Mallory: ‘I never wanted to leave Charlottesville’
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Chance Mallory was crushed when Tony Bennett stepped down as Virginia’s basketball coach last October, but his love for the Cavaliers program still carried a pulse.
Mallory, who grew up in the shadows of UVA, had committed to the program, noting that playing for Bennett was a dream come true. The 5-foot-9 playmaker had carved out a reputation as one of the nation’s top point guard prospects in the recruiting class of 2025, posting one eyepopping performance after another at nearby St. Anne’s-Belfield for coach Damin Altizer.
Household name college coaches were regular visitors to the St. Anne’s gym, some flashing some big NIL numbers at the prep superstar. Even though Mallory painfully decommitted from Virginia late last October, not long after Bennett’s decision to leave basketball, the homegrown guard still felt a tug in his heart for UVA.
He reopened his recruiting and waited to see what Virginia might do after the season. New suitors stepped in with a final five of Tennessee, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Vanderbilt and, of course, UVA.
On Saturday, a day after news leaked that Virginia had hired VCU coach Ryan Odom as its new leader, Mallory announced his decision to a gym filled with fans and supporters.
Sitting at a table, surrounded by family, Mallory sent ripples through Wahoo Nation when he revealed his choice (see attached video), pulling off a jacket to show off a Virginia basketball shirt as the crowd went wild. The entire Mallory family did the same, adding to the excitement.
Chance Mallory is staying home.
Chance Mallory is a Wahoo! pic.twitter.com/8zvO6p4lH6
— Jerry Ratcliffe (@JerryRatcliffe) March 22, 2025
“Virginia was always kind of in the back of my heart because coming here was my main choice,” Mallory said after his announcement. “I didn’t want to leave Charlottesville. I really didn’t want to go nowhere.”
Still, his mom, Dorie, said that even she was uncertain as late as yesterday where Chance would choose.
Perhaps the key was Virginia hiring Odom, and the timing was perfect. Mallory had announced some time ago that he would be making his choice on March 22. Odom’s VCU team was in the NCAA field and lost Thursday in Denver, perhaps pushing back UVA’s ability to close the deal. Had VCU kept winning, everything might have gone sideways with Mallory’s decision.
There’s no question that Mallory was hoping Virginia would hire Odom.
As St. Anne’s Altizer said Saturday, “[Odom’s hiring] was huge. I think the stars have aligned. It was kind of God’s timing. This week, I was personally a huge BYU fan on Thursday, just because I’m not sure how things would have shaken out.”
Aligned indeed. Arguably, Saturday was the brightest day in Virginia basketball since the 2019 natty. Odom was officially announced as the coach earlier in the day, capped off with Mallory’s announcement in the afternoon.
“It’s not a new chapter, it’s a new book,” Altizer said. “I’m excited that Chance is going to be there from day one.”
Mallory would not fill a book with words — he is most always taciturn — but rather with deeds. His statistics are jaw-dropping.
He has known Odom and staff for a long time. Altizer noted that VCU was the most active early on in pursuing the St. Anne’s star. Mallory pointed out Saturday that knowing Odom was definitely a factor.
“He’s a great coach. He recruited me, so I have known him and I feel like it was a right fit with me and my playing style,” Mallory said.
Odom likes a faster tempo and a harassing defense, something that definitely works for Mallory’s talents.
“Just the way [Odom] plays, fast-paced with smaller guards, playing defense, shoots a lot of 3’s, stuff like that,” Mallory said. “I feel like he’s coached a lot of short guards at UMBC, so I feel like I could fit in. We really haven’t talked about specifics.”
Odom called Mallory on Friday, and the two met sometime Saturday morning.
“We were just catching up, stuff like that,” Mallory said. “I told him I was coming. He was excited, just like I am. We’re excited to work with each other. I feel like we can help each other out a lot.”
Mallory said he wanted to be part of a rebuild of the Virginia program, to bring back the excitement of 2019.
“I don’t like to lose,” Mallory said. “I know I’ll have to get faster, stronger for college basketball.”
Altizer doesn’t think that will be much of an issue for a kid who is both mentally and physically tough, and not afraid of challenges.
“Chance is a winner,” Altizer said. “He’s played one style here. He’s played one style in AAU and obviously had committed to Coach Bennett with the slower style. I don’t know if I’ve ever been around a kid who values winning as much as he does.”
Altizer has developed several college players during his stint at St. Anne’s, so he has a good measuring stick of talent and heart.
“He’s going to be a winner and he’s going to find ways to impact the game, whether it’s scoring or assists or being a great teammate on the bench, because he’s just that caliber of a kid.”
Playing the waiting game wasn’t easy for Mallory his senior season for the Saints. He was coming off an injury that prevented him from playing summer ball, had an injury that nagged him early on this past season. Some of his teammates experienced season-ending injuries, which placed even more of a burden on Mallory, the senior leader.
He was a marked man from day one of the season, and expectations were through the roof. But he handled it. He would play in a game one day and then drive to Knoxville or elsewhere the next day for a college visit, but none of it detracted from his game or his goals.
“People were obviously constantly bothering him,” Altizer said. “You know, ‘What are you going to do? Have you made any decisions? Do you have any visits set up?’”
Not to mention calls, texts, etc., from college recruiters trying to sway him toward their school.
“So my thing was to Chance, ‘Use the gym as your sanctuary. This has always been where you’ve come, so when we’re in practice and games, love it like you did when you were a little kid, when you first picked up a basketball and you were shooting around in the park,’” Altizer said.
“I think he showed tremendous maturity through the entire season and that’s a testament to him being able to stay present with us every time he was here in the gym.”
Through all that, Mallory still managed to average 25.4 points per game, 6.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists in addition, and finished his career at St. Anne’s with a 56-4 record, which made him the Virginia Private League’s all-time winningest player.
Like Mallory said, “I don’t like to lose.”
BREAKING: St. Anne’s PG Mallory commits to Virginia
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Photo: instagram.com/_chance.6
Homegrown star point guard Chance Mallory kick-started new Virginia basketball coach Ryan Odom’s era on Saturday when Mallory committed to the Cavaliers.
During a ceremony at St. Anne’s-Belfield, Mallory announced he chose Virginia over four other suitors: Tennessee, Maryland, Virginia Tech and Vanderbilt. The 5-foot-9 point guard, rated a 4-star prospect, had previously committed to Virginia last fall, but decommitted shortly after Tony Bennett stunned the basketball world with his sudden retirement.
In the end, hometown Virginia was tugging at the heart of Mallory, one of the top 50 recruits in the Class of 2025.
Rated among the top 10 point guard prospects in the nation, Mallory averaged 25.4 points per game, 3.9 assists and 6.0 rebounds for the Saints his senior season. As a junior, he averaged 26 points, 4.8 assists and 8.4 rebounds, also posting 10 double-doubles for Coach Damin Altizer.
Check back after today’s press conference for Mallory’s comments and more details about Virginia’s first commitment of the Ryan Odom era.
Chance Mallory is a Wahoo! pic.twitter.com/8zvO6p4lH6
— Jerry Ratcliffe (@JerryRatcliffe) March 22, 2025
Odom’s UVA press conference set for Monday
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Photo: WRIC
Life has come full circle for Ryan Odom, from Virginia team ball boy at University Hall to becoming the program’s 13th head coach and from riding his bike to practice, where his father, Dave, was an assistant coach, to now directing practices for the Cavaliers.
UVA made the 50-year-old former VCU coach’s hiring official with an announcement by athletic director Carla Williams on Saturday morning. An introductory press conference is scheduled for Monday at 3 p.m. on the court at John Paul Jones Arena. The public is invited to attend.
Odom has deep roots in coaching. Dave Odom was an assistant under Terry Holland, the program’s winningest coach until Tony Bennett surpassed that record two seasons ago. Dave Odom was Holland’s assistant from 1982 to 1989, which coincided with Ryan Odom’s youth (3rd through 10th grades).
