In the biggest moments of Virginia’s national championship run, Kim never seemed rushed by the noise around him.
“I like that finish on Ava,” Ruden said quietly in the launch. Seconds later, Coach Ng's megaphone carries the validation to the boat, “Ava, we like your finish.”
“Having Brendan has just unlocked so much,” Sunderland said. “It takes some weight off McCabe’s shoulders.”
It would be easy to look ahead towards postseason aspirations, or perhaps national awards at the end of the regular season. But for Hartman, his attention is locked onto the immediate future.
“He is the best communicator I think I've ever had for a captain,” Tiffany said. “His emotional intelligence is through the roof, and yet he's a ferocious warrior … it almost feels like a spiritual lift as well.”
“I'm used to seeing the ball from a little bit of a different angle,” Call said. “Always happy to be on the field, though. It doesn't matter where I'm at, just getting the opportunity to play, it makes me ecstatic."
“Twenty-two years into this, there's nothing I'm married to,” Roussell said. “There’s nothing in order of business, of how I do this. You're supposed to be a lifelong learner in every business. That’s in college basketball to a T.”
“The buffalo just goes straight into the storm, attacks it every day,” graduate catcher Noah Jouras said. “If you welcome that adversity and just attack it, you can get through it much quicker and come out even stronger on the other end.”
“This is going to be a sustained excellence program,” Roussell said. “How we go about things, how we handle ourselves, the perception of our women's basketball program will matter.”
“Coach, just before you end,” Marek said. “Will you give me a chance to be the starter?” Tiffany was taken aback. That, he thought, that was a little forward.
The origin of @hill4hoos began just a few months ago, during the large snowstorm that hit Virginia. Trapped inside with nothing but time on his hands, he hit record.
“We’re fortunate today to get ours,” Tiffany said, “and see what happens next time we see Duke. That’s later this year or next year.”
Throughout my entire life, I have been reminded time and time again that women's sports are more than just the game — it is a family that is built.
“What are the guiding principles for the future of college athletics?” former Alabama Football Coach Nick Saban posed at the White House March 6. In 2026, it is a question that both experts and the public alike seem unable to answer.
“There’s something that I’ve seen with this team grow in the last couple weeks,” Tiffany said. “A belief is growing.”
