Sports
Johnson homer, bullpen lead Virginia past North Dakota State
By Xander Tilock | February 22, 2026
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Virginia’s offense produced fewer than 10 runs for the second time in its first six games, but the primary culprit in the upset loss was the pitching staff and its whopping 12 walks surrendered on the evening.
Friday, Pollard’s Cavaliers displayed resilience and tantalizing offense in the face of adversity — factors which could come to define this 2026 Virginia team.
“Our other guys showed no urgency,” Garland said. “The ACC tournament is right around the corner. Our staff will do everything we can from now until then to help our guys improve.”
On a day already steeped in consequence, with a pre-tip-off ceremony dedicating the JPJ hardwood to legendary coach Tony Bennett, a series of clutch baskets, free throws and defensive stands iced a tight 86-83 victory over the surging Hurricanes.
“We can still improve on finishing better in some moments,” said LaMonica. “But this group is continuing to pound the rock and focused on getting better each day."
“The goal is to play 40 minutes,” Odom said. “And regardless of how you start, you always want to start well. And I thought our guys did a nice job of putting the pressure on pretty quickly. And it helps when you make shots.”
Moments of genuine connection and fervor between fans are what set the college atmosphere apart, and can be an integral boon to a team's performance.
The Cavaliers swept the Hokies, dropping only one set in the process.
With a wealth of newfound insight acquired during the first four games of the season, the Cavaliers now look ahead to their first road trip of the year as they head to DeLand, Fla. for an early-season tournament.
“The men were superb today, rising to the occasion and feeding off a packed home crowd,” Allen said. “Drexel got the better of us on their courts just three weeks ago, so to turn that result around, and in such emphatic style, was hugely impressive.”
The Buckeyes got an early advantage with a strong doubles performance.
Pribula, who will be a graduate transfer, comes to Charlottesville by way of Missouri.
The meet included many personal best times for the Cavaliers along with a surprising turn of events in the men’s 800-meter invite.
In Lynchburg, the marquee highlight of the meet was brought by the women’s 4x400-meter relay Saturday afternoon. Bringing their flair to the field, the quartet was able to shatter the previous meet record — held by Virginia Tech since 2022 — with a season's best time of 3:41.71.
Wagner had no answer for the Virginia offense. Still, shaky pitching and defense gave the Seahawks occasional glimpses of hope early in both games. It is a flaw that time may rectify — particularly as Pollard continues to experiment with various defensive combinations and relievers in different roles.
“The season is a race — a race to improve,” Coach Lars Tiffany said. “It's obvious after today that we have a whole lot of racing to do, because there’s a great deal of improving that has to occur.”
Kymora Johnson finished the game with 25 points — a far from unusual performance for her — and secured the Cavaliers’ win with eight consecutive free throw conversions and went a perfect 12-12 from the line.
Despite the 0–3 start, this matchup proved that Virginia is still dangerous when it has the ball — the issue is maintaining possession over longer stretches.
What was supposed to be a weekend full of softball quickly turned into just two games thanks to mother nature. Still, the Cavaliers (7-1, 0-0 ACC) were able to advance their winning streak seven, defeating both Longwood (1-7, 0-0 BSC) and Toledo (1-7, 0-0 MAC).
