The Virginia Cavaliers women's soccer team represents University of Virginia in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) of NCAA Division I women's college soccer. The team has won three regular season conference championships, in 2013, 2015 and 2021. The Cavaliers have also won the ACC Women's Soccer Tournament twice, in 2004 and 2012. The team has advanced to the NCAA Women's soccer tournament thirty three times. Their best appearance is runner up in 2014.[2]
| Virginia Cavaliers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 2024 Virginia Cavaliers women's soccer team | |||
 | |||
| Founded | 1985 | ||
| University | University of Virginia | ||
| Head coach | Steve Swanson (25th season) | ||
| Conference | ACC | ||
| Location | Charlottesville, Virginia | ||
| Stadium | Klöckner Stadium (Capacity: 8,000) | ||
| Nickname | Cavaliers | ||
| Colors | Orange and blue[1] | ||
| |||
| NCAA Tournament runner-up | |||
| 2014 | |||
| NCAA Tournament College Cup | |||
| 1991, 2013, 2014, 2020 | |||
| NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals | |||
| 1991, 2001, 2005, 2011, 2013–2015, 2020, 2022 | |||
| NCAA Tournament Round of 16 | |||
| 1988–1991, 1997, 1999–2002, 2005–2018, 2020–2022 | |||
| NCAA Tournament appearances | |||
| 1987–1992, 1994–2022 | |||
| Conference Regular Season championships | |||
| 2013, 2015, 2021 | |||
History
edit1980s
editThe Virginia Cavaliers women's soccer team was founded in 1985 with head coach Dan Beshoar. The team went 10–8–0 in their inaugural season and did not play in a conference. The University of Virginia was a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, but the conference did not begin to sponsor women's soccer until 1987.[3] Beshoar would only coach one season and Lauren Gregg would take over in 1986.[4] In her first season, the Cavaliers finished with their only non-winning record in program history. An 8–8–2 record was still .500, however. In 1987 the team made its first NCAA Women's soccer tournament, falling in the first round. 1988 was the inaugural season of the ACC Women's Soccer Tournament. The Cavaliers qualified, and fell in the first round. However, they made it all the way to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. The decade closed with repeat performances in both the ACC and NCAA tournaments, but and improvement to 16 overall wins, from 14 in the previous season.
1990s
editGregg's successful run continued into the 90s, as the Cavaliers began the decade with an 18 win season, finished runners up in the ACC Tournament, and made the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Their 18–3–0 record was a program best for wins that would stand until 2013. The Cavaliers had continued success in 1991 as they made the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament. 1993 proved to be a difficult season, in relative terms, for the team. Their 10–9–2 record was the second worst by winning percentage in team history. It was also only the third time in the team's history they did not qualify for the NCAA Tournament. The Cavaliers would turn it around quickly however, finishing 1994 with 4 conference wins, 13 overall wins, and a return to the NCAA Tournament. 1994 was the start of a string of 25 straight NCAA appearances for the team. After a very similar 1995 season, Gregg would retire as head coach.[5] Prior to the 1996 season, it was announced that April Heinrichs would be the third coach in program history.[6] Heinrichs continued the team's success, winning double digit overall games in each year between 1996 and 1999. The Cavailers also qualified for both the NCAA Tournament and ACC Tournament in those seasons. A new team record of 5 ACC wins was set in 1998. The team also made the NCAA Sweet 16 in 1997 and 1999. After the 1999 season, Heinrichs left Virginia to become the coach of the US Women's National Team.[7]
2000s
editThe decade began with the hiring of Steve Swanson as the program's fourth head coach in history.[8] The hiring would prove a transformative one, but Swanson got off to a slow start. In 2000, the team won only 11 overall games, their lowest total since 1993. However, the team did make it to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the second year in a row. 2001 proved successful with 17 total wins and a trip to the NCAA Quarterfinals. 2002 saw a lower win total of 13, but the team returned to the NCAA Round of 16. 2003 would end a run of four straight years making the NCAA Round of 16. The Cavaliers lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament and won 12 games overall. In 2004, the team won their first ever ACC Tournament Championship. This post-season luck did not carry forward to the NCAA Tournament, where they lost in the second round. The team tied a then-program best win total of 18 in 2005, finished runners up in the ACC Tournament and returned to the Quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. The 2005 season began a run of 14 straight season where the Cavaliers made at least the NCAA Round of 16. However, ACC Tournament success would not follow, as the team never made it past the second round from 2006 to 2011. The team closed the decade with a 10 win season in 2009.
