Olympic Sports Weekend Roundup: No. 8 UVA blanks Wolfpack on Senior Day

jerryratcliffe.com

Posted on Monday, Oct. 24, 2022, 9:00 am

Follow Jerry Ratcliffe on Twitter

Advertising inquiries: Connect with us

Email Jerry Ratcliffe: jratcliffe7000@gmail.com

 

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Photo: UVA Athletics

The No. 8 Virginia women’s soccer team used a pair of goals in each half, including two goals and an assist from Alexa Spaanstra, to pick up a 4-0 victory over NC State at Klöckner Stadium on Sunday.

GOALS (ASSISTS)
3’ – Alexa Spaanstra (unassisted)
12’ – Haley Hopkins (Sarah Clark, Maggie Cagle)
46’ – Alexa Spaanstra (Maggie Cagle)
57’ – Lia Godfrey (Alexa Spaanstra)

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Cavaliers (12-2-3, 5-2-2 ACC) wasted no time getting on the board with a strike from Spaanstra in the third minute of play. The unassisted goal would be the first of two for the fifth-year player on the day. Haley Hopkins got in on the action in the 12th minute. At the top right corner of the box, Maggie Cagle laid of a ball to Sarah Clark who immediately sent in the cross to Hopkins for a header at the back post.

Virginia struck quickly in the second half with Spaanstra finding the net again in the opening minute of the period. Cagle delivered her second assist of the game as her centering pass to Spaanstra was struck up off the croassbar and down into the goal mouth for the 3-0 lead. The Cavaliers then capped the scoring in the 57th minute with a goal from Lia Godfrey. Spaanstra danced around defenders on the left side of the box before playing the ball back to Godfrey at the corner for the strike across the goal and in past the right post.

NOTES

  • Virginia is now 29-12-3 all-time against NC State and are 10-0-2 in the last 12 matches vs. the Wolfpack (7-7-4, 2-6-1).
  • Alexa Spaanstra set a new mark with 101 career starts and appearances for the Hoos – passing Laurel Ivory.
  • Spaanstra now has 34 career goals and 34 career assists. Her 102 career points is tied for sixth in UVA history.
  • Maggie Cagle delivered the second two-assist game of the year and has a team-leading nine assists this season.
  • Michaela Moran turned in her first solo shutout of the year. She is 2-0-0 on the season and 6-2-0 in her career.
  • Virginia honored seven seniors prior to kick: Sarah Clark, Claire Constant, Jansen Eichenlaub, Haley Hopkins, Rebecca Jarrett, Michaela Moran and Alexa Spaanstra.

FROM HEAD COACH STEVE SWANSON

“It was a good result and a good performance as well. I’m really happy with the way the team performed today, especially the seniors. We got good contributions today from all of our seniors. We’re incredibly proud of them. They’ve sacrificed so much for the program, so it was nice to see the fans come out and us get the result with a good performance as well.”

UP NEXT

Virginia will close the regular season on the road when the Cavaliers travel to face Miami on Thursday. Kick is set for 6 p.m. and the match will be streamed on ACCNX.

No. 24 Hoos take first place in ACC with Senior-Night win over No. 24 Wake

The No. 24 Virginia men’s soccer team defeated No. 25 Wake Forest on Saturday night at Klöckner Stadium, as Leo Afonso and Phil Horton connected to deliver the victory and vault the Cavaliers to the top of the ACC standings on senior night.

Goals (Assists)
63’ – Virginia: Leo Afonso (Phil Horton)

HOW IT HAPPENED

After the pre-game celebration of Virginia’s 2022 senior class had died down and the opening whistle blew, it took both teams time to settle into the game as each looked to establish possession and control the midfield.

It was the Demon Deacons (12-4-0, 4-3-0 ACC)  that took the first bit of sustained possession. Wake Forest applied pressure deep in the Cavaliers’ end of the field as the Demon Deacons rallied off four shots in the span of just six minutes. Wake Forest’s best chance of the first half came when a shot from Ryan Fessler clattered off the woodwork and fell to Roald Mitchell who smashed it over the bar.

