Olympic Sports Roundup: Successful weekend for several Cavalier programs

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Brianna Jablonowski turned in a career performance with two goals and an assist – including the opening and closing goals of the night – as No. 5 Virginia defeated No. 23 Memphis by a score of 5-0 on Sunday at Klöckner Stadium.

GOALS
43’ – UVA: Brianna Jablonowski (Maggie Cagle)
60’ – UVA: Haley Hopkins (penalty kick)
75’ – UVA: Haley Hopkins (Lia Godfrey, Alexa Spaanstra)
86’ – UVA: Sarah Brunner (Brianna Jablonowski)
89’ – UVA: Brianna Jablonowski (Meredith McDermott)

After a defensive battle that saw few opportunities for either side, the Cavaliers (6-0-0) broke through in the 43rd minute on a strike from distance by Brianna Jablonowski. Freshman Maggie Cagle cut in toward the middle of the field from the right wing and while driving parallel to the top of the box, laid the ball off to Jablonowski who side-stepped a Memphis player and sent the ball in past the right post from the top of the circle.

Virginia extended its lead in the 60th minute when Haley Hopkins was fouled. The initial call set up a free kick just outside the box, but upon review it was determined she was taken down inside the box and award a penalty kick. Hopkins drilled the chance from the spot and doubled the lead for Virginia.

The Hoos would strike three more times with Hopkins again finding the net in the 75th minute to turn up the pressure. The goal came off a ball played long over the top of the defense from Lia Godfrey to Alexa Spaanstra down the left side. Spaanstra played the ball in to Hopkins in the box who finished for the score.

The Cavaliers would find the net twice more in the final five minutes. Jablonowski connected with Sarah Brunner who finished a one-on-one chance in the 86th minute before she then found the net again herself in the 89th minute off a ball slipped ahead to her from Meredith McDermott.

NOTES

• Virginia posted its fifth straight shutout with the victory over the nationally-ranked Tigers (3-3-0).
• Cayla White posted her third solo shutout of the season with the clean sheet against Memphis.
• Brianna Jablonowski scored her first collegiate goal with her strike in the 43rd minute.
• Jablonowski’s two goals and assist were her best single-game performance for her career offensively.
• Haley Hopkins scored for the fourth straight match with her second-half penalty kick. She has scored seven goals over the last four games to pace the Cavaliers.
• Meredith McDermott notched her first career assist when she connected with Jablonowski in the 89th minute.

“Memphis was very organized, defended very hard and they were hard to break down,” said head coach Steve Swanson. “In the first half we did some good things, but didn’t move the ball as quickly as we needed to really find quality chances. We got some good contributions off the bench. Brianna’s goal was a big for a momentum change. That was a turning point in the game.”

“Once we got the second goal things opened up a little more and there was some space in behind them because they had to come out more. It didn’t feel like a 5-0 game and was a very hard-fought game. They are a good team and will get their share of wins this year. We’re happy to get the result and we got some good performances and contributions from a lot of players. I think we should some of our depth, which is good.”

Virginia continues to play at home on Thursday when the Cavaliers host Oregon State in a 6 p.m. contest at Klöckner Stadium.

Staude named ACC Defensive Player of the Week

Senior defender Talia Staude of the Virginia women’s soccer team has been named the ACC Defensive Player of the Week the league office announced on Tuesday with the release of its weekly honors.

Staude helped the Cavaliers post a pair of shutouts on the week, playing the full time in a 2-0 victory over JMU and a 5-0 victory over No. 23 Memphis. She helped hold JMU without a shot and limited the Tigers to only two shots on goal and seven shots in total. She played the full time in both matches.

The Cavaliers have posted five straight shutouts since the season opener and currently hold a streak of 468:08 minutes since the last goal allowed.