During those early years, Ryan’s future boss, Seth Greenberg, temporarily lived in the Odom’s home, while he was an assistant coach on Holland’s staff. Ryan went on to work for Greenberg as an administrative assistant at South Florida, then later became a member of Greenberg’s coaching staff at Virginia Tech (2004-2010).
Between his first gig with Greenberg in 1997 and taking over the VCU program in 2023, Odom was an assistant coach at Furman, UNC Asheville, American, then to Virginia Tech. From there, he became assistant coach, then associate head coach at Charlotte before being named interim head coach in 2015.
Moving on to the head-coaching job at Division II Lenoir-Rhyne, Odom turned the Bears’ program around in 2015-16, with a 13-win improvement and a 21-10 record. He led the program to its first-ever NCAA Sweet 16 appearance, while the Bears led the nation in 3-point field goals made per game and finished ninth the the nation in scoring (90.2 points per game).
He was quickly scooped up by UMBC in 2017 and directed the Retrievers to a 97-60 mark in five seasons, and won the America East Tournament championship in 2018 and in 2021, earning the league’s coach of the year honors, along with NABC District 1 Coach of the Year.
Odom’s UMBC teams posted three consecutive 20-win seasons, including a school-record 25 in 2017-18. The 2016-17 team made it to the CollegeBasketballInsider.com (CIT) semifinals, becoming the first America East team to win three games in the postseason, and it earned him the Joe B. Hall Award, presented to the top first-year coach in Division I.
In 2018, Odom orchestrated UMBC’s major upset of Virginia in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament in Charlotte, as the No. 16 seed Retrievers became the first to stun a No. 1 seed in tournament history.
Odom moved on to Utah State, where he posted a 44-25 record and led the Aggies to an NCAA Tournament berth his second season with a 26-9 record in 2022-23. His squad was ranked 16th nationally in offense that season.
When VCU searched for a coach in 2023, Odom licked his chops to return to the East, and directed the Rams to a 24-14 mark, reaching the Atlantic-10 championship game and to the NIT quarterfinals, beating Villanova and South Florida in that postseason march.
This season, Odom’s VCU team rolled to a 28-7 record, won the A-10 championship and moved on to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 11 seed before losing Thursday against No. 6 seed BYU. His Rams’ team boasted the A-10 player of the year and the conference tournament’s MVP.
For his two seasons at VCU, his squads went 52-21, raising his 10-year record as a head coach to 222-127, leading VCU, UMBC and Utah State to the NCAA Tournament in the second season at each school.
Odom was a solid college player as well, graduating from Hampden-Sydney in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in economics. He was a starting point guard for four seasons at H-S and was team captain his senior campaign.
During his career there, Hampden-Sydney went 80-30, including two berths in the NCAA Division III Tournament. He finished his career as H-S’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made and fourth in assists.
His father Dave was ACC Coach of the Year in 1991, 1994 and 1995 at Wake Forest, where he coached Tim Duncan, then was SEC Coach of the Year in 2004 at South Carolina, where he retired after the 2008 season.
Ryan Odom and his wife, Lucia, have two sons: Connor and Owen.
BREAKING: VCU’s Odom reaches deal to become Virginia’s next coach
By Jerry Ratcliffe
According to sources, Ryan Odom has agreed to become the Cavaliers’ next head basketball coach and an official announcement could come as soon as Saturday.
The 50-year-old Odom is the son of former Virginia assistant coach Dave Odom, who went on to lead programs at Wake Forest and South Carolina. Ryan Odom owns a 201-117 career record with head coaching stints at Charlotte, UMBC, Utah State and VCU, where he led the Rams to a 28-7 record and an Atlantic 10 title this season en route to the NCAA Tournament. VCU was eliminated in the first round by No. 6 seed BYU on Thursday.
Odom led UMBC, Utah State and VCU to the NCAA Tournament in his second season at each school. He was 52-21 in his two seasons at VCU.
A former ball boy at UVA basketball games at University Hall when his dad was on the coaching staff, it was almost predestined that he would become heavily involved in the sport. It was an odd twist that his next connection to Virginia basketball came in 2018 when Odom, then the head coach at UMBC, orchestrated a monumental upset when his team delivered a horrific blow to the Cavaliers, the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. UMBC became the first No. 16 seed to upset a No. 1 since the tournament expanded to 64 teams.
Timing is crucial for Virginia in that the transfer portal officially opens on Monday and the Cavaliers need someone in place not only for retention of the present roster (two players have announced their intentions to enter the portal), but also to begin recruiting new talent into the program.
A strong rumor circulating has UVA hiring a general manager for the basketball program and the leading candidate is a former associate of Odom’s. Longwood head basketball coach Griff Aldrich is rumored to be that candidate. Aldrich was Odom’s director of basketball operations at UMBC. He graduated from UVA Law School and was an attorney for 16 years before getting into college basketball.
Mallory to announce decision Saturday
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Star point guard Chance Mallory of Charlottesville’s St. Anne’s-Belfield is set to announce his college commitment on Saturday at 2:30 at his school.
Mallory, a 5-foot-9, 4-star prospect, is down to five college programs: Virginia, Tennessee, Maryland, Virginia Tech and Vanderbilt. He had previously committed to UVA prior to Tony Bennett’s retirement last fall, causing Mallory to rethink his decision and decommit.
With Virginia presently without a head coach, it is uncertain as to whether Mallory will reconsider the Cavaliers.
He is coming off another banner year with the Saints of Coach Damin Altizer. Mallory averaged 25.4 points per game, 3.9 assists and 6.0 rebounds per game, capping off a career where St. Anne’s posted a 56-4 conference record during Mallory’s era. That made him the Virginia Private League’s all-time winningest player.
VCU’s season ends; Odom mum about UVA job
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Photo: KSL TV
With rumors swirling all around Wahoo Nation, Cavalier fans are now officially on the Ryan Odom Watch.
Odom’s VCU team, a No. 11 seed, was eliminated by No. 6 seed BYU, 80-71, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. Odom is reportedly the top candidate on Virginia’s list for its new head basketball coach.
Odom really didn’t have anything interesting to say about rumors tying him to the UVA opening after Thursday’s loss to a good BYU team.
“I’m happy to answer any questions about the game or this team or anything,” Odom told media after the game. “I’m not going to answer any questions about that. Thank you.”
Certainly the path appears clear of obstacles if Virginia wants to end the process as soon as possible as media, fans and donors await word for an expected press conference to introduce a new coach.
O’Connor demanding better effort vs. Duke tonight
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Brian O’Connor is normally a cool customer, but the Virginia coach was not happy with his baseball team after Wednesday night’s 6-2 loss to Richmond, the UVA program’s first midweek home loss since 2022.
O’Connor blasted his team’s effort after the game, dropping the No. 23 Cavaliers to 12-7 on the season (3-3 ACC), with Duke coming to town tonight to open a three-game series (6 p.m., Disharoon Park, ACCNX, Byron Kerr on the call). The visiting Blue Devils are 13-9, (2-4 ACC).
The Virginia skipper didn’t hold back in criticizing his team after losing to Richmond (19-2 on the season).
“It’s not about winning and losing the game,” O’Connor said. “It’s about being ready to play from pitch one, and we are not doing that. That’s on me. They’re 18- to 24-year-old kids. I’m the grown man that’s been here for 20 years and I freaking own it, OK.”
Richmond put up four runs in the second inning with a little help from the Wahoos in the form of a throwing error on a pickoff attempt, a pair of wild pitches. All four of the Spiders’ early runs were unearned.
O’Connor tipped his cap to Richmond and noted that the Spiders were the better team on Wednesday night and deserved to win. Still, the loss will likely haunt the coach until tonight’s game.