2010s
editThe Cavaliers won an increasing number of games each year between 2010 and 2013. This improvement streak began with a solid 15 wins, and 7 conference wins in 2000. Additionally, the Cavaliers extended their streak of making at least the NCAA Round of 16. 2011 would be the team's fourth ever NCAA Quarterfinals appearance. 2012 saw the Cavaliers win their second ACC Tournament, tie their program record for overall wins at 18, and make the NCAA Sweet 16. 2013 and 2014 would be the two best years in program history. In 2013, the Cavaliers had a perfect ACC season, finishing 13–0–0 and winning the regular season title. They would also make the NCAA Semifinals for the first time in since 1991. In 2014, they finished runners up in both the ACC and NCAA Tournaments. To follow that up, they again finished runners up in the ACC Tournament in 2015. However, they fell one win short of a third straight year of 20 overall wins. The program could not quite repeat those highs from 2016 to 2018. However, the team did finish with double digit wins and NCAA Sweet 16 appearances in each of those seasons.
2020s
editThe decade started with a season shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic. The team played a reduced conference schedule in the fall and played their out of conference schedule in the spring of 2021. They finished in third place in the ACC with a 5–2–1 record. The NCAA tournament was held in the spring, and the Cavaliers advanced to the Semifinals, before falling on penalties. This was their best performance in the NCAA tournament since 2014. 2021 saw a return to a more normal schedule and the Cavaliers posted a 18–3–2 overall record and a 8–0–2 ACC record. They won the ACC Regular Season title and received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. They were unable to match last year's semifinal performance, falling in the Round of 16. 2022 was another successful year with the Cavaliers posting 16 wins and finishing fourth in the ACC. They qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the twenty-ninth time in a row and reached the Quarterfinals before losing to the eventual champion, UCLA. 2023 was a poor season for the Cavaliers as they finished 8–3–6 overall and 3–3–4 in the ACC to finish in seventh place. This was the first time in ACC Tournament history that the Cavaliers did not qualify. They also were not selected for the NCAA tournament, breaking the streak of twenty-nine straight appearances. Their eight wins tied for lowest in program history with 1986, their second year as a team.
Personnel
editCurrent roster
edit- As of August 8, 2024[9]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
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Team management
edit| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Athletic Director | Carla Williams |
| Head Coach | Steve Swanson |
| Associate head coach | Ron Raab |
| Assistant Coach | Sam Raper |
| Assistant Coach | Lizzy Sieracki |
| Director of Operations | Eilidh Thomson |
Source:[9]
Seasons
edit| Season | Head coach | Season result[10] | Tournament results | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Conference | Conference | NCAA | ||||||
| Wins | Losses | Ties | Wins | Losses | Ties | ||||
| 1985 | Dan Beshoar | 10 | 8 | 0 | No Conference | — | |||
| 1986 | Lauren Gregg | 8 | 8 | 2 | No Conference | — | |||
| 1987 | 14 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | No Tournament | NCAA First Round | |
| 1988 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | First round | NCAA Sweet 16 | |
| 1989 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | First round | NCAA Sweet 16 | |
| 1990 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | Runner up | NCAA Sweet 16 | |
| 1991 | 14 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | First round | NCAA Semifinal | |
| 1992 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | Second Round | NCAA Second Round | |
| 1993 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | Second Round | — | |
| 1994 | 13 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | First round | NCAA First Round | |
| 1995 | 14 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | First round | NCAA Second Round | |
| 1996 | April Heinrichs | 12 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | Second Round | NCAA First Round |
| 1997 | 14 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | First round | NCAA Sweet 16 | |
| 1998 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | Second Round | NCAA Second Round | |
| 1999 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | First round | NCAA Sweet 16 | |
| 2000 | Steve Swanson | 11 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 0 | First round | NCAA Sweet 16 |
| 2001 | 17 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | Second Round | NCAA Quarterfinals | |
| 2002 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | First round | NCAA Sweet 16 | |