Congrats to Talia Staude on being named the ACC Defensive Player of the Week following our shutouts of JMU and No. 23 Memphis!#GoHoos🔶⚔️🔷 | #ALLIN⚽️🔥 pic.twitter.com/AGKw2DXiJC

— Virginia Women’s Soccer (@UVAWomenSoccer) September 6, 2022

No. 9 Maryland hands Cavaliers second loss of season, 6-1

The Virginia men’s soccer team faced off with No. 9 Maryland in Washington D.C., falling to the Terps by a score of 6-1 at Audi Field on Monday night.

Goals (Assists)
21’ – Maryland: Malcolm Johnson (Penalty)
42’ – Maryland: Justin Harris (German Giammattei, Alex Nitzl)
60’ – Maryland: Chris Rindov (Joshua Bolma, Malcolm Johnston)
65’ – Maryland: Griffin Dillon (Joshua Bolma, Colin Griffith)
76’ – Maryland Joshua Bolma (Nick Richardson)
81’ – UVA: Daniel Mangarov (Albin Gashi)
83’ – Maryland: German Giammattei (unassisted)

Virginia (2-2-0) spent the majority of the early goings absorbing Maryland pressure in its own end. In the 21st minute, the Cavaliers conceded a penalty kick that was slotted home by Malcolm Johnston.

Following the opening goal, Virginia responded in the attacking third. With 24 minutes gone, the Cavaliers displayed a strong piece of build-up play resulting in an attempt at goal from Axel Ahlander. Virginia earned four consecutive corners in Maryland’s end while creating dangerous chances in front of the goal.

Though the Cavaliers looked the more likely team to score, Maryland (2-1-1) won back possession and with the assistance of an incisive ball from German Giammattei, Justin Harris tapped home Maryland’s second to double the Terrapin lead at the break.

The Cavaliers began the second half on the front foot as halftime substitution Isaiah Byrd took a chance from inside the box, but just missed his opportunity to half the Maryland lead as his shot sailed wide of the left corner.

Virginia’s best chance to get back into the game came in the 54th minute when Leo Afonoso was brought down in the penalty area. The Cavalier striker stepped up to the spot to take the kick himself but was denied by the Maryland goalkeeper.

Maryland would go on to score the next three goals of the match to all but seal the game. Daniel Mangarov pulled one back for Virginia in the 81st minute, but the Terrapins added another just two minutes later.

NOTES

• Daniel Mangarov’s goal was his second of the season
• Albin Gashi notched his first collegiate assist
• Virginia was outshot by a margin of 15-14
• The Cavaliers placed nine of their 15 shots on target
• The Cavaliers took seven corner kicks compared to Maryland’s five
• Virginia conceded a goal as a result of a penalty for the first time since the 2019 season
• The Cavaliers fall to a record of 30-44-10 against Maryland all-time
• Leo Afonso took five shots
• The match marks the first time the Cavaliers have conceded six goals in a single contest since the 2016 season when Virginia fell to Louisville by an identical final score

“We ran into a good team that has just come off of two poor results at home,” said head coach George Gelnovatch. “They played with an intensity that caught us today. We’ll learn from it and be ready to open ACC play.”

The Cavaliers will return to Klöckner Stadium on Thursday where they will open ACC play with Virginia Tech in the Smithfield Commonwealth Clash.

UVA Field Hockey collects pair of victories at Turf Field

The No. 12 Virginia field hockey team picked up a 1-0 victory against Temple on Friday in the Cavaliers’ first home game of the 2022 season, then followed that up with a 3-2 overtime victory against James Madison on Sunday at Turf Field in Charlottesville.

After a scoreless first period in the home opener on Friday, the Cavaliers were awarded a penalty corner two minutes into the second quarter. Sophomore Noa Boterman fired off a shot that was deflected into the upper corner of the net off the stick of grad student Annie McDonough to give UVA a 1-0 lead. It would be the only goal the Cavaliers would need. Virginia’s defense limited the Owls to one shot on a goal, a strike off a penalty corner by Julianne Kopec in the final two minutes of the first half that was saved by sophomore Tyler Kennedy.