“The effort will be better,” O’Connor said. “Because if it’s not, I’ll find the guys that will show up every day and play with the right intent that the standards of what this baseball program is built on. That’s what I owe everybody.”
The skipper complained that the Cavaliers were not ready to play from the first pitch and had soft at-bats the first four innings.
Right-hander Jay Woolfolk is scheduled to take the mound against Duke tonight, going against Blue Devils southpaw Owen Proksch (0-0, 1.64 ERA, 11 IP, 5 BB, 19 SO). Woolfolk, who is 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA (24 IP, 8 BB, 29 SO), has allowed a mere seven earned runs so far this season.
Lefty freshman Tomas Valincius is slated to get Saturday’s start for UVA (gametime is 4 p.m.). Valincius is 2-0 with a 3.70 ERA in 24.1 innings pitched with 4 walks and 31 strikeouts.
Swimming & Diving: UVA adds two more titles in Thursday NCAA action
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
Photo: UVA Athletics
Virginia won two events on Thursday at the 2025 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatics Center in Federal Way, Washington.
Senior Gretchen Walsh won the 50 Free and then helped lead the 200 Free Relay to victory.
Virginia leads the team standings with 225 points, followed by Stanford (178) and Texas (152) through the first two days of the four-day competition.
On Thursday, the Cavaliers had seven swimmers advance from the morning prelims to the finals, with six making A Finals.
The Cavaliers had three swimmers in the A Final of the 50 Free. Gretchen Walsh won it in 20.49, her second straight year winning the NCAA title in the event. Sophomore Claire Curzan was second behind Walsh, posting a personal-best 21.11. Grad student Maxine Parker placed sixth with a 21.77, also a personal best.
Walsh, Curzan and Parker then teamed with freshman Anna Moesch to win the 200 Free Relay with a 1:24.45. Walsh led off the relay with a split of 21.37, tying her own American, NCAA and US Open record for the 50 Free.
This is the fourth-straight year that Virginia has won the 200 Free Relay.
Freshman Katie Grimes and sophomore Cavan Gormsen both made the A Final of the 500 Free with Grimes placing fourth (4:34.25) and Gormsen fifth (4:34.51).
Freshman Leah Hayes won the B Final of the 200 IM (1:53.71) for a ninth-place finish and her first career honorable mention All-America honors. Grad student Alex Walsh was denied her fourth NCAA title in the 200 IM, falling to Stanford’s Torre Huske in the final. Walsh touched at 1:50.14 behind Huske’s 1:49.67.
For the second straight year, Lizzy Kaye earned honorable mention All-America honors in 1m Diving. Kaye was 12th in the prelims to make the consolation final. She finished 11th overall with a score of 306.85.
Friday’s events will be the 400 IM, 100 Fly, 200 Free, 100 Breast, 100 Back, 3m Diving and the 400 Medley Relay.
Prelims start at 1 p.m. ET with the finals session starting at 9 p.m. ET.
The meet runs through Saturday.
MEET NOTES
- The 50 Free was the 7th NCAA individual title won by Gretchen Walsh in her career
- The 200 Free Relay is Walsh’s 14th relay title, giving her 21 total NCAA event titles
- Maxine Parker now has eight career NCAA relay titles
- Swimmers in the A-Finals earn First Team All-America honors. Swimmers in the B-Finals are honorable mention All-Americans
TEAM SCORES THROUGH DAY TWO
- Virginia 225
- Stanford 178
- Texas 152
- Louisville 106.5
- Indiana 102
- Tennessee 93
- Michigan 92
- Cal 89.5
- Florida 71
- NC State 54
HOW TO FOLLOW
- All sessions will be streamed live on ESPN+ (subscription required)
- Live scoring will be available on the Meet Mobile app and through a link posted on VirginiaSports
AMERICAN RECORDS SET BY CAVALIERS AT THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS (1)
200 Medley Relay (1:31.10)
NCAA RECORDS SET BY CAVALIERS AT THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS (1)
200 Medley Relay (1:31.10)
EVENT TITLES AT THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS (3)
50 Free, 200 Medley Relay, 200 Free Relay
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS BY INDIVIDUAL
Gretchen Walsh – 50 Free, 200 Medley Relay, 200 Free Relay
Maxine Parker – 200 Medley Relay, 200 Free Relay
Claire Curzan – 200 Medley Relay, 200 Free Relay
Alex Walsh – 200 Medley Relay
Anna Moesch – 200 Free Relay
ALL-AMERICA – FIRST TEAM
Gretchen Walsh – 50 Free, 200 Medley Relay, 200 Free Relay
Maxine Parker – 50 Free, 200 Medley Relay, 200 Free Relay
Alex Walsh – 200 IM, 200 Medley Relay, 800 Free Relay
Claire Curzan – 50 Free, 200 Medley Relay, 200 Free Relay
Katie Grimes – 500 Free, 800 Free Relay
Anna Moesch – 800 Free Relay, 200 Free Relay
Cavan Gormsen – 500 Free
Aimee Canny – 800 Free Relay
ALL-AMERICA– HONORABLE MENTION
Leah Hayes – 200 IM
Lizzy Kaye – 1M Diving
Wrestling: Trio of Cavaliers advance to second day of NCAA Championships
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
Photo: UVA Athletics
Three members of the Virginia wrestling team will advance to the second day of competition at the NCAA Wrestling Championships as Dylan Cedeno, Jack Gioffre and Nick Hamilton all split matches in Thursday action.
The second day of action begins with quarterfinals and consolation matches at noon Friday on ESPNU. The tournament is being held at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Jack Gioffre (149) pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the day as he knocked off No. 4 seed Paniro Johnson in the first round of action. Gioffre entered the tournament as the No. 29 seed.
Gioffre picked up his win in overtime, holding even through the two minute sudden victory period before taking the match 5-2 in the first round of tie breaks.
Gioffre dropped his second match of the day, an 8-5 decision to No. 13 seed Dylan D’Emilio of Ohio State in the Round of 16.
Dylan Cedeno (141) also won his first match of the day, taking an 11-1 major decision over No. 22 seed Jordan Soriano of Drexel. Cedeno is the No. 11 seed in his weight class.
Cedeno then dropped his Round of 16 matchup to No. 6 seed Vance VomBaur of Minnesota.
Nick Hamilton (165) fell in his opening match with No. 6 seed Cameron Amine of Oklahoma State in a 2-0 decision. The match was decided on an escape point and a riding time point.
Hamilton advanced to the second day of action with a 10-3 decision over No. 24 seed Cesar Alvan of Columbia in a match he controlled throughout. Hamilton is the No. 25 seed in his weight class.
Keyveon Roller (125) lost both matches on the day in his first NCAA Championships appearance.
FROM HEAD COACH STEVE GARLAND
“Our guys are our here battling. We got three (of four) through day one and still in the fight. Jack Gioffre lost a heartbreaker on the championship side, but he’s in a great place mentally and he has his head on straight. We’re really excited to see what he’s going to do Friday. Dylan Cedeno is a pro and his dream to become an All-American is still intact. The same with Nick Hamilton and he looked great in his last match of the night.”
