The Virginia Cavaliers women's lacrosse team is an NCAA Division I college lacrosse team representing the University of Virginia as part of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They play their home games at Klöckner Stadium in Charlottesville, Virginia.

History

In its over 40-year history, Virginia has only had four head coaches: Linda Southworth, Jane Miller, Julie Myers, and Sonia LaMonica

Linda Southworth era (1976–83)

Linda Southworth was hired as the Cavaliers' first head coach in 1975, with the first team fielded the following year. She had been a part of Longwood's first women's lacrosse team, then taught and coached at Huguenot High School, before taking the position at Virginia. In her eight-year tenure, the team went 58–37–5. She guided the program into the NCAA era, and during her time in Charlottesville, she also coached field hockey at UVa and started a local girls' middle school lacrosse league. After leaving the University of Virginia, she became the Athletics Director at St. Catherine's School in Richmond. In 2005 she was inducted into the Virginia Lacrosse Hall of Fame. As of 2012, she is still coaching girls' JV lacrosse at St. Catherine's.

Jane Miller era (1984–95)

In 1984, Jane Miller was hired as the program's second coach. Miller was a 1973 graduate of Northeastern University, where she had been a standout in basketball, field hockey, and lacrosse. In her twelve seasons, Miller compiled a record of 145–44, including six final fours and national championships in 1991 and 1993. She was awarded the IWLCA Coach of the Year in 1991 for her efforts in bringing home the program's first national title. She left after the 1995 season to accept a full-time administrative role. The next year, she was inducted into the Virginia Lacrosse Hall of Fame, and was also voted into the U.S. Lacrosse National Hall of Fame in 2003. Since 2001, she has served as the senior associate director of athletics for programs and senior woman administrator. In 2014 she was appointed to the NCAA Division I Board of Directors.

Julie Myers era (1996–2023)

Julie Myers, a 1990 graduate of Virginia, returned to her alma mater six years later to assume the head coaching position. She has led the Cavaliers to a postseason berth in all 22 of her seasons in Charlottesville, a feat unmatched by any other coach at the Division I level. Virginia's 22 straight appearances are also the second-most behind Maryland. As of the conclusion of the 2018 season, Myers has led the Cavs to a 30–22 postseason record and the 2004 national title, in addition to championship game appearances in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2005, and 2007. The Cavaliers have been ranked in the IWLCA Coaches' Poll for all but four weeks of Myers' tenure. In 2017, Myers won her 300th game, becoming just the fourth Division I coach to reach that mark.

In 2010, the women's lacrosse program garnered national attention after one of its players, Yeardley Love, was beaten to death by her ex-boyfriend, men's lacrosse player George Huguely, on May 3. Huguely was arrested later that day and charged with second-degree murder. He was sentenced to prison in 2012 and is scheduled to be released in 2029. In September 2010, Love's family created the One Love Foundation, which aims to raise awareness about relationship violence.

Awards Reference:

NCAA awards National Hall of Fame Julie Williams – 2002 Heather Dow – 2002 Jane Miller – 2003 Cherie Greer – 2009 Bonnie Rosen – 2010

NCAA Woman of the Year Peggy Boutilier – 1998

Honda Sports Award Amy Appelt – 2003–04

NCAA Top VIII Peggy Boutilier – 1999

Tewaaraton Trophy Amy Appelt – 2004

NCAA Elite 89 Award Courtney Swan – 2014

IWLCA awards Coach of the Year Jane Miller – 1991 Julie Myers – 2004

Assistant Coach of the Year Colleen Shearer – 2010

Offensive Player of the Year Jenny Slingluff – 1992 Amy Appelt – 2004

Defensive Player of the Year Robyn Nye – 1991 Cherie Greer – 1994 Peggy Boutilier – 1997, 1998

Goalkeeper of the Year Michelle Cusimano – 1995, 1996

ACC awards Reference:

Player of the Year Peggy Boutilier – 1998 Amy Appelt – 2004

Freshman of the Year Amy Fromal – 1997 Mills Hook – 1998 Caitlin Banks – 2001 Amy Appelt – 2002 Blair Weymouth – 2006 Brittany Kalkstein – 2007 Rachel Vander Kolk – 2015 Coach of the Year Julie Myers – 2002, 2008

Tournament MVP Kara Ariza – 1998 Ashleigh Haas – 2004 Tyler Leachman – 2006 Kendall McBrearty – 2007, 2008