Virginia (9-4-2, 5-1-1) grew into the game and created a handful of quality chances later on in the first half. Leo Afonso threatened to put the Cavaliers ahead with 19 minutes gone as the striker made a devastating cutback into the Wake Forest penalty area, but his curling shot was blocked by a defender.

Virginia began to assert itself as the second half progressed. It was only a matter of time before the Cavaliers broke through. With an impressive piece of skill in the midfield, Phil Horton darted past his defender and laid the perfect ball into Afonso who smashed his chance into the low corner of the goal to give the Cavaliers the lead with half an hour remaining.

The Cavaliers were able to remain resolute defensively as they withstood late pressure from Wake Forest to hold on to the victory and secure three crucial points.

FROM HEAD COACH GEORGE GELNOVATCH

“It’s always special to get a win on a night when we are celebrating our seniors. That was a great win for our team. Wake Forest is a really talented attacking team and not too many teams can shut them out like that in a game. Our team did a great job to get this win and put ourselves in a position to compete for our division and our conference.”

ADDITIONAL NOTES

  • With the win, Virginia moves into sole possession of first place in the ACC Coastal division
  • Virginia also moves into a tie with Syracuse at the top of the ACC overall table with 16 points – Virginia’s head-to-head victory on Sept. 24 puts the Cavaliers ahead of the Orange
  • The ACC victory marks George Gelnovatch’s 99th conference win with one more ACC contest on the schedule this season
  • A victory at North Carolina on Friday would secure the top seed in the ACC Tournament for Virginia
  • The win is Virginia’s fourth over a ranked opponent this season
  • The Cavaliers are 4-2-1 against the top-25 this season
  • Afonso scored his sixth goal of the season which ties Kome Ubogu for the most of any Cavalier in 2022
  • Virginia improves to 6-0 when Afonso scores this season
  • The Cavalier goal marks the first time Afonso and Horton have connected to score in 2022
  • Phil Horton has made a goal contribution in consecutive matches after scoring on a penalty kick in Virginia’s draw with Hofstra
  • Virginia becomes just the second team all season to keep a clean sheet against Wake Forest
  • Virginia was outshot by a margin of 15-7
  • Holden Brown made three saves in goal and kept his seventh clean sheet of the season

UP NEXT

Virginia will hit the road for its regular-season finale as the Cavaliers travel to Chapel Hill, N.C. to take on North Carolina on Friday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

No. 7 Virginia shuts out Kent State on Senior Day, 3-0

Photo: UVA Athletics

The No. 7 Virginia field hockey team (11-5) picked up a 3-0 shutout victory against Kent State (7-8) on Sunday at Turf Field. The Cavaliers notched their fifth shutout victory of the year in their final regular-season home game.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Grad student Annie McDonough, one of the seven student-athletes honored after the game in the Senior Day recognitions, started her final game on the Blue Turf by scoring her first goal of the season 2:38 into the game. She took a pass from fellow senior Adele Iacobucci and shot it into the upper corner of the net. Freshman Daniela Mendez-Trendler made it a 2-0 advantage seven minutes into the game, converting a pass from another senior, Cato Geusgens, into a goal after a penalty corner. Senior Laura Janssen added a third score three minutes into the second quarter to give Virginia (11-5) a 3-0 lead.

The Golden Flashes (7-8) took two of their three shots in the third quarter, but Virginia dominated possession throughout the contest.

NOTES

  • Virginia held a 21-3 edge in shots
  • Jet Trimborn made one save for Virginia. Kent State had nine saves including a defensive save
  • Laura Janssen’s goal was her team-leading 10th of the season
  • In addition to Annie McDonough, Adele Iacobucci, Cato Geusgens and Laura Janssen, grad student Lindsay Dickinson and seniors Danielle Husar and Abbigail Starnes were honored in the Senior Day ceremony

UP NEXT

UVA closes out the regular season on Wednesday with a 4 p.m. game at No. 2 Maryland. The ACC Championship will take place Nov. 1-4 in Durham, N.C. Seeding for the championship will be released next weekend.

