No. 2 Virginia Field Hockey Prepares for Key ACC and CAA Matchups
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Virginia field hockey, currently ranked No. 2 nationally, faces a challenging week with upcoming contests against No. 7 Liberty and William & Mary.The Cavaliers (9-1, 5-1 ACC) will first host Liberty on Tuesday, October 14th, at 5 p.m. at Turf Field in Charlottesville, Virginia, before traveling to Williamsburg, Virginia, to compete against William & Mary (1-10, 0-2 CAA) on Sunday, October 19th, at 1 p.m. at Busch Field.
cavaliers Maintain Top Ranking
Virginia has consistently held a top-three position in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) poll this season. After beginning the season ranked No. 3, the team climbed to No. 2 in Week 4 and has remained there through Week 5. The program has been a mainstay in the top 10 since the first poll of the 2022 season, demonstrating sustained excellence.
Key Players Shine for Virginia
Several Cavaliers have distinguished themselves with outstanding performances.Freshman Lauren sloan was recognized as the ACC Defensive Player of the Week on September 2nd, following an impressive collegiate debut that included a goal and an assist in a victory over No. 17 Penn State.Junior goalkeeper Nilou Lempers earned the same honor on September 9th after securing two shutouts in 1-0 wins against No.12 Ohio State and No. 18 Rutgers. Lempers has accumulated five shutouts this season, with four coming against ranked opponents.
More recently, senior Madison Orsi and junior Emma Watchilla were both honored by the ACC on October 7th, earning Defensive and Offensive player of the Week accolades, respectively, after a double-overtime victory against No. 9 Duke. Sophomore Catalina Quinteros and Orsi also contributed crucial game-winning goals during the BIG TEN/ACC Challenge.
Offensively, junior Mia Abello leads the team in multiple categories, including goals (5), points (12), shots (21), and game-winning goals (2). Sloan and senior Lauren Kenah are tied for the team lead in assists with three each.
Following the matchups with Liberty and William & Mary, the Cavaliers will travel to Louisville, Kentucky, to face No. 19 Louisville on Friday, October 24th, at 3 p.m. at Turf Field.admission to all regular-season contests at Turf Field is free.
How to Follow the Action
Live coverage of Virginia’s games will be available on ACCNX. Live streams and statistics can be found at VirginiaSports.com. The team wi
