Saturday night at Memorial Gymnasium, the season came to a bittersweet end for the Virginia volleyball team. Down two games to one as the evening match stretched into the night, the Cavaliers found themselves tied with the Yellow Jackets at 28 -- two points away from forcing a deciding fifth game. The atmosphere was tense, to say the least.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Virginia's season ended Sunday with a 2-1 road loss to the University of North Carolina in the third round of the 2005 NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament.
The women's soccer team knows where it wants to go. It has been over three years since the team has gotten out of the first three rounds of the NCAA Tournament, but this year is different.
It is an anxious time of year for Wahoo fans right now. The winter sports are about to start with many questions and hopes.
The Virginia women's basketball team will officially open its season tonight in Washington, D.C., when the Cavaliers take on the Colonials of George Washington University. Virginia's probable starters are forward Tiffany Sardin, center Siedah Williams and guards Sharnee Zoll, Brenna McGuire and Takisha Granberry. The Cavaliers have never lost to George Washington, posting a 9-0 record since the teams first met in 1979.
After suffering a shocking upset loss to Clemson in the first round of last week's ACC Tournament, the Virginia's men's soccer team may be down, but it is by no means out. Instead of dwelling on last Wednesday's disappointing result, the Cavaliers are taking full advantage of the unexpected time off before the start of next week's NCAA Tournament. "It might be a blessing in disguise that we lost," junior forward Adam Cristman said.
There is no better way to welcome the turkey-devouring holiday than with Virginia's biggest football game of the season against its biggest rival, No.
Given that both of this year's freshmen, Mamadi Diane and Laurynas Mikalauskas, started in the exposition game against Concordia, the youngest members of the Virginia's men's basketball team may be among the first five to take the court again tonight.
Virginia sophomore point guard Sharneé Zoll wears the number "729" on her shoes in honor of her role model, former Cavalier star Dawn Staley.
Amid mixed expectations, the Cavaliers begin their first season under Coach Dave Leitao, many questions linger about the strength and depth of the team's frontcourt.
The 2005 Virginia wrestling team is green. Green in terms of experience and years of course, certainly not talent. Entering the 2005-2006 campaign, one thing Virginia lacks is experience at the collegiate level.
Javier Gomez and his friends had it all planned out. Thursday night they would pitch their tent and set up shop in front of the student gate at Scott Stadium -- a full 36 hours before the kickoff of the Virginia-Virginia Tech game.
Ladies and gentlemen: the pride of the Virginia backfield, Wali Lundy, is back. With 196 yards and six touchdowns in his last two games, Lundy finally has begun to put up the gaudy statistics Virginia fans became accustomed to in his first three seasons at Virginia -- those of a tough running back who can move the ball downfield and score touchdowns. Last season, Lundy picked up almost 900 yards as a backup to now-Jacksonville Jaguar Alvin Pearman. "It feels good to be back to the old Wali," Lundy said.
The Virginia defense had all kinds of problems going into the Georgia Tech game last Saturday, as it faced suspensions and injuries.
I must say, I have been looking forward to this Saturday's Virginia-Virginia Tech game more than anything else this season.
A team with only one senior and two junior starters is not supposed to exude confidence and strong leadership, but such is the case for the Virginia women's basketball team.
In the modern world of hyper-specialized athletes, many forget that some teams train together as one -- boys and girls. However, Virginia swimming and diving head coach Mark Bernardino correctly identifies the swimmers as "men and women, now that they are out of high school." The swimmers are at a sufficient age that they can deal with the presence of the other gender in the pool.
Most college basketball analysts and prognosticators hold low expectations for Virginia this season.
Last year, when many assumed that Pete Gillen's tenure as Virginia basketball's head coach was coming to a close, rumors flew that the new Virginia coach would be a big name.
On the eve of the heated rivalry against an insignificant school in Southwest Virginia, I will bury the hatchet this week and give credit where credit is due.
