For over 125 years, Virginia and Virginia Tech have been locked in a bitter rivalry with one another, their respective football teams competing the Saturday after Thanksgiving every year since 1970.
During the 2014-2015 season, the rivalry expanded to include 22 sports and was renamed the Commonwealth Clash — a points-based program in which the school that wins the most head-to-head matchups is presented with the Commonwealth Clash trophy. Virginia has the all-time lead over Virginia Tech in the Commonwealth Clash at 3-2.
So far this season, the Cavaliers have swept the Hokies in every matchup, jumping to a 4-0 lead in the Commonwealth Clash series. The fall portion of the rivalry will conclude Nov. 25 with the Commonwealth Cup, as the Virginia Football team will look to end its season on a high note by posting a victory.
Women’s Soccer: Virginia victory 3-0
Virginia defeated Virginia Tech 3-0 in Charlottesville Oct. 15, their sixth shutout of the season. The Cavaliers (8-3-6, 3-3-4 ACC) first struck during the 10th minute when senior defender Chloe Japic scored her first goal as a member of the team. The goal came as Japic served the ball to sophomore forward Maggie Cagle, who missed it before it bounced through Hokie senior goalkeeper Alia Skinner’s legs.
Virginia scored twice in the second half, the first coming in the 58th minute when freshman forward Allie Ross rebounded a shot from sophomore forward Meredith McDermott, scoring with a header toward an open net. Cagle scored six minutes later, firing to the netting by the right post after beating two defenders.
The Cavaliers dominated the Hokies (7-8-3, 4-6 ACC) all night en route to victory, posting a 12-2 advantage in shots on goal while only being called for two fouls compared to Virginia Tech’s 11. With the win, the Virginia squad extended its 19-4-2 all-time lead in head-to-head matchups against Virginia Tech.
Men’s soccer: Virginia Victory 3-0
No. 9 Virginia took down Virginia Tech Oct. 20 in a 3-0 rout. The Cavaliers lead the Hokies 35-5-6 all-time in Commonwealth Clash matchups, with the latest edition marking the 46th time the teams have faced off against one another.
The Cavaliers (10-3-3, 5-2-1 ACC) struck quickly in the first two minutes and never looked back. Freshman forward Stephen Annor Gyamfi quickly took the ball from the Hokies’ (4-9-4, 2-5-1 ACC) center back and, with one touch, shot it into the back of the net.
Senior midfielder Daniel Mangarov scored next in the 22nd minute of play, scoring on a free kick to put Virginia up 2-0. Gyamfi scored another goal in the 59th minute, breaking past a defender to earn his second career brace and 10th goal of the season. Meanwhile, Virginia Tech struggled to create anything offensively, earning just one corner and three shots on goal in the entire match.
The win marked junior goalkeeper Joey Batrouni’s third clean sheet in six games and the continuation of a winning streak that carried the team through the end of the regular season. With the victory, the Cavaliers also earned their second consecutive win over the Hokies and their first road win of the season.
Cross Country: Virginia Victory
Virginia faced off against Virginia Tech at the ACC Cross Country Championships Oct. 27, earning a point in the Commonwealth Clash series for its performance. The Cavaliers placed third in the men’s and women’s competitions, while the Hokies finished 11th and 10th respectively.
In the men’s 8k championship race, No. 13 Virginia was led by sophomores Will Anthony and Gary Martin, who finished in seventh and eighth place with times of 23:21.5 and 23:24.7, respectively. Both Anthony and Martin were given All-ACC honors for their performances, along with senior Yasin Sado and junior Nathan Mountain, who finished in 13th and 14th.
For the No. 10 Virginia women’s squad, junior Margot Appleton led the Cavaliers in the 6k race, finishing in fifth overall with a time of 19:44. She was trailed by freshman Jenny Schilling, graduate student Caroline Timm and senior Anna Workman, all of whom were given All-ACC honors with Appleton. Meanwhile, the Hokies only had one runner finish in the top 50 of the women’s side.
In cross-country, the Commonwealth Clash point is awarded to the team that finishes higher in the ACC Championship, meaning that Virginia’s finish above Virginia Tech extended its lead in this year’s competition.
Volleyball: Virginia Victory 3-2
Virginia defeated Virginia Tech Oct. 28 in a come-from-behind victory in front of a record crowd, playing in John Paul Jones Arena for the first time. The Cavaliers (10-15, 3-12 ACC), who dropped the first two sets, rose from the dead to win the final three, defeating the Hokies (12-14, 2-13 ACC) 3-2.
The first set saw the two teams jostle for the lead early on, with Virginia Tech taking control when the set was tied 7-7 and never looking back, winning it 25-20. The second set featured a more dominant performance from Virginia Tech, in which, despite a 4-0 scoring run and tied scores at 12 and 16, Virginia did not lead at any point. The Hokies, again, won the set 25-20.
The Cavaliers came back swinging during the third set, jumping out to an early 15-7 lead, led by junior middle blocker Abby Tadder, who had six kills on 11 swings and no errors during the set. They went on to take both the third and fourth sets 25-15, orchestrating multiple unanswered scoring runs.
Virginia opened the fifth and final set trailing Virginia Tech 6-4 but quickly rebounded with a 5-1 run that gave them the momentum they needed to take victory 15-11. With the win, the Cavaliers tied their all-time series against Virginia Tech 40-40.
Although the winner of the Commonwealth Clash series will not be decided until the spring, right now it seems all signs are pointing to a Virginia victory. The Cavaliers will look to extend their lead through the winter season in which basketball will take center stage.
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