The Cavaliers had a prime scoring chance midway through the third period when the team was awarded a penalty stroke, but McDonough missed the attempt. Freshman Caroline Nemec had a breakaway in the fourth quarter, but her attempt was just off target.

Virginia finished the game with 11 shots.

The contest was a homecoming for the Temple coaching staff. Head coach Michelle Vittese was a three-time All-American at Virginia, helping to lead the team to the Final Four in both 2009 and 2010. Assistant coach Carissa Vittese was a two-time All-Region player at Virginia and was also a member of the 2010 Final Four squad.

“Temple brought a feisty game plan,” said UVA head coach Michele Madison. “They just ran us down. It creates a different type of game. You can’t always play pretty. Sometimes you have to get down and dirty and that’s what we have to work on. Sometimes you just have to put it in your back pocket and get ready for the next game. And that’s what we’ll do.”

On Sunday, James Madison held a 2-1 lead with two minutes left in regulation. Sophomore Noa Boterman scored the game-tying goal with 1:33 remaining to force overtime. Senior Laura Janssen scored the game-winner 5:32 into the extra period.

The Dukes struck early with Emily Harrison scoring four minutes into the game. The Cavaliers countered two-and-a-half minutes later when sophomore Taryn Tkachuk took a hard shot at goal. Her attempt was saved, but the JMU goalkeeper could not clear the ball. Junior Lilly Hengerer got possession and tapped it in to score the goal.

JMU retook the lead in the second quarter when Eveline Zwager corralled a rebound off UVA’s goalie’s pads and put it into the net.

James Madison’s 2-1 lead would carry through the third period and into the fourth. With under five minutes left in the game, Virginia head coach Michele Madison pulled the goalie to ignite her attack. The team responded with junior Anneloes Knol dribbling into the circle and finding Boterman at the top. Botterman immediately fired off a shot, sending the ball through the legs of the goalkeeper to tie the game.

In the extra period, senior Adele Iacobucci set up the game-winner, firing a perfect pass to Janssen whose on-target strike gave Virginia the victory.

“I was really impressed with how the team was able to get their game back in the fourth quarter,” Madison said after Sunday’s thrilling win. “After we pulled the goalie, they caught on fire and started playing our game. In overtime, they had their skills back and kept possession and found a way to put the ball in the goal. Credit to JMU for being very disruptive. We won the first quarter but lost our game in the second and third.”

Virginia returns to the road this weekend, playing a lone game on Sunday at 12 p.m. ET at No. 1 Northwestern.

Hoos finish 3-0 at Xavier Tournament, open home slate this weekend

After coming up short with match point in set No. 3, Virginia posted a dominant performance in the fifth to defeat Eastern Michigan (25-19, 25-20, 24-26, 20-25, 15-6) in the final match of the Xavier Tournament at the Cintas Center Saturday afternoon. The Cavaliers hit a whopping .571 in the decisive fifth game, while holding EMU to a -.062 hitting percentage.

With wins over Xavier on Friday and Purdue Fort Wayne and EMU on Saturday, the Cavaliers (5-1) effectively won the round robin non-conference tournament. Saturday’s win also marked the second day in a row Virginia was victorious in five sets, having mounted a successful five-set comeback over the Musketeers on Friday.

Madison Morey, Abby Tadder and Cincinnati native Grace Turner were named the all-tournament team. For the tournament, Morey led the team in digs per set (4.00) and posted a match-high 19 digs and had three service aces against the Eagles. Turner led Virginia in kills per set (3.31), was fourth on the team in digs per set (2.08) and tied for a team-leading six aces. Tadder led the Hoos in hitting percentage (.436) and blocks per set (1.15) and posted seven total blocks against EMU.