Hoos record 16.0 blocks in sweep of Fighting Irish

Photo: UVA Athletics

In its first sweep over an ACC opponent since 2019, the Virginia volleyball team recorded 16.0 total blocks in its 27-25, 25-19, 25-19 win over Notre Dame at Memorial Gymnasium Sunday afternoon. The Cavaliers’ 16.0 blocks are good for No. 2 all-time in program history among three-set matches.

The win snapped the Fighting Irish’s five-match winning streak in the series and marked UVA’s first win over Notre Dame since 2016.

Virginia (10-11, 2-8 ACC) was led by middle blocker Abby Tadder, who tied for a match-high eight kills, hit .429 and posted a match-high eight blocks, including a career-best three solo. Outside hitter Grace Turner also had eight kills and chipped in four blocks and nine digs. Middle blocker Veresia Yon accounted for seven blocks – her season high – and ripped six kills on 12 swings.

HOW IT HAPPENED 

The first set featured 10 tied scores and three lead changes. Notre Dame (9-11, 4-6) led 21-18 before Tadder’s third kill of the set brought defensive specialist Kate Johnson off the bench and to the service line. Johnson proceeded to dial up two great serves, including an ace that tied the frame, 21-21, at which point UND signaled for time. Coming out of the timeout, the Fighting Irish scored three straight points – all off UVA attack errors – to gain set point, 24-21.

The Cavaliers tied the score after registering three straight points of their own, thanks to back-to-back aces from setter Ashley Le. Notre Dame gained set point, once again, 25-24, but another 3-0 run by the Cavaliers, which featured their fourth ace of the frame, propelled the Hoos to victory, 27-25. Virginia finished the opening set with 7.0 blocks, including five block assists from Yon.

A 5-0 UVA run in the middle of the second proved to be the difference as Virginia ultimately went on to win, 25-19. Notre Dame broke up the Cavaliers’ scoring run on its ninth and final kill of the frame, but two plays later, the Cavaliers claimed three straight points to secure a 23-18 lead. Virginia tallied its 25th point of the set on a block by Yon and right side hitter Mary Shaffer, who finished Sunday’s contest with three block assists.

Coming out of the break, Notre Dame jumped out to a 4-1 lead after registering a pair of aces early on. UVA grasped its first lead of the third on yet another 5-0 run, which was highlighted by a pair of UVA blocks, including one of Tadder’s three solos. The score would flip two more times before the Cavaliers closed out the set, 25-19, after claiming the final seven points of the match. Virginia held the Fighting Irish to a -.029 hitting percentage in the third after five of Notre Dame’s 10 attack errors in the frame were by way of UVA rejections.

WITH THE WIN… 

  • Virginia snapped a five-match skid against the Fighting Irish and earned its first win in the series since 2016 and first its victory in Mem Gym over UND since 2015.
  • The Cavaliers improved to 2-8 in ACC play, marking the first time UVA has secured at least two ACC wins in the same season since 2019.
  • Virginia claimed its first ACC sweep since Nov. 27, 2019, when the Cavaliers won in straight sets over Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.
  • The last time the Cavaliers swept an ACC opponent in Mem Gym was in the match prior – against Boston College on Nov. 22, 2019.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

  • Virginia’s 16.0 total blocks are good for second all-time in program history among three-set matches. The all-time record and last time UVA had at least 16.0 blocks in a single three-set match was on Sept. 30, 2006 against Maryland, when the Cavaliers posted 19.0 total blocks.
  • Turner (8 kills) has now led or tied for the most kills by a UVA player this season in 15 of the Cavaliers’ 21 total contests.
  • Tadder’s three block solos are a career best.
  • Yon posted a season-high seven total blocks.

UP NEXT

Virginia travels to Virginia Tech on Friday at 6 p.m. and Wake Forest on Sunday at 1 p.m. Both matches are set to stream on ACC Network Extra (ACCNX) through the ESPN app, which is available through participating TV providers that carry ACC Network.