By Michael Sorrell Cavalier Daily Senior Writer The No. 11 University of Virginia women's crew team will begin its defense of the ACC title Saturday when it takes on Clemson, Miami, Duke, North Carolina and Boston College at Lake Hartwell (Clemson, S.C.) in the ACC Rowing Championship. Saturday's contest will mark the seventh time the conference has held a championship. Virginia enters as the ACC's only ranked team.
In past years, Virginia has demonstrated nothing but dominance at the championship. The team has won the event each of the six years that it has been in existence and has never lost a varsity race in the competition. It was not until last year's championship that Virginia's novice eight lost a race to an ACC foe. The team, however, still managed to win the 2005 championship in convincing fashion, beating rival Clemson in overall points 49 to 41.
Given this stellar track record, members of the team are confident that this weekend's events will prove no different than those of past years.
"In the past we have gone into ACCs feeling pretty solid and ready to dominate," team captain Kerry Maher said. "I think [such domination] is possible [this year]."
However the team stopped short of giving victory assurances. They cited new entrants into the conference and the improvement of traditional ACC teams as potential roadblocks to a seventh ACC crown.
"Miami and BC are new teams to our conference, so we are unsure of anything they have to bring this weekend," Mindy Fiesler said. "Clemson's freshman team is usually fast at this point in the season, too. Any team could pose possible competition in any category."
Winning the ACC Championship could serve as an important confidence booster going into the South-Central regional and eventually the NCAA championships. While the team performed well against No. 1 Princeton and No. 4 Yale last Saturday on Lake Carnegie in Princeton, N.J., winning both the second varsity four and second varsity eight races, the team has fallen out of the top 10 after a preseason No. 3 ranking. As a result, members of the team are particularly eager for victory this weekend.
"We have had some tough losses this season, and it would be a great confidence booster for all of us if we swept ACCs," team captain Sara Lippa said. "I would love to see us win every event."
Meanwhile, the Virginia crew is focused on preparation and fine-tuning its team chemistry. Sara Lippa hinted that the team might shuffle some of the crewmembers of the first and second varsity teams for the ACC Championship given the strong performance of the latter last weekend in Princeton. And the team has upped the intensity of its training routine this week in order to bring what Kerry Maher terms the team's "A Game" to the ACC Championship.
Thus, for a team teeming with physical talent, the real obstacle seems to be of the mental variety.
Despite the unexpected adversity of the 2006 season, the team remains resolute in its goal of winning the ACC title. This is especially true of Virginia's novice eight team, which has an added incentive after falling for the first time in last year's Championship.
"Winning is always a goal but having a race that feels good [and] where everyone is mentally and physically rowing together as well is also important," Sara Lippa said.
Read More
With much-needed win over Miami, men’s basketball ends road losing streak
By Emory Huffman | 5 hours agoIt was another battle of the bottom, and Virginia proved it is at least above the conference's floor.
Men’s and women’s squash find success at CSA Individual Championships
By Peter Kratz | 5 hours agoIn individual competition, the Cavaliers excelled.
Virginia baseball has an ace up its sleeve and in its bullpen — Dean Kampschror
By Xander Tilock | YesterdayThe senior pitcher is exactly what the Cavaliers need to succeed in 2025.
