No. 4 Virginia currently faces a critical turning point in its season with three ACC regular season games left on the schedule. Last weekend the Cavaliers (11-2-1, 3-2-1 ACC) fell to ACC rival No. 2 North Carolina, 2-1. A late season loss to UNC last year put the Cavaliers in a downward spiral that ended with a first round loss in the ACC tournament and a second round exit from the NCAA tournament -- a fate they do not wish to repeat.
Virginia coach Steve Swanson has expressed confidence that Virginia will be able to rebound from this year's tough loss to UNC.
"The nice thing about these last three games is we're at home," Swanson said. "I think the biggest thing now is that we're recovered and rested for the game on Wednesday. At this time of the year, there are things you can work on, but you have to be careful that your kids are recovered and rested for every ACC game."
To bounce back from the loss in Chapel Hill, N.C., the Cavaliers will look to be consistent in their strongest areas.
"We just need to keep focusing on what makes us good -- moving the ball around," junior midfielder Sarah Huffman said. "Hopefully, we'll just get back on our rhythm and get ready for ACCs and NCAAs."
Virginia's next test comes tonight against new ACC member Virginia Tech. Virginia leads the all-time series against the Hokies, 7-0-0. Virginia Tech has earned three conference wins this year, against Maryland, N.C. State and Wake Forest. The Cavaliers have lost to Wake Forest and tied with Maryland, which is evidence that tonight's game could be tougher than it first appears.
While the Hokies will most likely provide less of a challenge than Virginia faced against the Tar Heels, tonight's game should still be a good indicator of how the Cavaliers have dealt with the UNC loss.
"They'll be a hard team," Swanson said of Virginia Tech. "They're very organized. They've won some big games in the ACC already. We expect a difficult game, but I think our kids will bounce back strong."
These final three games at home against Virginia Tech, Clemson and N.C. State could provide the Cavaliers with the opportunity to enter the ACC and NCAA tournaments with plenty of momentum.
"There are a lot of things we can build on," Swanson said. "I think these are the kinds of games you need [to play in] to prepare yourself for the ACC and NCAA [tournaments]."
The Cavaliers have not fared well in the ACC tournament in recent years. Under Swanson, the Cavaliers have lost in the first round three times, and have advanced to the second round only once.
The Cavaliers are currently in fourth place in the ACC behind UNC, Duke and Florida State. The fact that Virginia defeated both Duke and Florida State earlier in the season should give the Cavaliers confidence in the ACC tournament this year.
This year's Virginia squad has exhibited great potential, beating two top 10 opponents. The final three games could give the Cavaliers a chance to fine tune their game plan and develop a higher degree of confidence before heading into the postseason tournaments.
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