Turner posted one of the best performances of her career in her hometown with match-high 19 kills and 14 digs to lead the Cavaliers in a five-set comeback victory (17-25, 25-27, 27-25, 25-16, 15-13) over Xavier Friday evening. After trailing 3-0 to open the fourth set, it was all Virginia the rest of the way. With Borum behind the service line, Virginia sparked a 9-0 run before scoring five of the last six points to close out the set, 25-16. Turner terminated eight balls in set No. 4, three of which occurred on the final four plays of the frame. 

UVA clung to an 8-7 lead by the time the teams flipped sides of the net midway through the fifth. A Musketeer kill evened the decisive fifth set, 13-13, but Turner and Borum scored on the next two plays, respectively, to complete the comeback over the Musketeers in dramatic fashion.

In a defensive struggle on both sides of the net, the Hoos came up victorious in three sets (25-19, 25-18, 25-23) over Purdue Fort Wayne on Saturday. Both Virginia and the Mastodons finished with 36 kills each, but it was the Cavaliers who hit .227, while PFW hit just .104.

In Saturday’s finale, it was all Virginia in the fifth set, as the Hoos capped the match by scoring the final five points. The Cavaliers posted three blocks and held EMU to just to just four kills in the final frame. After recording three service errors throughout the match, Morey posted two service aces in the fifth to help seal UVA’s fifth victory of the season.

UP NEXT 

Virginia kicks off an eight-match homestand with its home opener against Charlotte (4-2) on Friday at 7 p.m. UVA and the 49ers will also square off once more in a rematch on Saturday at 3 p.m. Both matches are set to stream on ACCNX. Admission to all Virginia volleyball regular-season matches is free to the public.

Cross Country: UVA Women win, Men finish second at Spider Alumni Open

Thanks to a strong pace set by a pair of Virginia second-years, Margot Appleton and Jack Eliason, the Cavalier women opened up their season with a victory while the men finished as runners-up at the Spider Alumni Open on Saturday morning in Richmond.

After commanding the pace of the race throughout the women’s 4,000-meter Pole Green Park circuit, Appleton approached the finish line in a dead heat with Georgetown’s Grace Jensen. With one final surge, Appleton crossed the finish line with a time of 13:23.4, just one-tenth of a second ahead of Jensen.

For her efforts, Appleton was named the first ACC Women’s Performer of the Week for the 2022 season after securing the win, the league office announced Tuesday.

In their Virginia debuts, Camryn Menninger (13:24.6) and Esther Seeland (13:29.9) placed third and fourth respectively while Anna Workman and Linnaea Kavulich rounded out the scoring positions in sixth and eighth place.

On the men’s side, it was Eliason who led a Virginia trio at the front of the pack with Jacob Hunter and Justin Wachtel at his side through the majority of the men’s 6k race. As the runners approached the finish line, Eliason took home a third-place finish with a time of 17:32.8. Hunter and Wachtel rounded out the scoring positions at sixth and eighth place respectively.

“It was a great showing today winning our first collegiate race on the women’s side,” said Vin Lananna, Director of Track and Cross Country. “I think we have way more to come with the women once we put our lineup together. For the men, Jack, Jacob and Justin all had good performances today so we are excited about what we can do once we put all put together our full team.”

Spider Alumni Open
Pole Green Park
Richmond, Va.

Women’s Team Results (4k)
1. Virginia – 22
2. Georgetown – 50
3. Richmond – 78
4. James Madison – 103
5. Davidson – 149
6. George Mason – 165
7. VCU – 202
8. Christopher Newport – 256
9. Hampton – 298
10. VMI – 332
11. Morgan State – 338
12. Virginia State – 341
13. St. Mary’s (Md.) – 349
14. Mary Washington – 383
15. Virginia Union – 475

Men’s Team Results (6k)
1. Georgetown – 34
2. Virginia – 38
3. Richmond – 63
4. George Mason – 110
5. VCU – 122
6. VMI – 165
7. Christopher Newport – 186
8. Mary Washington – 214
9. Morgan State – 244
10. St. Mary’s (Md.) – 313
11. Virginia State – 314
12. Virginia Union – 351