try to take away some of the things we do well. I think we have enough experience here that we will be ready and know what is coming at us.”With postseason prospects at stake, this game has significant ramifications and could determine the ACC regular-season champion. For the Cavaliers, playing in big games is nothing new.“It’s always a big game because it’s Carolina,” Swanson said. “I think there are other big games through the season. All our girls will be excited about it, ready for it, know what to expect. It’s a long haul and we just have to get ready for this next one. We’ve got a week to prepare for them which is good. And it will be good to be at home against them Friday night.”While the Cavaliers may be playing one of their toughest opponents so far this season, they tend to focus more on what they can do to achieve victory.“They are always ranked high, in the top five,” Toulouse said. “We don’t really think much about it. We know we are just as good as them if not better. We just go in there and give it our all and hope for the best.”In the past, the Cavaliers have been able to play close games against the Tar Heels, and they do not expect that to change this time.“They’ve always been one of the top teams in the country,” Swanson said. “So any win against a top team is going to help your confidence. For us, we have been very close. We lost on penalty kicks in the semi-finals of the ACC Tournament last year. We lost in double overtime last year in the regular season ... [They have] been very good games, very competitive games, and hopefully we can break through.”With all that is at stake with this game, the Cavaliers hope their preparation will lead them to success.“We’ll just prepare for what we know they are going to bring at us,” Swanson said. “I think the biggest thing for us right now is to be rested and having the bulk of the week to get ready for them.”
After playing three consecutive games on the road in the last two weeks, including wins in the team’s first two ACC contests against then-No. 8 Florida State and Miami, the No. 10 Virginia women’s soccer team looks to continue its ACC success tonight at home against N.C. State.While on the road, the Cavaliers (8-1-1, 2-0-0 ACC) suffered a tough 3-0 loss to No. 13 West Virginia before recovering to shut out Florida State 1-0 and Miami 2-0. Virginia coach Steve Swanson said he feels the Cavaliers are right where they need to be in order to be competitive in the ACC.“I thought from Sunday to Thursday, when we played Florida State, everything we talked about, they executed,” Swanson said. “I felt we put in one of our best performances of the season thus far on Thursday to beat a very strong Florida State team at their place. I think it shows the potential of this team — that’s for sure.”Senior midfielder Kelly Quinn said she believes the aftermath of the Cavaliers’ loss to West Virginia gave the team an opportunity to reconsider its vision for this season.“I think we learned our lesson against West Virginia,” Quinn said. “I think we needed that. We can’t take anything lightly.”Swanson said he is pleased with how the Cavaliers have been playing recently.“On the road in the ACC, it’s hard to get wins,” Swanson said. “We feel very good coming out of [Florida] with two good results.”Though the team is pleased with its two conference wins, Swanson said he knows the importance of not focusing too much on past successes.Moving on mentally “is very important that when you play Florida State and you leave that game there, and you get ready for Miami,” Swanson said. “Then you play Miami and you leave that one, and you get ready for the next one. You can’t think too far back, and you can’t think too far forward. You really just have to stay in the present.”The Cavaliers have had great success at home this season. After being away for a few games, they are ready to defend their home field.“We’re happy to be home; that’s for sure,” Swanson said. “We’ve been away for a little bit, but it will be nice to be home on Thursday in front of our home crowd at our stadium.”N.C. State will not be an easy match for the Cavaliers. Winning only one of its past four games, the Wolfpack will try to find its rhythm against the No. 10 team in the nation.“The main thing about N.C. State is they are always an under-ranked team,” said Quinn, who also noted that she thought coming off two wins will make much a difference. “We just have to make sure we don’t take them lightly.”While playing in arguably the best women’s soccer conference in the nation, even a game against an unranked ACC foe like N.C. State demands the team’s full attention and effort.“For us, it doesn’t matter what ACC team we play, we realize that anybody can beat anybody on any given day,” Swanson said. “We have a senior enough group that understands that. Our first-years are certainly beginning to understand that. That’s really what it takes to do well in this conference.”Although playing at home is something any team enjoys, the Cavaliers see home games as a key to survival in the ACC.“We kind of have a motto,” Quinn said. “We don’t lose in our stadium — we don’t lose at Klöckner.”
