[caption id="attachment_30261" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="After playing on offense for the first three years of her career at Virginia, senior Lauren Elstein made the transition to back before the start of the 2009 season.
Most of the sports columns I write deal with trivial matters, but today I want to answer a very serious question I'm sure many of you have been wondering about: If the fictional sport quidditch were real, what would Virginia's best team, composed of current athletes, look like? For the few of you who haven't read a Harry Potter book or seen one of the movie adaptations, here's the run-down: quidditch consists of seven people per team riding on flying broomsticks, trying to outscore the opposing team. Points are awarded when one of three players, called chasers, throws a floating red ball - called a quaffle - through hoops that serve as goals.
For me, it doesn't get much better than NFL Gameday. Waking up late, games all day (and night), eating pizza and the Fox NFL robot.
[caption id="attachment_30234" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Junior tackle Isaac Cain started his first collegiate game Saturday.
Donning my Tony Romo jersey yesterday morning, I had to be pleased with how Dallas played during its win against Tampa Bay Sunday.
[caption id="attachment_30230" align="alignleft" width="205" caption="Senior midfielder Neil Barlow has notched a goal and an assist in three games.
Flash back a few weeks: When I was asked to write an article for The Cavalier Daily's Gridiron special about parity in the ACC, I thought it would be a good chance to defend the conference against the many haters out there.
[caption id="attachment_30164" align="alignleft" width="241" caption="Senior quarterback Jameel Sewell completed just four passes in the first three quarters of Virginia's loss against TCU Saturday.
I've always wondered what goes on at football practice. I learned a lot from Saturday's game against TCU. It starts off with coach Al Groh explaining to his punt returners, "OK, guys, listen - I don't care if you're inside the two-yard line - whatever you do, don't make a decision until the LAST second.
[caption id="attachment_30161" align="alignleft" width="216" caption="Sophomore midfielder Jimmy Simpson saw a shot on goal in the 74th minute of Virginia's game against Duke Friday.
[caption id="attachment_30159" align="alignleft" width="228" caption="Junior midfielder Sinead Farrelly scored on a header in the 65th minute of No.
[caption id="attachment_30145" align="alignleft" width="198" caption="Sophomore wide receiver Kris Burd, who only had 65 yards on seven catches in all of last season, caught five passes for a team high 46 yards in last weekends game.
This article accompanies "High-octane attack" by Travis Brown, TCU 'Daily Skiff' Sports editor. No one in his or her right mind would predict that the Cavaliers beat the Horned Frogs tomorrow.
This article accompanies 'Nowhere to go but up' by Cavalier Daily Senior Associate Editor Dan Stalcup. Everyone who is around the Horned Frogs football program knows that the team will be ready for the Cavaliers on Saturday.
[caption id="attachment_30136" align="alignleft" width="198" caption="Senior midfielder Ross LaBauex, who came out of a preseason game because of injury, has played in both regular season victories and hopes to lead his team to a third in the team's home season opener this weekend.
Virginia returned from a tournament in Arizona this week 3-1-1 after accruing a win and a tie against Arizona and Arizona State, respectively.
[caption id="attachment_30083" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Junior Michael Shabaz teamed with 2009 graduate Dominic Inglot to win the national doubles championship to cap the spring season.
[caption id="attachment_30081" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="After missing the final nine games of the season because of an injury, senior back Lauren Elstein hopes for a full 2009 campaign.
I am as sure that the Virginia baseball team is set for the long haul as I am that Virginia has a better football team than William & Mary. Hm ... Maybe that didn't come out quite right.
[caption id="attachment_30078" align="alignleft" width="176" caption="Senior outside hitter Lauren Dickson leads the Cavaliers in kills per set with 3.8, up from her 2008 average of 2.84, which also led the team.