125
No. 26 seed Keyveon Roller
Champ Rd1: No. 7 seed Troy Spratley (Okla. State) tech fall Roller, 15-0 (4:18)
Conso. R1: No. 23 seed Tanner Jordan (SDSU) major dec. Roller, 11-2
141
No. 11 seed Dylan Cedeno
Champ Rd1: Cedeno major dec. No. 22 seed Jordan Soriano (Drexel), 11-1
R16: No. 6 seed Vance VomBaur (Minnesota) dec. Cedeno, 4-0
Conso. R2: Cedeno vs. No. 28 seed Danny Pucino (Illinois) on Friday morning
149
No. 29 seed Jack Gioffre
Champ Rd1: Gioffre dec. No. 4 seed Paniro Johnson (Iowa State), 5-2 (TB-1)
R16: No. 13 seed Dylan D’Emilio (Ohio State) dec. Gioffre, 8-5
Conso. R2: Gioffre vs. No. 14 seed Chance Lamer (Cal Poly) on Friday morning
165
No. 25 seed Nick Hamilton
Champ Rd1: No. 6 seed Cameron Amine (Okla. State) dec. Hamilton, 2-0
Conso. R1: Hamilton dec. No. 24 seed Cesar Alvan (Columbia), 10-3
Conso. R2: Hamilton vs. No. 10 seed Andrew Sparks (Minnesota) on Friday morning
Swimming & Diving: UVA sets American record on opening night at NCAA Women’s Championships
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
Photo: UVA Athletics
Virginia set an American and NCAA record on the opening night of the 2025 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships, being held March 18-22 at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatics Center in Federal Way, Washington.
In the very first event of the meet, Claire Curzan, Alex Walsh, Gretchen Walsh and Maxine Parker clocked a 1:31.10 in the 200 Medley Relay to take the title. The previous record of 1:31.51 was set by the Cavaliers at the 2023 NCAA Championships.
The Cavaliers finished second in the other event of the evening, the 800 Free Relay with Alex Walsh, Aimee Canny, Anna Moesch and Katie Grimes posting a 6:51.29.
Stanford finished second in the 200 Medley Relay and won the 800 Free Relay to tie for first place with the Cavaliers in the team standings through the first night of the competition.
Thursday’s events will be the 500 Free, 200 IM, 50 Free, 200 Free Relay and 1m Diving.
Prelims start at 1 p.m. ET with the finals session starting at 9 p.m. ET.
Day one rewind 🇺🇸🥇🥈
What will today bring 🤔🤔🤔 #NCAASwimDive #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/aBf1PQpPIq— Virginia Swimming and Dive (@UVASwimDive) March 20, 2025
MEET NOTES
- Gretchen Walsh had a split of 20.88 in the butterfly leg of the relay, the second fastest ever, only behind a 20.87 she swam earlier this year
HOW TO FOLLOW
- All sessions will be streamed live on ESPN+ (subscription required)
- Live scoring will be available on the Meet Mobile app and through a link posted on VirginiaSports
Team Scores (through two events)
1. Virginia 74 1. Stanford 74 3. Florida 60 4. Texas 55 5. Michigan 46 6. California 44 7. Louisville 42 8. Indiana 36 9. Tennessee 34 10. Wisconsin 30 11. Southern California 28 12. NC State 27 13. Arizona St 22 14. Georgia 12 15. Alabama 10 16. Ohio St 8 17. Virginia Tech 6 17. Texas A&M 6 19. LSU 4 20. UNC 2
Dai Dai Ames will enter transfer portal
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Photo by Nikolozi Khutsishvili
Count Dai Dai as gone gone.
Sophomore guard Dai Dai Ames, who transferred from Kansas State to Virginia to play for Tony Bennett, became the second player from the Cavaliers’ roster this week to announce intentions to enter the NCAA transfer portal next Monday.
Ames’ agent told On3sports that the Chicago native plans on transferring when the portal opens. He joins sophomore forward Blake Buchanan, who signalled he intends to transfer as well.
Virginia presently is in limbo after not renewing interim coach Ron Sanchez’ contract following a 15-17 season. Most of the reported candidates to replace Bennett are engaged to postseason play.
It was widely speculated that Ames would be leaving the program. The 6-foot-1 guard seemed a better fit for a faster-paced offense than Virginia has employed over the years.
Still, Ames averaged 8.7 points per game, getting off to a slow start, but hitting his stride down the home stretch of the season. He shot nearly 40 percent from the 3-point arc and scored a career-high 27 points at Pitt in a UVA upset win.
The Pitt game kick-started Ames’ game, as he then rattled off 10 consecutive double-figures scoring contests, all against ACC opponents, including a 15-point performance against ACC champion Duke.
Ames, perhaps the most aggressive player on Virginia’s roster, was able to create his own shot with his quickness and ability to drive into the lane, had a nice mid-range jumper and was a threat from the arc. He started 26 games for the Cavaliers this past season and was the team’s fourth-leading scorer.
No. 23 Virginia suffers 6-2 upset loss against Richmond
By Colin Moore
JerryRatcliffe.com correspondent
Photo: UVA Athletics
The No. 23 Virginia baseball team suffered a 6-2 defeat against in-state opponent Richmond Spiders on Tuesday at Disharoon Park.
After an uneventful first inning, Richmond began to build some momentum in the second with multiple big hits as well as some costly UVA walks from three separate pitchers. The Spiders held a 6-0 advantage entering the bottom of the fifth, where the Cavaliers managed to get a solo home run from Henry Godbout. Unfortunately the comeback fell just short after loading the bases in the bottom of the ninth with the tying run, Henry Ford, at the plate.
Virginia starting pitcher Bradley Hodges didn’t have his best night on the mound, as he went 1.2 innings with three strikeouts, giving up three hits and three runs. The Hoos used 7 different pitchers in Wednesday’s midweek match, giving up 9 hits and 6 runs.
At the plate, the Hoos only registered 8 hits on the afternoon. Walker Buchanan also knocked in a RBI to get the Cavaliers on the score sheet.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Richmond (18-2) started the scoring by tallying in the first 6 runs with a big second inning, and their final run came in the top of the fifth on a home run from DJ Pacheco.
After Godbout’s homer spurred the hopes of a Cavalier comeback, UVA left two standed to end the fifth inning, but responded and got one run in the bottom of the sixth from the bat of Buchanan.
Virginia (12-7) attempted to make a comeback late in the bottom of the ninth inning after Jacob Ference led off and registered a single up the middle. Next up, James Nunnallee made the Spiders take the force out at second, making it one out with one aboard on first base.
Luke Hansen was walked after tipping back a few pitches, allowing the Hoos to get two runners on base. Richmond’s pitching coach made a quick trip out to the mound before facing Eric Becker, and the trip paid off as Becker striked out.
The Spiders then decided to make the change which allowed Aidan Teel to place down a perfect bunt with two outs down the third-base line, allowing there to be no real play on the ball.
Ford was the Cavaliers’ last hope, as he was up next to bat. He battled, but ultimately hit a ground ball up the middle for an easy out at second to end the game.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
- Aidan Teel extended his on-base streak to 19 games with his bunt single in the bottom of the ninth.
- Godbout has now hit home runs in back-to-back for the second time in his career and the first time since hitting homers against VCU (4/30) and Navy (5/1) last season.
- Wednesday’s result was the first home midweek loss for UVA since falling to Old Dominion on April 12, 2022.
- With the loss, UVA falls to 90-60-2 all-time against Richmond and a six-game win streak over the Spiders that dates back to 2019.
UP NEXT
The Hoos look to bounce back on Friday, as they host Duke in a three-game home series. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
Women’s Lacrosse: No. 12 Cavaliers hang on for 14-11 win at No. 14 Dukes
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
Photo: UVA Athletics
No. 12 Virginia leapt out to a seven-goal lead in the first half, but had to fend off a furious second-half comeback on Wednesday night at Sentara Park in Harrisonburg.
Behind a pair of fourth-quarter goals from Addi Foster, the Cavaliers ended the comeback effort and secured a 14-11 win over No. 14 JMU.
Addi Foster (3g, 2a) led the way on the stat sheet with five points while Kate Galica (3g, 1a) and Payton Sfreddo (3g) rounded out a trio of Cavaliers who posted hat tricks. Alex Riley and Gabby Laveghetta each chipped in a pair of goals as well.
Galica turned in another dominant day in the draw circle, picking up 11 draw controls to mark her sixth game of the season in double figures. Abby Manalang picked up four draw controls and a pair of ground balls while Sfreddo collected six ground balls.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Cavaliers put together a fast start scoring back-to-back goals in the opening two minutes of the game. The teams traded goals to end the period as Virginia took a 4-2 lead into the second.
