In a pre-Thanksgiving showdown, Virginia headed to the Aquatic Fitness Center to play its final home match of the season.
Three beat writers from The Cavalier Daily discuss their thoughts at the digital Thanksgiving table.
With the opportunity to seize their first win over a Power Four opponent, the Cavaliers could not find the clutch points with the clock winding down.
“We compete with each other every week … we’re good friends,” Robinson said. “Going to the game, we'll just compete with each other, asking each other, like, ‘Who gonna make that play? Who will make it first?’”
“I am really proud of our team,” Coach Shannon Wells said.
In addition to the doubles title, Virginia produced several deep singles runs.
Cavaliers fell in humbling fashion, 40-3.
The Cavaliers picked up a pair of wins Thursday and Monday.
“I thought that most of the second half, we had them in their half of the field and had full control of the game,” Gelnovatch said.
In a weekend designed to test depth and nerves, the Virginia women mostly made the CSCAA Dual Meet Challenge look like business as usual.
![“[That whole class] is everything they have been hyped up to be,” DeSorbo said. “Heilman and Williamson in particular are the real deal and other guys are elevating because of them.](https://snworksceo.imgix.net/cav/4f32b0b3-555e-43cd-9d36-27de7adbaef0.sized-1000x1000.png?w=1000&ar=4%3A3&fit=crop&crop=faces&facepad=3&auto=format)
Virginia now heads into a break from collegiate competition until the new year.
“It's one of those things about our sport you really love, and it's hard to accept at times,” Swanson said.
“We kind of dug ourselves a hole, and we had to fight back," Thomas said.
“The women did a good job and set the stage for a big finish next year as all seven runners return in 2026,” Coach Vin Lananna said.
The match kicked off Virginia’s “Senior Weekend” with an energetic, tight-scoring game, with a crowd of almost 1,500 behind Virginia.
“I think it was just a great college basketball game all around," Odom said. "Had a lot of drama, players making big-time plays throughout. It was a really physical game.”
Virginia has beaten Virginia Tech in football just twice this century. That will change this year.
The Cavaliers’ full-court pressure should be tested this weekend against two disciplined offenses with top-tier athleticism.
An entire campaign comes down to the postseason, where the lights are brightest and frigid temperatures blanket Klöckner Stadium.
“He knew exactly what I needed,” Vicente said.
