The transfer portal is no stranger to any collegiate athletics fan — and it should be even more familiar to a follower of Virginia football’s 2025 campaign.
“So many great plays out there, it’s hard to recount all of them on both sides,” Odom said. “It made for a great college basketball game. It’s one of those that you hate [that] anyone ends up losing.”
“They're special. But what's frustrating to watch is [Stanford] executed exactly their game plan like we have game plans all week,” Garland said. “But it doesn't matter what we know. They got to actually do it.”
The disastrously slow start limited the impact of Virginia’s second-half offensive momentum, which could have otherwise propelled the team in front.
The Cavaliers have started their season 4-0, with a marquee home matchup against Columbia Friday.
Virginia will compete in the ITA Team Indoor Championships in February.
“Key to the game for us, certainly, was every time that we missed a shot…our transition defense was not where it needed to be throughout the entire night,” Odom said. “The defensive intensity was not where we needed it to be. The communication was lacking, and a poor defensive performance overall.”
The Cavalier women remain unbeaten with their decisive 181-113 victory, while the men fell 172.5-89.5 against a powerhouse NC State lineup.
“This is just the next game on our schedule, and there certainly will be a lot of eyes on this one,” Odom said. “This group has been really good at focusing on the task at hand and what’s right in front of them.”
Whether at JPJ, the AFC, Scott Stadium or Palmer Park, Virginia’s home slate for the spring gives Cavalier fans plenty to look forward to.
Through historic upsets, clinched titles and national headlines, the Cavaliers delivered one of the most thrilling years to be a Virginia fan yet.
Many pundits and fans feared that having a depth chart filled with players spending only one year at an institution would derail the community's ties to the team.
Facing one of the nation’s best lineups — which fielded five ranked singles players and two ranked doubles pairings — the Cavaliers battled through an exciting doubles phase and several long singles matches.
"[A] solid opening meet with impressive performances from the throwers, jumpers and hurdlers,” Coach Vin Linanna said. “We will have a big group at Virginia Tech next weekend."
Virginia wasted little time proving the program’s dominance, opening the season with back-to-back victories over higher-ranked opponents.
"This was a team performance that showed that this year's team acquiring their highest CSA national ranking ever is no fluke,” assistant coach Mark Broekman said, “... A brilliant team performance by all."
Despite entering as the ranked team, the Virginia men once again fell to a lower-ranked Hokies squad for a second straight year.
“My time in college has played a huge role in my growth, both as a player and as a person, and I now feel prepared to take this next step and embrace a new challenge in my life,” Jódar wrote.
“Every win on the road is like gold,” Odom said. “This particular group understands that. If you want to compete at the highest level of the ACC and compete for a championship, you have to win games on the road. The eventual champion will do that.”