Virginia dominated the second quarter ,scoring the first five goals of the period to extend its scoring run to six straight – its longest of the game. After scoring once in the first, Sfreddo notched a pair of goals in the second to secure the first hat trick of her collegiate career. Josephson ended the first half with nine saves.
The Dukes responded in the third quarter, outscoring UVA 6-2 to pull within three as the Cavaliers entered the final quarter protecting a 12-9 advantage.
JMU scored the opening goal of the fourth period to pull within two for the first time since the end of the first quarter. However, Foster delivered a pair of goals in the final seven minutes to ice the victory for Virginia.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- Payton Sfreddo notched the first hat trick of her career
- Addi Foster notched her ninth consecutive game with a point
- Mel Josephson recorded 10 saves on 19 shots in the opening three quarters
- Abby Jansen made three saves on five shots in the fourth
- The Cavaliers won the battle in the draw circle by a margin of 18-11
- UVA went 4-for-7 from free position attempts and limited JMU to just 1-for-5
- Jenna DiNardo (3) and Addi Foster (2) each recorded multiple assists
- Virginia limited JMU to two goals or less in three of four quarters
- Olivia Bruno recorded a pair of caused turnovers to lead the team
WITH THE WIN…
- Virginia has won three of the last four meetings with JMU in Harrisonburg
- The Cavaliers improve to 37-16-1 in the all-time series with the Dukes
- Sonia LaMonica improves to 2-0 against JMU as the head coach at UVA
- The Cavaliers record back-to-back wins over top-15 opponents.
FROM HEAD COACH SONIA LaMONICA
“I thought we did a much better job of coming out with fire, keeping our foot down, playing with confidence and executing well. We knew at halftime that this is a team in JMU that wasn’t going to go away and sure enough, they rallied back. I just felt like our team showed grit and toughness. We made some adjustments and our team managed to close the door and we get to go home with a really great road win tonight.”
UP NEXT
The Cavaliers return to Klöckner Stadium on Saturday to host Pitt in ACC action. First draw is set for 3 p.m.
Swimming & Diving: UVA women set for run at fifth straight NCAA team title
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
Photo: UVA Athletics
The top-ranked Virginia women’s swimming and diving team will compete in the 2025 NCAA Division I Championships from Wednesday to Saturday at Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatics Center in Federal Way, Washington.
A total of 18 competitors will represent UVA as the Cavaliers attempt to win their fifth consecutive NCAA team title. Cavaliers are scheduled to participate in 44 individual events (including diving).
Wednesday will kick off the Championships with two relay finals beginning at 9 p.m. ET.
Thursday-Saturday will begin with prelims at 1 p.m. ET and finals at 9 p.m. ET each day.
HOW TO FOLLOW
- All sessions will be streamed live on ESPN+ (subscription required)
- Live scoring will be available on the Meet Mobile app
ORDER OF EVENTS
- Wednesday: 200 Medley Relay, 800 Free Relay
- Thursday: 500 Free, 200 IM, 50 Free, 200 Free Relay, 1m Diving
- Friday: 400 IM, 100 Fly, 200 Free, 100 Breast, 100 Back, 400 Medley Relay, 3m Diving
- Saturday: 1650 Free, 200 Back, 100 Free, 200 Breast, 200 Fly, Platform Diving, 400 Free Relay
SCHEDULED TO COMPETE FOR THE HOOS
Aimee Canny (200 Free, 500 Free, 200 Breast), Katie Christopherson (200 IM), Claire Curzan (50 Free, 100 Back, 200 Back), Cavan Gormsen (200 Free, 500 Free, 1650 Free), Katie Grimes (500 Free, 1650 Free, 400 IM), Bailey Hartman (500 Free, 100 Fly, 200 Fly), Leah Hayes (200 IM, 400 IM, 200 Breast), Tess Howley (200 Fly), Lizzy Kaye(1m, 3m, Platform), Anna Moesch (50 Free, 100 Free, 200 Free), Carly Novelline (100 Fly, 200 Fly, 100 Back), Maxine Parker (50 Free, 100 Free, 200 Free), Maggie Schalow (100 Fly), Zoe Skirboll (100 Breast), Alex Walsh (100 Breast, 200 IM, 200 Fly), Gretchen Walsh (50 Free, 100 Free, 100 Fly), Emma Weber (100 Breast, 200 Breast), Charlotte Wilson (200 Back)
TEAM NOTES
- UVA will be attempting to become the third ever school to win five consecutive NCAA team titles in women’s swimming and diving
- Stanford (1992 to 1996) and Texas (1984 to 1988) are the only schools to ever win five straight
- Virginia was ranked No. 1 in 2020 when the NCAA Championship was canceled due to COVID-19
- Virginia won its first NCAA swimming title in 2021
- The 2024 NCAA title was the 34th overall NCAA team championship for a University of Virginia team
- Grad student Alex Walsh looks to become the first swimmer to ever win five team titles and the first to win individual events in five different NCAA Championships
- Gretchen Walsh is vying for her fourth title. Maxine Parker, Aimee Canny, Emma Weber and Lizzy Kaye are competing for their third team titles
- Eleven of the 18 Cavaliers competing helped lead the team to its 2024 NCAA team title
- Gretchen Walsh is the top seed in three individual events: 50 Free, 100 Fly, 100 Free. She is also the NCAA and American Record holder in those three events
- The Cavaliers are the top seed in three other individual events: 400 IM (Katie Grimes), 100 Breast (Alex Walsh), 200 Back (Claire Curzan)
- The Cavaliers have 15 individual seeds in the top eight and 25 in the top 16
- Gretchen Walsh looks to become a four-time champion in the 100 Free
- Alex Walsh looks to become a four-time champion in the 200 IM. Alex won the 400 IM each of the last three years but is not competing in it this year
- There have been 12 swimmers in NCAA history to win an event four times. Ella Easton (Stanford, 400 IM) and Lilly King (Indiana, 100 & 200 Breast) were the last two to do so in 2019. Three swimmers (including King) won two events four times, making it 15 times that a swimmer has won an event four times
- Alex Walsh comes into the championship with eight individual titles, tied for sixth-most all-time. Gretchen Walsh has six individual titles
- Sophomore Claire Curzan looks to become the first swimmer to ever win an individual event for two different schools. She won the 200 Back in 2023 as a freshman swimming for Stanford. She transferred to UVA after that season, but took a redshirt year last year (2024) to focus on international competition. This is her first NCAA Championship with the Cavaliers
- Virginia has the top-seeded relay in all five events (200 Free, 400 Free, 800 Free, 200 Medley, 400 Medley)
- Virginia is looking for its fourth-relay victory in every relay except the 800 Free. UVA was fourth last year in the event. The Cavaliers have won the 800 Free in two of the last four NCAA Championships
Career NCAA Event Titles
Alex Walsh leads the Cavaliers with 19 total golds, including eight individual, followed by Gretchen Walsh with 18 total and six individual gold.
