Hillman and Baxter possess the talent to make their mark in Charlottesville.
“Turned it over a little bit too much in the first half,” Odom said. “I thought our guys did a better job in the second taking care of the ball. Clearly, offensively, we weren't clicking on all cylinders but the defense was a key aspect of the game for us tonight.”
Following a 2025 season that saw the Cavaliers navigate growing pains in their new era under Coach Sonia LaMonica, the team now finds itself at a critical turning point.
On the eve of its 46th season, they are ranked by multiple polling outlets and expectations are rather high — will the Cavaliers be able to live up to these expectations?
It was a weekend of clinical accuracy for Virginia squash as both the men's and women's teams showcased why they remain fixed in the nation's top tier.
The Millrose Games is a prominent meet for professional track and field athletes in the lead up to World Indoor Championships in March.
Although the scrimmage itself was a tough loss for Virginia, the Cavaliers were appreciative of the opportunity to play in a professional rink and have such a large crowd there cheering them on.
Virginia athletes continued to build strong momentum across sprints, distance, field events and the multis, with multiple Virginia athletes recording program top-10 marks and personal bests.
After finishing three-over-par in the first round, junior Jaclyn LaHa was particularly impressive. She tied the best 18-hole round of her collegiate career with a 67 on her second round, recording five-under-par.
Virginia will travel to Evanston, Ill. for the ITA Team Indoor Championships Feb. 6-10
After the match, Virginia Coach Andes Pedroso was quick to laud the visitors, praising both Vanderbilt’s performance and Brown’s impact on the program.
Over on the offensive end, Virginia’s offense was unable to keep pace with Virginia Tech. The most jarring symptom was that the Cavaliers as a team tallied just five assists in 40 minutes of play.
“I’m really proud of the guys,” Coach Ryan Odom said. “Gritty effort overall. To come away this week with two wins on the road is really difficult and I’m proud of the execution down the stretch.”
Virginia's retooled pitching staff only took one loss and added plenty in the offseason.
The century-long rivalry match-up is bound to be thrilling, and Virginia has 40 minutes to play their best basketball.
Johnson will take center stage in the season opener against Wagner Feb. 13
The Cavaliers will face Vanderbilt Sunday, a team led by former Virginia associate head coach Scott Brown.
Virginia will face Ohio State Sunday before heading to the ITA Team Indoor Championships.
The facility opened in 2006 as a part of JPJ to provide all student-athletes a nutritious and convenient dining experience in proximity to practice facilities.
“I am just really proud of our resiliency,” Agugua-Hamilton said. “We got discombobulated, we weren’t on the same page and we had to find a way to push through that. We were able to do that, and I’m just very proud of our group.”
