With the fall sports season just seven weeks away, there are several programs that have a lot to look forward to. A new coach for the field hockey program coming off a Final Four appearance, the third year of Coach Tony Elliott at Scott Stadium, added experience for both soccer programs and many more storylines to watch are already developing at this point in the offseason. Three writers from The Cavalier Daily share their thoughts on what to look out for.
Which team has the best chance to win a National Championship in 2024?
Victoria Blankenship, Staff Writer:
My money is on the women’s soccer team. While they did not have the most illustrious end to their season in 2023, they did have some pretty strong moments before postseason play. They shut out their archnemesis Virginia Tech 3-0 in the Commonwealth Clash and kept then-No.1 North Carolina on their toes for most of the game. Also, two key returning players — sophomore midfielder Yuna McCormack and sophomore goalkeeper Victoria Safradin — were recently invited to play on their respective national teams. These two players will learn valuable skills by playing at the next level, and bringing that experience back to Charlottesville can do nothing but good things for the team as a whole.
Michael Liebermann, Senior Associate:
Give me the men’s soccer team. These guys crushed the second half of their schedule last year, bulldozing through a 10-game unbeaten run while climbing up the conference and national standings. But then came a letdown — losing an ACC quarterfinal on penalty kicks and exiting the NCAA Tournament in the Sweet Sixteen. Question marks abound about the team’s future — the majority of last season’s starting 11 graduated — but the talent is still there, especially in the midfield. Returning are a slew of midfielders in junior Umberto Pela, fifth year Daniel Mangarov, junior Albin Gashi and sophomore Brendan Lambe, all of whom registered important minutes last season. Virginia has repeatedly stumbled in the postseason since losing in the 2019 NCAA Tournament final to Georgetown, but this could be the year.
Xander Tilock, Sports Editor:
Field hockey came excruciatingly close to a title last season before falling short in the Final Four, and this team definitely has a chance to take a step forward in 2024 to win it all. While the Cavaliers did come away with a losing record at home last year, they had a stellar 9-2 road record and only gave up three goals in a game twice. The Cavaliers have lost multiple contests against North Carolina in every season since 2019, but will also return a ton of starting talent and realistically only need to conquer their heated rival to win a title.
Which student-athlete will make the biggest impact for their respective team?
VB:
Junior Jenny Schilling stepped up for women’s cross country during the most important meet of the season — the National Championships. She led the team and, as a result, received All-American Honors for finishing in the top 40 — a first for Virginia women’s cross country since 2013. Schilling continued to build up her consistency and lower her times during track season, eventually being named ACC Freshman of the Week after the Raleigh Relays at the end of March. Schilling will be able to challenge herself as she gets faster, leading the team to higher places in 2024.
ML:
Junior forward Maggie Cagle seems pivotal for the women’s soccer team. The star attacker is industrious and gifted with blinding footwork. She has a tendency to provide offensive inspiration at rather opportune moments — like an incisive assist last season late in a game against Miami. What she was not, however — at least last season — was an antidote to a sometimes drowsy attack. Virginia missed the ACC and NCAA Tournaments, unthinkable for a program of its stature and legacy, inviting all kinds of speculation. The easiest answer for missing the tournaments arrived in the offensive output, with the Cavaliers ranking No. 51 in the nation with 1.94 goals per game. Cagle led the brigade, scoring eight goals and totaling seven assists, but never really seemed able to provide the consistent spark Virginia ached for. But if anyone is going to bring that spark this season and unlock the attack’s full potential, it will be Cagle.
XT:
Junior midfielder Daniela Mendez-Trendler is the heart and soul of the field hockey team. A two-time All-ACC recipient, she ranked second among Cavaliers in points during 2022 and led the team last year with an impressive 27 points in 21 games. Coach Ole Keusgen, now in his first season in the top coaching job, has helped usher in consistent success since he joined the team as an assistant in 2015, and his aggressive offense should lead to even more opportunities for Mendez-Trendler to shine individually as opposed to former coach Michele Madison’s preference towards sharing the ball. Fans can look for Mendez-Trendler to dominate for No. 3 Virginia in 2024.
What is your hottest take for the upcoming season?
VB:
It’s sophomore Anthony Colandrea’s time to shine. While both Tony Muskett and Colandrea appear to be evenly matched in skill as quarterbacks, Colandrea harnesses the ability of getting Virginia fans excited for both a game and a show. He’s young, he’s got something to prove and he doesn’t shy away from being a little risky. He captures the attention of everyone who watches him, which might just be what the football program needs to have fans stay through the hot August and September games. With a more electric Scott Stadium and Colandrea’s rising skill, Elliott’s squad can feel refreshed and energized for the opponents ahead.
ML:
Muskett will start every football game. The coaching staff, for better or worse, will muffle sophomore Colandrea, handing the reins to Muskett, the underappreciated graduate student who got shafted last year due to injury and a mercurial fanbase. Colandrea is a talismanic player, generating excitement with his artistic escapes and fiery attitude. But nothing last season proved him clearly the better quarterback. The contest, at any rate, is tight — Muskett performed solidly last season before a shoulder injury curtailed his season. Virginia’s coaching staff has tended toward conservative choices, so Muskett, the steady slinger whose playmaking deserves more credit than it receives, may represent the more appealing option.
XT:
Elliott will lead Virginia to a bowl game appearance. The pressure is on for Cavalier football after a 6-16 record across the previous two seasons. The 2024 season is Elliott’s chance to show the college football world what he can do — this fall, Virginia will play in several primetime games, face elite teams and get some respectively “easy” contests that are must-win games. Moreover, the talent is there. Led by sophomore linebacker Kam Robinson and senior safety Jonas Sanker, the defense is looking strong — at least on paper. The offense has shown it can score, but it is on Elliott to piece everything together and field a winning team this year. He will have to succeed, so do not be surprised if this is the year that he does.
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