Possessing the most experience of anyone on the team, Virginia women's lacrosse midfielder Tiffany Schummer continues to stand on the Virginia defensive line with pride. Coach Julie Myers and her returning players were grateful at the end of last season when the finalist for the 2002 Tewaaraton Trophy -- presented to the outstanding collegiate player in the nation -- decided to return for another year after graduating. Schummer was granted this option because she red-shirted in 1999.
"Tiffany Schummer is an amazing person and student-athlete," Myers said. "She does everything pretty thoroughly and very well. She's legit in everything she does and makes the most of her opportunities and has the ability to really make things happen."
Her teammates also recognize and feed off of her drive.
"She's very strong and lights a fire under you because you can tell the playing means so much to her," junior attackman Caitlin Banks said.
Schummer's ability to influence the game has allowed her, in Myers' opinion, to emerge as probably the best player on the team at this point in the season.
The youngest of a family of lacrosse players, Schummer relied on the support of her parents and older brothers and sisters to improve her game, and her position as the little one in the family pushed her to work harder to keep up. Schummer grew up in Annapolis, Md. and attend St. Mary's High School before selecting Virginia as her home for Division I lacrosse.
A two-year team captain, she has been a consistent force in her four seasons here, being the defensive force on a squad that has consistently been among the top in the nation.
"I think she's a great leader -- she leads by example and is a vocal person as well," Myers said. "She does so well on the field and she lights fires under her teammates. If she sees that a teammate needs to do something attack-wise or defensively, she can go up to somebody and give them the nudge."
It is this ability to correct her teammates' mistakes and improve their individual play that earned her the nickname "The Eraser."
Among Schummer's favorite memories was last year's Mar. 13 upset of Maryland, where Schummer caused a turnover in the waning seconds of the game to allow the Cavaliers to hold onto a 17-16 edge. Adding that win to feats over traditional lacrosse powers North Carolina and Princeton in her tenure has made her time here truly worthwhile.
"Finally being able to come out on top in those big games is a great feeling," Schummer said. "It means things are finally turning around, and your work is paying off."
Wins and losses aside, Schummer added she will most surely take something else with her.
"I couldn't have asked for a better group of kids, coaches, parents and friends from day one," Schummer said. "There's just a support network of people that is absolutely priceless, and I know I'll keep them for the rest of my life."
As a predominantly defensive-minded midfielder, Schummer's contributions do not always show up on the stat sheet. She did, however, add three ground balls, three caused turnovers and a draw control to yesterday's victory over University of Maryland-Baltimore County, 19-10. Senior midfielder Lauren Aumiller paced the Cavalier offense with four goals and two assists.
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