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"Good, better, best, never let it rest" is no doubt the maxim for the Virginia women's soccer team. Still rough around the edges in the middle of a tough season, the Cavaliers are hoping Sunday's contest against Alabama-Birmingham will help iron out kinks in their play.

With an overall record of 5-2-1, the Cavs' performance has been average thus far. This weekend's bout with UAB, expected to be the turning point in Virginia's dubious campaign, indeed will require some gusto for the team to escape from mediocrity.

"I don't think at this point somebody's going to come and give you things, you got to go out and make things happen," Virginia Coach Steve Swanson said of the team's rut. A visit from UAB might provide a light at the end of the tunnel for a program that has faced its share of obstacles.

Once plagued by injury and anxiety, things seem to be looking up for the Cavs. Although a torn ACL has claimed freshman forward Kristin Weiss for the year, the condition of other players seems to be improving. Two fallen Cavalier standouts, freshman midfielder Sarah Huffman and sophomore forward Lindsay Gusick, are expected to return to the frontline.

"I think she's really making progress on her ankle," Swanson said of Gusick's condition. "She's starting to run on it and bear a little more weight. Hopefully we'll have her back sooner than later."

While physically the Cavs are improving, there still is some concern about the team's mentality. "We need a little more composure around the box, maybe a little better decision making," Swanson said.

Scoring difficulty, a big problem for a team seeking major improvement, has troubled the Cavaliers throughout the season.

"Sometimes when you try so hard you tend to force things a little bit and you're not as relaxed as you can be and that around the face of a goal makes a big difference," Swanson said.

A victory for the Cavs is contingent on their ability to remain level-headed and patient when the pressure is on.

"We're still rushing things a little too much," Swanson said. "It's sort of like a tennis match with unforced errors."

The familiar scenery of Kl

ckner stadium may erase any trepidation for the Cavs, who have accumulated three of their five victories there.

"We expect a good team," freshman midfielder Kelly Hammond said. "Every game is going to be a big game now, and being home is definitely going to help us a lot. We're looking forward to coming out with a big win."

The time is right, and on Sunday Virginia has the opportunity to gain redemption for the season's failures. "I'm confident we'll be able to come back and be resilient. I know one thing: We have a lot of fighters on the team, a lot of winners," Swanson said. Fighters are just what the Cavs will need to lead the pack.

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