Individual career records Reference: RecordNumberPlayerYears Goals 258 Amy Appelt 2001–05 Assists 129 Lindsay Sheehan 1984–86 Points 373 Amy Appelt 2001–05 Ground balls 404 Elaine Maddox 1984–87 Draw controls 287 Brittany Kalkstein 2007–10 Caused turnovers 127 Tiffany SchummerKaitlin Duff 2000–032007–10 Saves 681 Michelle Cusimano 1993–97 Save % .659 Heather Dow 1980–82 GAA 5.12 Kim Prendergast 1990–93

Individual single-season records RecordNumberPlayerYear Goals 90 Amy Appelt 2004 Assists 66 Lindsay Sheehan 1986 Points 125 Lindsay Sheehan 1986 Ground balls 108 Elaine Maddox 1986 Draw controls 97 Brittany Kalkstein 2010 Caused turnovers 56 Samm Taylor 1998 Saves 225 Michelle Cusimano 1994 Save % .741 Heather Dow 1981 GAA 4.97 Heather Dow 1981

Seasons

Postseason Results

The Cavaliers have appeared in 35 NCAA tournaments. Their postseason record is 39–32. Year SeedRoundOpponentScore 1986 – Semifinal Maryland L, 7–12 1987 – QuarterfinalSemifinal MarylandPenn State W, 10–5L, 9–14 1989 – Quarterfinal Princeton L, 5–6 1990 – Quarterfinal Loyola (MD) L, 7–13 1991 – SemifinalFinal Penn StateMaryland W, 10–5W, 8–6 1992 – QuarterfinalSemifinal Penn StateMaryland W, 11–5L, 7–8 (ot) 1993 – SemifinalFinal HarvardPrinceton W, 11–10 (ot)W, 8–6 (ot) 1994 – QuarterfinalSemifinal William & MaryPrinceton W, 8–4L, 13–14 (ot) 1996 – QuarterfinalSemifinalFinal William & MaryLoyola (MD)Maryland W, 8–6W, 8–6L, 5–10 1997 – Quarterfinal North Carolina L, 11–12 (ot) 1998 #1 QuarterfinalSemifinalFinal Princeton#4 Dartmouth#3 Maryland W, 8–7W, 10–7L, 5–11 1999 #2 QuarterfinalSemifinalFinal Dartmouth#3 Duke#1 Maryland W, 20–8W, 9–8L, 6–16 2000 – First RoundQuarterfinal Boston U.#3 James Madison W, 13–10L, 5–12 2001 #8 First Round #9 James Madison L, 8–11 2002 – First RoundQuarterfinal Temple#3 North Carolina W, 20–8L, 13–14 (2ot) 2003 #3 First RoundQuarterfinalSemifinalFinal AmericanGeorgetown#2 MarylandPrinceton W, 19–3W, 16–9W, 9–8L, 7–8 (ot) 2004 #2 First RoundQuarterfinalSemifinalFinal Mount St. Mary'sNorthwesternGeorgetown#1 Princeton W, 19–2W, 15–11W, 12–9W, 10–4 2005 #6 First RoundQuarterfinalSemifinalFinal Johns Hopkins#3 Boston U.#2 Duke#1 Northwestern W, 10–8W, 13–9W, 15–13L, 10–13 2006 #2 First Round Princeton L, 7–8 2007 #3 First RoundQuarterfinalSemifinalFinal Princeton#6 North Carolina#2 Duke#1 Northwestern W, 19–10W, 14–8W, 14–13L, 13–15 2008 #4 First Round North Carolina L, 7–11 2009 – First Round #5 Duke L, 13–15 (ot) 2010 #6 First RoundQuarterfinal Towson#3 North Carolina W, 14–12L, 7–17 2011 – First Round #3 North Carolina L, 7–15 2012 – First Round #7 Duke L, 9–11 2013 – First RoundSecond RoundQuarterfinal Penn#6 Georgetown#3 North Carolina W, 12–6W, 10–8L, 9–13 2014 #6 Second RoundQuarterfinalSemifinal Princeton#3 North Carolina#2 Syracuse W, 13–11W, 10–9L, 8–16 2015 #7 First RoundSecond Round WinthropPenn State W, 18–6L, 11–13 2016 – First Round Johns Hopkins L, 10–12 2017 – First RoundSecond Round Elon#2 North Carolina W, 11–9L, 12–23 2018 – First RoundSecond Round Stanford#3 James Madison W, 12–3L, 12–15 2019 #6 Second RoundQuarterfinal Navy#3 North Carolina W, 15–12L, 7–14 2021 -- First RoundSecond Round UConn#5 Notre Dame W, 19–13L, 8–13 2022 -- First RoundSecond Round USC#1 North Carolina W, 13–11L, 2–24 2023 – First Round Albany L, 14–16

References

External links