Alex Walsh (19 Total, 8 Individual)
2024: 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 Breast, 200 Free Relay, 400 IM, 400 Medley Relay, 400 Free Relay
2023: 400 IM, 400 Free Relay, 800 Free Relay, 200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay
2022: 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 Fly, 200 Free Relay, 400 Free Relay, 400 Medley Relay
2021: 200 IM, 800 Free Relay
Gretchen Walsh (18 Total, 6 Individual)
2024: 50 Free, 100 Free, 100 Fly, 200 Medley Relay, 200 Free Relay, 400 Medley Relay, 400 Free Relay
2023: 100 Back, 100 Free, 200 Free Relay, 400 Free Relay, 200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay
2022: 100 Free, 200 Free Relay, 400 Free Relay, 200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay
Maxine Parker (6)
2024: 200 Medley Relay, 200 Free Relay, 400 Medley Relay, 400 Free Relay
2023: 200 Free Relay, 400 Free Relay
Aimee Canny (2)
2023: 800 Free Relay, 400 Medley Relay
Carly Novelline (1)
2024: 200 Medley Relay
Claire Curzan (1 Individual)
2023 (at Stanford): 200 Back
RECORDS
- Gretchen Walsh has set 12 Short Course Meters World Records (holds six current records, four individual (50 Fly, 100 Fly, 50 Free, 100 IM) and two relay
- Gretchen Walsh has set three Long Course Meters World Records (all current) including one individual (100 Fly) and two relay
- Walsh holds the world record in the 100 Fly in both SCM and LCM. She also has the NCAA and American Record in the 100 Fly for SCY
- After setting an NCAA Record in the 800 Free Relay at the ACC Championship, the Cavaliers now hold the NCAA Record in all five relays
- Cavaliers also hold eight of 14 NCAA Individual records for SCY and seven of 14 American records
AMERICAN (SCY) AND NCAA RECORDS HELD BY UVA SWIMMING
Event Name Time Meet
50 Free Gretchen Walsh 20.37+^ 2024 NCAA Championships
100 Free Gretchen Walsh 44.83+^ 2024 NCAA Championships
100 Back Gretchen Walsh 48.10+^ 2024 ACC Championships
200 Back Claire Curzan 1:46.87+^ 2024 Tennessee Invitational
200 Breast Kate Douglass 2:01.29+^ 2023 NCAA Championships
100 Fly Gretchen Walsh 47.35+^ 2024 Tennessee Invitational
200 Fly Alex Walsh 1:49.16^ 2024 ACC Championships
200 IM Kate Douglass 1:48.37+^ 2023 NCAA Championships
200 FR Kate Douglass , 1:23.87+ 2023 ACC Championships
Gretchen Walsh, Lexi Cuomo , Alex Walsh
200 FR Jasmine Nocentini, 1:23.63^ 2024 ACC Championships
Gretchen Walsh, Alex Walsh, Maxine Parker
400 FR Kate Douglass , 3:05.84+^ 2023 NCAA Championships
Alex Walsh, Maxine Parker, Gretchen Walsh
800 FR Gretchen Walsh, 6:44.13^ 2025 ACC Championships
Alex Walsh, Aimee Canny, Claire Curzan
200 MR Gretchen Walsh, 1:31.51+^ 2023 NCAA Championships
Alex Walsh, Lexi Cuomo, Kate Douglass
400 MR Claire Curzan, 3:19.58+^ 2025 ACC Championships
Alex Walsh, Gretchen Walsh, Anna Moesch
+ American (SCY) Record
^ NCAA Record
VIRGINIA’S OLYMPIANS at this NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP
- Gretchen Walsh: 2 golds, 2 silvers at Paris Olympics (including individual silver in 100 Fly)
- Alex Walsh: Two-time Olympian, silver medalist in Tokyo (200 IM)
- Katie Grimes: Two-time Olympian, Silver in Paris in the 400 IM, also competed in the 1500 Free (10th) and the 10K Open Water Swim (15th). Was the youngest member of the US Olympic Team in Tokyo at 15 years old (finished 4th in the 800 Free)
- Emma Weber: Olympic gold medalist Paris (4×100 Medley Relay – swam in prelims), competed in 100 Breast
- Aimee Canny: Two-time Olympian representing South Africa, competed in the 200 Free
Final Paris Olympic Medal Tally All Cavaliers: 12
Gold (5): 200 Breaststroke (Kate Douglass), Mixed 4×100 Medley Relay (Gretchen Walsh); 4×100 Medley Relay (Gretchen Walsh, Kate Douglass, Emma Weber)
Silver (6): 100 Fly (Gretchen Walsh), 200 IM (Kate Douglass), 400 IM (Katie Grimes), 4×100 Free Relay (Kate Douglass, Gretchen Walsh), 4×200 Free Relay (Paige Madden)
Bronze (1): 800 Free (Paige Madden)
2024 SHORT COURSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Gretchen Walsh was named the Best Female Swimmer of the 2024 World Aquatics 25m Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
- Walsh had 11 world records (nine individual, two relay) and seven world titles (five individual, two relay) in the six-day meet held in a 25-meter pool en route to being named the Best Female Swimmer. She won the title in all five of her individual events (50 SCM Freestyle, 100 SCM Freestyle, 50 SCM Buttery, 100 SCM Butterfly, and 100 SCM Individual Medley) and both of her relays (4×100 SCM Freestyle, 4×100 SCM Medley).
- Of her 15 individual swims in her five events, nine were world records. In the 100 Fly, she became the first swimmer to set a world record in the heats (53.24), semifinals (52.87) and finals (52.71) of the same event at a championship meet. Of the 30 world records set at the championship, Walsh was part of 11 of them.
- She is one of six US swimmers ever to win four or more titles at a single global championship, joining Mark Spitz, Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Katie Ledecky and Caleb Dressel.
- Walsh is the second Cavalier swimmer to earn the Best Female Swimmer award at a world championship, as sophomore Claire Curzan earned the title at the 2024 World Aquatics Long Course (50m) Championships in Doha, Qatar in February.
2025 SCW Medals by UVA Athletes (25)
- Gretchen Walsh (7): 7 Gold (50 Free, 100 Free, 50 Fly, 100 Fly, 100 IM, 4×100 Free, 4×100 Medley)
- Kate Douglass (7): 4 Gold (200 IM, 200 Breast, 4×100 Free, 4×100 Medley), 2 Silver (50 Free, 100 IM), 1 Bronze (100 Free)
Alex Walsh (6): 2 Gold (4×200 Free, 4×100 Medley), 2 Silver (200 IM, 4×100 Mixed Medley), 2 Bronze (200 Breast, 4×50 Mixed Medley) - Katie Grimes (3): 1 Gold (4×200 Free), 1 Silver (400 IM), 1 Bronze (800 Free)
- Paige Madden (1): 1 Gold (4×200 Free)
- Emma Weber (1): 1 Gold (4×100 Medley)
2025 NCAA ZONE A DIVING RECAP
For the third consecutive year, Lizzy Kaye qualified for all three diving events at NCAA Championships. She won the 1m (602.90) and was the runner-up in the 3m (674.25). She placed 10th in platform. Finishing in the top 12 of Platform after earning qualifications in the 1m and 3m enabled her to opt into the field for the event at the NCAA Championships. Kaye was an All-American in the 3m last year, finishing eighth, and an honorable mention All-American in the 1m (13th).
Men’s Lacrosse: Cavaliers take down UAlbany in 12-9 victory
By Colin Moore
JerryRatcliffe.com correspondent
Photo: UVA Athletics
Virginia made a statement early and held on for a 12-9 win over UAlbany Tuesday at Klöckner Stadium. The Cavaliers began on the front foot, scoring the first three goals.
UAlbany never backed down and continued to fight throughout, making it interesting towards the end before UVA made some great defensive plays and also scored on an empty net to make the final score 12-9.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Cavaliers (4-4) began this match extremely well, as the offense was clicking and the defense was making stops. This was a game of runs where both teams scored in bunches. Griffin Schutz, Charles Balsamo, and Truitt Sunderland scored on back-to-back-to-back possessions to open up the game for the Cavaliers.
UAlbany (2-6) answered back with two goals of their own to end the first quarter 3-2. UVA again started fast, with two quick goals from Ryan Colsey and Sunderland. Sunderland was able to capitalize off of the faceoff with two quick passes, with Cosley finding the last pass for the assist.
The Great Danes responded with two more goals with 5:30 remaining in the second quarter. The Cavaliers made a statement of their own two score two with the time remaining. This was caused by some great defensive rides causing UAlbany turnovers, making it 8-4. Sunderland made the Great Danes pay, scoring a hat trick in the first half.