Though athletes are directly responsible for a team’s success, it takes much more to ensure that a team reaches its highest potential. The coaching staff is an important asset to any successful team, working with the team members and helping them realize their potential. While most of the credit goes to the head coach, the assistant coaches play just as important a role in preparing a team for a game.First-year assistant coach Ted Wade brings years of volleyball experience to the Cavaliers. Having been an University of Texas assistant coach and working with the U.S. Youth and Junior National Teams, he has been a part of several successful programs and knows what it takes to win.“We finished fifth both years, made the NCAA Tournament, missing the Final Four,” Wade said of his experience at the University of Texas. “It was really good prep to see what college volleyball is about, what it takes to win and how much commitment and time and effort it takes, which I think is one of the reasons [Head Coach] Lee [Maes] likes to have me here, so that experience can carry over to his team.”Working with the 2006 U.S. Women’s Junior National Team, Wade had the opportunity to coach some of the finest players in the world. “We finished fourth in the world,” Wade said. “The kids are super good, the best kids in the U.S. in their age group.”With the Cavaliers, Wade works primarily with the middle blockers and calls blocking schemes with the defense during plays. Having been with the team for several months, he said the biggest challenge is stamina. “Our challenge is to be able to pull out our best game for longer periods of time,” Wade said. “It’s all in there. It’s there for 5 minutes, sometimes 10, 15 minutes. We got to get it to two and a half hours. But it’s in there.”Coaches must work together to make sure everyone is on the same page and focused on the common goal of winning. Maes has high regard for his assistants and knows they are critical to the team’s success.“Ted is our defensive coordinator,” Maes said. “He oversees our scouting, so he does a really nice job in terms of evaluating what an opponent does and it helps. As a staff we get together and we make our game plan based on the work he does in preparation.”The Cavaliers have high regard for Wade’s work. Junior defensive specialist Brittani Rendina said Wade has made a significant impact on the team.“He’s really involved in every play,” Rendina said, “So we always look to him for feedback. We’re really glad to have him; he’s a big contribution.”Senior middle Shannon Davis, who was a part of the Austin Juniors Volleyball Club when Wade worked there, said she appreciates what he does for the team.“He brings so much knowledge to the game,” Davis said. “He’s played and coached forever. I’ve known him for such a long time. He knows the position well, he knows the game well, and he really just adds with our other two coaches to make a great threesome.”Team chemistry, whether it is among players or coaches, is critical for a team to do well. Wade fits in well with the Cavaliers, earning the respect of players and coaches alike. The Cavaliers hope to build upon this team chemistry to have a successful season.
While game skills and playing ability are often used to measure the quality of a team, experience can often make or break a close game.The Virginia field hockey team, though mainly composed of freshmen and sophomores, benefits from the experience of its three seniors. Goalie Amy Desjadon, midfielder Lucy Meyers and back Inge Kaars Sijpesteijn are the leading players on this year’s team, and coach Michele Madison knows the value of that senior leadership to a team.“I wish we had 15 seniors, but we only have three,” Madison said. “They are doing a good job leading the team, keeping the team in it.”Desjadon, who recorded 52 saves in 2007, is aware of the significance of being a leader on the field.“I think it is important not because of my age but more because of my experience,” Desjadon said. “I think just because from a goalie’s point of view you can see everything from behind.”Perhaps the biggest measure of a player’s value to her team is the ability to make others around her better. Inspired by Meyers’ tenacious defense, the Cavaliers have only allowed an average of one goal per game this season.“We have a group of leaders,” Meyers said, “so it’s good to lead by example because you are the older person that people are looking up to. Everyone steps up into the place they are supposed to be.”While the Cavaliers have flourished as a team, the seniors have had their own memorable moments. Desjadon, who has played in all nine games this year, has a 0.78 goals against average this season. Most of Meyers’ biggest contributions rarely show up on the stat sheet, but she does have one goal on two shots this season. Sijpesteijn, a transfer from Michigan State in 2005, is second on the team with 9 goals scored.Throughout their time as Cavaliers, the field hockey seniors have developed memories that could inspire them to pursue great success this season. One of Meyers’ most memorable moments occurred during last season’s ACC Tournament.“This whole season has been good,” Meyers said. “Last ACC Tournament when we beat Boston College in overtime. That insured us into the NCAAs. That felt really good.”Looking ahead to the postseason, the seasoned Cavaliers will have to help their younger peers prepare in hopes of recreating the success of last season, though it may be easier to lead by example as each of the seniors have hit their stride in previous postseasons. In 2007, Desjadon recorded a team-high with 13 saves in the ACC Tournament against UNC, Meyers finished the postseason ranked third on the team in defensive stats, and Sijpesteijn was chosen for the ACC All-Tournament Team for the second straight year.The seniors are ready to pass their knowledge to the younger players.“Whenever they have questions, we try and give our best answers to them,” Meyers said. “I think they have been coming along on their own great.”With the postseason in their sights this season, the Cavaliers have a strong foundation from which to build. By harnessing their talent and experience, the team looks to continue its recent success in the postseason and ultimately compete for the national championship.