The Virginia women’s swimming and diving team has done it all this season. Touting a perfect 8-0 record during the season, being ranked first in the nation for the first time in program history and winning a ninth-consecutive ACC Championship, the Cavalier women have asserted dominance throughout.
However, the team has had its sight on one main goal since the summer — recording the best program finish ever at the NCAA Championships. The road to defining a legacy runs through Atlanta, Ga. from March 16-19.
“I think we have a great shot [at placing in the top four], our concrete team goal,” Virginia coach Augie Busch said.
Last season, the team placed fifth at nationals — the best in program history. Instead of settling with that result, the team has had its eyes on shattering its newly formed record.
It’s this insatiable appetite that has helped mold Busch’s coaching philosophy. While some coaches try to rest their squads before conference tournaments — known as hitting a taper — Busch pushed his team and had them partake in intense workouts through the ACC Championship. His goal in doing so is to give his team a physical and psychological advantage, he said.
After claiming first at the ACC Championship, Busch allowed his team to rest to prepare them for nationals, he said.
“Our women were training through [the ACC Championships]," he said. "The difference now is they're getting rest. The practices aren't intense."
Virginia will face stiff competition at this meet. Each team that placed above it — California, Georgia, Stanford and Texas A&M, respectively — finished the regular season ranked in the CSCAA top 5, whereas Virginia finished at No. 8. However, the level of competition doesn’t faze junior Kaitlyn Jones.
“There are some really good teams out there, but we know we're just as good as any other team we'll be going against,” she said.
Between three divers and 12 swimmers, the Virginia women will be sending 15 members to fight for a title in the Peach State. Two of the team’s stars that led the team to the ninth-straight ACC Championship, junior Leah Smith and senior Courtney Bartholomew, need to have good showings for Virginia to succeed.
While Smith and Bartholomew are integral to the team’s success, so too is every one of the other 13 Cavalier women that will be at the meet. Because overall scores and placements are derived from individual performances, Jones said it is important to support teammates in every race.
“The biggest thing that we learned from last year and [the ACC Championships] a few weeks ago is that it's really important to get behind each and everyone of your teammates every time they swim,” she said.
Because Virginia has so much skill on its squad, Busch said that individuals swimming their bests in prelims was not a big problem in the past. However, with a higher caliber of competition, Busch has emphasized swimming hard in every race.
“You can be somewhat complacent [in prelims] and still swim at night, at least with the talent we have," he said. "But [the NCAA Championship] is a whole different ballgame.
Heading into the NCAA Championships this year, Virginia hasn’t lost anyone who scored points at last year’s meet, Busch said. He also said that relays would be extremely important for Virginia to achieve success, as the team qualified five relays to this meet. Overall, though, Busch is preaching the same concept he has preached all year, treating every race and meet as unique.
"Our motto is one swim at a time, one meet at a time," he said.
A legacy is up for grabs in Atlanta, and the team wants to accomplish its goal of beating its placement from last year, Jones said. By the conclusion of Saturday night, the Virginia women will find out if their hard work has paid off.
Read More
Virginia volleyball falls to No. 3 Louisville in competitive match
By Cole Huff | 13 hours agoThe Cavaliers fought admirably but predictably fell short against one of the best teams in college volleyball.
Appleton and Martin shine as women’s cross cross country finishes 14th, men 21st at NCAA Championships
By Caroline Wulff | 13 hours agoEach of Virginia's teams moved up one spot from their finishes at last year's NCAA Championships.
The bleacher-stomping tradition that animates Virginia’s home soccer games
By Michael Liebermann | 15 hours ago"A great tradition," Coach George Gelnovatch called it.