The Hoos committed two big penalties towards the end of the half that allowed the Great Danes to start the second half with a two-man advantage and the ball.
Virginia managed to make a huge kill coming out of the locker room but UAlbany was still able to strike first with a great long-pole goal from Cade Galko, making it 8-5.
UVA’s McCabe Millon scored his second of the match right before UAlbany’s run of three consecutive goals. One of them being from Jackson Palumb, who scored from a great bounce shot just sneaking past UVA goalie Mathew Nunes.
The fourth quarter was played tight, with both teams making careless turnovers. The Hoos made 14 turnovers compared to the Great Danes’ 16. UVA’s Nunes made a few huge timely stops, preventing the Great Danes from getting within striking distance.
The Cavaliers had seven different goal scorers in this game, with Sunderland and Millon leading the way with three apiece. Millon also led the team in assists (2) and turnovers (5).
The ground ball leader was Cosley, who also had a 3-point night with 2 goals and 1 assist.
In net, Nunes, Ben Wayer and JP Lagunowich did well, as they only allowed 9 goals from 23 shots on goal from UAlbany.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
-
With 14 saves, Matthew Nunes (591) surpassed Adam Ghitelman (586) on UVA’s career saves list. Nunes is now third all-time behind Alex Rode (598) and Tillman Johnson (700).
-
Nunes’ 14 saves are second most by a UVA goalie in a single game so far this season.
-
UVA’s man-down unit held UAlbany scoreless on all four of its EMO chances.
-
The Cavalier man-down unit has now killed 30 of its opponents’ 34 EMO chances this year.
-
With one goal, Griffin Schutz tallied the 80th of his career. Schutz is also now in sole possession of No. 5 on UVA’s career points by a midfielder list, with 80 goals and 37 assists.
-
Schutz’s goal came on the first possession of the game 40 seconds in and gave the Hoos the lead for good.
-
Charles Balsamo, who transferred from Duke this past year, recorded his first career goal as a Cavalier.
WITH THE WIN…
-
Virginia (4-4) pulled back to .500 on the season and improved to 3-2 at home.
-
The Cavaliers improved to 3-0 in the all-time series with UAlbany, which began in 2005. All three meetings have been contested at Klöckner Stadium.
-
Lars Tiffany, who is in his ninth season at Virginia, improved 96-40 as UVA head coach.
-
Tiffany is also now 3-3 all-time against UAlbany head coach Scott Marr. Tiffany and Marr have previously coached for the Haudenosaunee national team.
UP NEXT
The Cavaliers face Utah for the One Love game at noon on Saturday at Klöckner stadium.
Softball: Bigham, No. 23 Cavaliers blank Patriots in 1-0 midweek duel
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
Photo: UVA Athletics
Junior right-hander Eden Bigham tossed a gem, striking out 10 batters and facing the minimum as No. 23 Virginia shut out George Mason with a 1-0 victory on Tuesday at Palmer Park.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Cavaliers (22-7) broke the stalemate in the third inning with a Kelly Ayer single to center that scored Jade Hylton from second. Hylton drew a walk to reach and stole second to set up the score on the Ayer hit.
The one-run lead held down the stretch behind the arm of Bigham as the junior right-hander stymied the George Mason offense on the afternoon.
Bigham (7-3) picked up the win with a season-high 10 strikeouts in the complete game effort. Despite allowing the one hit and one walk, Bigham faced the minimum as both baserunners were erased from the base path.
Abbey Lane (3-4) took the loss in relief, allowing the one run on one hit with two walks in 2.0 innings of work. Lane entered to open the third inning in relief of starter Harlowe Nigh. The Patriots (10-17) used three pitchers on the afternoon, with each going 2.0 innings.
- The 10 strikeouts from Bigham passes her previous season-high of nine set in her perfect game against Hofstra (3/1).
- With the win, Virginia has won six straight games and 18 of its last 20 contests.
- Macee Eaton extended her active hit streak to 16 straight games with her double in the first inning.
- Kelly Ayer drove in the game-winning run for the second straight game after also driving in the winning run in a 9-8 victory over Boston College on Saturday to close that series with the sweep.
FROM HEAD COACH JOANNA HARDIN
“Eden threw a gem and threw it exceptionally well. I’m really proud of her effort. It’s tough to throw with a one-run lead and limited scoring. Offensively, we are much more capable than what we showed with quality at bats today. Tip your cap to George Mason for coming in with a great strategy and keeping us a little off balance. Coming into the weekend it will be important for us to stay focused on our plan and simplified approach. It’s good to get the win and I’m proud of what I saw from Eden. We’ll get some rest and get ready for Cal to come to town this weekend.”
UP NEXT
Virginia continues to play at home this weekend when the Cavaliers jump back into ACC play against California. The three-game series is set to begin on Friday with a 5 p.m. first pitch. Saturday’s game two is set for 2 p.m., while the Sunday finale is set for 1 p.m.
Looks like Blake Buchanan is headed to the portal
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Photo by Jon Golden
While not officially confirmed, it appears that Virginia sophomore forward Blake Buchanan is headed for the NCAA transfer portal, which opens on March 24.
Buchanan’s Instagram account on Tuesday showed photographs of him in his Virginia uniform and the caption was a red heart. Several teammates commented on Buchanan’s post, including junior guard Isaac McKneely, who wrote: “thanks for all your screens.”
The 6-foot-11 forward grew up in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, where he was the state of Idaho’s Mr. Basketball his senior year at Lake City High School. He was originally recruited by Gonzaga, Washington State, Iowa, Pepperdine, Idaho, San Francisco, San Jose State and Utah Valley.
A source close to Buchanan said there’s chatter about an unnamed SEC that is interested in recruiting him. The same source confirmed later in the day that Buchanan will enter the portal when it opens next Monday.
Buchanan appeared in 32 games this past season for the Cavaliers, including 22 starts, and averaged 5.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocked shots, while shooting 53.4 percent from the field and 54.1 percent from the free-throw line. He was 11th in the ACC in blocked shots per game.
Virginia often had to play Buchanan out of position by necessity, sliding him into the post spot, where he was often at a disadvantage to heavier, stronger, more experienced post men. Buchanan worked hard in the weight room and bulked up to 227 pounds, but sometimes couldn’t equalize the physicality of some opponents.
Still, he had a nice stretch this season when he nearly posted a double-double in points and rebounding. His first career double-double (11 points, 15 rebounds) came against SMU in mid-January. Buchanan posted 16 points and 9 rebounds at Miami later that month.
One of his best games came early on his freshman season when he sparked Virginia’s upset win over Florida, when he scored 18 points (10 of 16 free throws) and seven rebounds.
Women’s Golf: UVA wraps up competition at Old Barnwell Match Play
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
Photo: UVA Athletics
The No. 12 Virginia women’s golf team dropped a 3-2 decision to second-seeded Florida State in the consolation finals at South Carolina’s Old Barnwell Derby Matchplay tournament in Aiken, S.C. Jaclyn LaHa shined for Virginia over the two-day tournament with a 3-0 record.
Amanda Sambach (2UP) and LaHa (2&1) picked up Virginia’s pair of wins in the match with Florida State.
LaHa finished the tournament with a perfect 3-0 record with victories over some of the top-ranked individuals in the field including today’s win over Mirabel Ting who ranks No. 3 in World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR). She also took a 1UP decision over South Carolina’s Hannah Darling (No. 15 WAGR).
Earlier in the event, UVA defeated fifth-seeded Ole Miss (4-1) and fell to top-seeded South Carolina (4-1).
The Cavaliers will be back in action when the team travels to the Chattanooga Classic (March 28-30).
Old Barnwell Derby Matchplay
Old Barnwell Golf Club
Aiken, S.C.
