UVA places five on USILA Scholar All-America Team

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Virginia men’s lacrosse places a program-record five student-athletes on the 2021 USILA Scholar All-American team, which now has had 33 Cavaliers earn the honor all-time from the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association.

A Dox Aitken, LSM Jared Conners, D Kyle Kology, A Matt Moore, and GK Alex Rode all earned the honor in 2021. It is the most Cavaliers named to a USILA Scholar All-America team. The previous high was three, which was done in both 2006 and 2015.

In 1989, the USILA Scholar All-America Program was established to recognize student-athletes from USILA member institutions who have distinguished themselves academically, athletically and as citizens of their communities. The USILA Selection Committee selects an overall team representing Division I, II and III.

Aitken (Gr., Villanova, Pa.) earned his fourth-career honor from the USILA in 2021. He was a two-time first-team honoree in 2018 and 2019, while also taking home honorable mention honors in 2017 and 2021. Aitken has 17 goals and six assists on the season. He is UVA’s all-time career point and goal leader by a midfielder and his 138 goals are tied with Kevin Pehlke for No. 4 overall in program history. His 176 career points rank No. 15 all-time by a midfielder in the history of DI men’s lacrosse.

Conners (Gr., Pittsford, N.Y.), a two-time USILA first-team All-American and the 2021 MacLaughlin Award winner as the nation’s top midfielder, was one of the nation’s most prolific long-stick midfielders. Conners leads all non-faceoff players in the nation with 77 ground balls and is No. 12 in the nation with 22 caused turnovers. Always a threat to score, Conners has four goals and six assists. He is UVA’s all-time long-pole career scorer with 35 points on 20 goals and 15 assists.

Moore (Sr., Garnet Valley, Pa.), a two-time USILA All-American, became the fifth Cavalier in program history with 100+ goals and 100+ assists in a career during the 2021 season. He also earned All-ACC honors and was second on the team with 67 points.

Kology (Sr., Chatham, N.J.) receives his first career All-America accolade from the USILA in 2021 and was No. 8 in the nation with 23 caused turnovers. Kology also had 36 ground balls.

Rode (Timonium, Md.) earned his first career accolade on a USILA All-American team in 2021. His 39 career wins between the pipes ranks No. 3 all-time in UVA history and his 598 career saves are No. 2 in program history. He saved 54.2 percent of shots between the pipes in 2021, while posing a 11.80 goals against average.