| 2003 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | First round | NCAA Second Round | |
| 2004 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 1 | Champions | NCAA Second Round | |
| 2005 | 18 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 0 | Runner up | NCAA Quarterfinals | |
| 2006 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 1 | First round | NCAA Sweet 16 | |
| 2007 | 13 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 3 | Second Round | NCAA Sweet 16 | |
| 2008 | 15 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 1 | Second Round | NCAA Sweet 16 | |
| 2009 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 2 | First round | NCAA Sweet 16 | |
| 2010 | 15 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 1 | First round | NCAA Sweet 16 | |
| 2011 | 17 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 1 | Second Round | NCAA Quarterfinals | |
| 2012 | 18 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 1 | Champions | NCAA Sweet 16 | |
| 2013 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 0 | Second Round | NCAA Semifinals | |
| 2014 | 23 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 0 | Runner up | NCAA Runner Up | |
| 2015 | 19 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 0 | Runner up | NCAA Quarterfinals | |
| 2016 | 15 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 2 | First round | NCAA Sweet 16 | |
| 2017 | 13 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | Second round | NCAA Sweet 16 | |
| 2018 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 0 | Second round | NCAA Sweet 16 | |
| 2019 | 17 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 3 | Runner up | NCAA Second Round | |
| 2020 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 1 | Second round | NCAA Semifinals | |
| 2021 | 18 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 1 | Runner up | NCAA Sweet 16 | |
| 2022 | 16 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 2 | First round | NCAA Quarterfinals | |
| 2023 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 4 | — | — | |
Notable alumni
editCurrent Professionals
edit
Becky Sauerbrunn (2003–2007) – Currently with Portland Thorns and U.S. international
Sinead Farrelly (2007–2010) – Currently with NJ/NY Gotham FC and Ireland international- Morgan Gautrat (2011–2014) – Currently with Orlando Pride
- Danielle Colaprico (2011–2014) – Currently with San Diego Wave
- Makenzy Doniak (2012–2015) – Currently with San Diego Wave
- Brittany Ratcliffe (2012–2015) – Currently with Washington Spirit
- Emily Sonnett (2012–2015) – Currently with NJ/NY Gotham FC and U.S. international
- Kristen McNabb (2012–2016) – Currently with San Diego Wave
- Veronica Latsko (2014–2017) – Currently with Seattle Reign FC
- Megan Reid (2014–2017) – Currently with Angel City
- Brianna Westrup (2015–2018) – Currently with Sunderland and Scotland international
- Courtney Petersen (2015–2019) – Currently with Houston Dash
- Taylor Ziemer (2016–2018) – Currently with Twente
- Phoebe McClernon (2016–2019) – Currently with Seattle Reign FC
- Laurel Ivory (2017–2021) – Currently with Seattle Reign FC
Claire Constant (2018–2022) – Currently with Torreense and Haiti international
Diana Ordoñez (2019–2021) – Currently with Houston Dash and Mexico international- Haley Hopkins (2021–2022) – Currently with North Carolina Courage
- Natalia Staude (2019–2023) – Currently with North Carolina Courage
References
edit- ^ "Athletics Color Palette". University of Virginia Consumer Product Brand Standards (PDF). Retrieved January 16, 2023.
- ^ "2018 Women's Soccer Fact Book" (PDF). virginiasports.com. University of Virginia Athletics. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
- ^ "ACC Women's Soccer Annual Champions & Composite Records" (PDF). Atlantic Coast Conference. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
- ^ "Lauren Gregg". Soccer Times. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
- ^ "College: Gregg leaves Virginia". socceramerica.com. Soccer America. January 1, 1995. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
- ^ Klingman, Mike (August 13, 2000). "'Every cell in my body'". baltimoresun.com. Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
- ^ "April Heinrichs Named Head Coach of the U.S. Women's National Team". ussoccer.com. U.S. Soccer. January 18, 2000. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
- ^ "Steve Swanson Named New Head Coach Of Virginia Women's Soccer". virginiaspors.com. University of Virginia Athletics. February 10, 2000. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
- ^ a b "2024-25 Women's Soccer Roster". virginiasports.com. University of Virginia Athletics. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ "2018 Women's Soccer Fact Book" (PDF). virginiasports.com. University of Virginia Athletics. pp. 32–34. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
External links
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