Quarterfinals (Monday)
Virginia def. Ole Miss, 4-1
Match 1 – Jaclyn LaHa (UVA) def. Sophie Linder (OleMiss), 4&2
Match 2 – Megan Propeck (UVA) def. Nicole Gal (OleMiss), 1UP
Match 3 – Amanda Sambach (UVA) def. Filippa Sundquist (OleMiss), 4&3
Match 4 – Rebecca Skoler (UVA) def. Caitlyn Macnab (OleMiss), 1UP
Match 5 – Kajsalotta Svarvar (OleMiss), def. Chloe Schiavone (UVA) 1UP
Semifinals (Monday)
South Carolina def. Virginia, 4-1
Match 1 – Jaclyn LaHa (UVA) def. Hannah Darling (USC), 1UP
Match 2 – Eila Galitsky (USC) def. Rebecca Skoler (UVA), 3&2
Match 3 – Maylis Lamoure (USC) def. Megan Propeck (UVA), 3&2
Match 4 – Vairana Heck (USC), def. Amanda Sambach (UVA), 2&1
Match 5 – Sophia Burnett (USC) def. Chloe Schiavone (UVA), 2UP
Consolation Final (Tuesday)
Florida State def. Virginia, 3-2
Match 1 – Lottie Woad (FSU) def. Kennedy Swedick (UVA), 7&6
Match 2 – Alexandra Gazzoli (FSU) def. Chloe Schiavone (UVA), 2&1
Match 3 – Jaclyn LaHa (UVA) def. Mirabel Ting (FSU), 2&1
Match 4 – Amanda Sambach (UVA) def. Kaylah Williams (FSU), 2UP
Match 5 – Sophia Fullbrook (FSU) def. Rebecca Skoler (UVA), 2&1
Elliott impressed with his two transfer QBs
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Two new quarterbacks from the transfer portal are getting acclimated to Tony Elliott’s Virginia system, and the coach said after Monday’s practice that both are settling in quite nicely.
Daniel Kaelin is a 6-foot-3, 215-pound QB, who transferred to UVA from Nebraska and has four years of eligibility remaining. He was redshirted by the Cornhuskers last season as a 4-star recruit.
Chandler Morris, by contrast, is 24 years old, and is as old or older than at least five starting NFL quarterbacks. Virginia is his fourth school (Oklahoma, TCU, North Texas), and last season he passed for 3,771 yards and 31 touchdowns for the Mean Green, coached by his father, Eric Morris, considered one of the best offensive minds in the nation.
Eric Morris, by the way, was the guy who recruited Patrick Mahomes to Texas Tech.
Virginia’s Elliott beams at the prospect of both quarterbacks boosting the Cavaliers.
“The first day, you could kind of tell that they’re coming into a new system and things were moving fast,” Elliott said after Monday afternoon’s practice. “But I thought there was a huge jump between practice one and practice two. I thought they had a good day.”
Virginia’s spring practice was paused after a couple of days’ work due to spring break, with practices resuming Monday. Even though there’s been only a few sessions, Elliott has learned a few things about his two new QBs, but mostly Kaelin.
“Daniel moves much, much, much better than you may anticipate for a bigger guy,” Elliott said.
UVA’s coaches had watched high school game film of the Nebraska native and saw that he could run the football, but because he redshirted last season, there wasn’t any way to gauge his speed against college competition until they witnessed it this spring in Charlottesville. There also wasn’t much to go on to evaluate his passing skills until he got to Virginia.
“The ball jumps out of his hand, so you don’t get to see live evaluations unless they played a ton of football somewhere else,” Elliott said.
Chandler has played a ton of football, so Virginia knew exactly what it was getting from the golden-armed Texan.
“But what you didn’t see as much from him last year is that [North Texas] didn’t run him as much,” Elliott said. “But to watch him scoot around and move around, he’s got a lot of quickness to him and he’s not afraid to pull the ball down and run.
“It’s good for everybody to kind of see the moxie that he has, so it’s been fun to watch those guys just battle. And it’s made Gavin Frakes (who transferred in after the 2023 season) kind of elevate his level of play as well.”
Elliott believes the staff will see major strides by all the quarterbacks over the next four or five practices when the coaches will be on the sidelines rather than out on the field, and players will be in live action (although the QBs are off limits from contact).
“We’ll be able to see those guys kind of in an uncontrolled scrimmage-type situation,” the coach said.
While on-the-field evaluations are important, coaches are also observing the QBs off the field. Elliott said that you can look at the measurables, watch film, watch them throw, but it’s important to see how they conduct themselves in the locker room, how they display leadership, how they carry themselves in terms of commanding respect from their teammates.
“You can tell that both have great leadership skills, a little bit different,” Elliott said. “They’ve got different styles, but nonetheless very effective from a leadership standpoint, and that’s what’s been fun to watch.
“The coaches are going to be more on the X’s and O’s, but for me, it’s more about the big picture, looking at the chemistry, the cohesion, the leadership, what’s the identity of this group going to be. A lot of that is going to be driven by the quarterback.”
No. 23 Cavaliers take series with 11-5 win over Golden Bears in finale
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
Photo: UVA Athletics
In the finale of a four-game road swing, No. 23 Virginia won the rubber game, 11-5 over Cal to take the series at Stu Gordon Stadium on Sunday.
All nine batters in the Virginia starting lineup recorded a hit without striking out, the Cavalier offense exploded for nine runs in the second inning that was propelled by a Henry Godbout grand slam.
Godbout tied his career-high with four RBIs while the UVA duo of Aidan Teel and Chone James each went 2 for 4 with a run driven in.
On the mound, Evan Blanco picked up his first win of the season after surrendering two earned in five innings of work with four strikeouts.
HOW IT HAPPENED
For the third time on the weekend, Cal (9-10, 2-4 ACC) struck first. The Bears opened the scoring in the bottom of the first with an RBI double down the line.
Cal’s lead didn’t last long as Henry Ford hit a leadoff solo home run in the top of the second. The homer was Ford’s second of the season and second in as many days.
Following the Ford homer, UVA (12-6, 3-3) strung together three-straight two-out hits that included a Teel double down the line in right that put UVA up 3-1.
A Cal wild pitch and error extended the Virginia lead to 5-1 before a Chris Arroyo single and a Ford walk loaded the bases for Godbout.
Down to the final strike of the inning, Godbout turned on a 1-2 pitch and deposited it well beyond the wall in left field for his first home run of the season. The grand slam extended the Virginia advantage to 9-1.
After UVA’s big inning, Blanco sat down the Bears in order.
Virginia tacked on another run in the top of the third when Walker Buchanan swatted the first home run of his collegiate career to left field.
Cal made it a 10-3 contest in the bottom of the fourth when scoring on a Virginia error and an RBI single.
The final Virginia run came in the top of the seventh when Ford scored on a James Nunnallee ground out that made it an 11-3.
The Bears answered the Nunnallee RBI groundout by plating a pair of runs to make it an 11-5 game heading to the final two innings.
In relief for the Hoos, Jack O’Connor closed out the game by tossing 2.1 innings of one-hit, shutout ball.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- Teel extended his on-base streak to 18 games with his RBI double in the second inning.
- Godbout made the first start of this career at third base.
- Sunday’s win was UVA’s seventh come-from-behind of the season and second of the series.
- The nine-run second was the seventh inning this season where Virginia has scored five or more runs in a frame and the fourth with eight or more scored.
- Godbout’s grand slam was the second hit by a Cavalier this season.
- Ford has now homered in back-to-back games for the second time in his career.
- With the series win, Virginia improves to 4-1 all-time against Cal.
UP NEXT
Virginia will return to Disharoon Park on Wednesday to host Richmond, the beginning of a four-game home stint. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m. and the contest will be broadcast on ACCNX and WINA (98.9 FM/1070 AM).
