Virginia women’s soccer is hoping to get back on track after a disappointing 2023 season, which saw the Cavaliers win only eight games — the lowest total since Coach Steve Swanson’s first season in Charlottesville in 2000 — and miss the ACC and NCAA postseason for the first time this century. Consequently, they are entering this season unranked in the national preseason poll for the first time this century, marking just the second occasion since 2011 in which Virginia has been ranked outside the preseason top 10. The Cavaliers will face a bevy of difficult opponents in 2024 as they look to prove themselves worthy of national consideration.
Virginia has two manageable home games against Towson and Northwestern to start the year, but the Cavaliers will face a tough test after that, as they travel to No. 4 Penn State Aug. 22. The two teams have recent history, as their last matchup came in the third round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament, where the Cavaliers prevailed in an overtime thriller. Virginia will have their work cut out for them once again, as the Nittany Lions will be hungry to open the season after getting bounced from the quarterfinals of last season’s NCAA Tournament by Clemson.
The Cavaliers will also have a shot at No. 5 Clemson this year in their home finale Oct. 25. Despite a tough 2023 season for Virginia, they held the then-No. 9 Tigers to a 1-1 draw on the road, and this season’s home field advantage could give them just enough to eke out a win.
Before their matchup with Clemson, Virginia will face Wake Forest in its first home conference game of the year. The Demon Deacons find themselves in a similar position to Virginia, picking up an honorable mention just outside of a ranking in the preseason poll. If the teams are close in the standings come September, it could make for a competitive match with postseason implications.
The very next game presents one of the tougher opponents who will visit Klöckner Stadium — No. 15 Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish will certainly be on a mission this season, as their 2023 season was cut short in a second-round upset to Memphis in the NCAA Tournament. This matchup will take place Sept. 21 and will start a daunting three-game stretch for the Cavaliers.
The following week, the Cavaliers will travel to Chapel Hill, N.C. to face No. 8 North Carolina Sept. 27. Last year, Virginia fell to the Tar Heels 1-0 in Charlottesville, which proved to be a turning point as the Cavaliers proceeded to win only three of their last 8 games after that match. When the two teams meet this year, Virginia should be more battle-tested after a tougher early season schedule.
Six days later, the Cavaliers will travel across Tobacco Road to Durham, N.C. to take on No. 24 Duke Oct. 3. Similarly to Virginia, the Blue Devils missed out on ACC and NCAA postseason action last year, finishing with a record of 6-7-3. This season, Duke is returning an experienced squad full of talented fifth-year students and graduate transfers. If the standings remain similar to how the preseason rankings project, this matchup would have heavy ACC implications at stake, as the two teams would be fighting it out for the sixth and final spot in the conference tournament.
Another matchup to circle on the calendar is Virginia’s Oct. 17 road game against reigning ACC and NCAA champion Florida State. The Cavaliers' last matchup with Florida State came in 2022, when then-No. 2 Virginia fell 1-0 to the then-No. 3 Seminoles at Klöckner Stadium. The Cavaliers will certainly have their work cut out for them facing a Florida State team that did not lose a single match in 2023.
A game that is always highlighted on Cavalier calendars is the clash with in-state rival Virginia Tech. Virginia will be on the road for this edition of the Commonwealth Clash, which comes in the team’s final regular season game Oct. 31. The Cavaliers won handily in a 3-0 victory at home in 2023, so the Hokies — picked to finish 10th in the ACC’s preseason poll, four spots behind Virginia — will be looking for revenge in a matchup that is always charged with extra emotion.
Virginia will play a schedule full of highly-ranked teams this season, and while each game will pose its own challenges, some of the more decisive matches may end up being the aforementioned Duke and Wake Forest games. With plenty of chances to prove themselves, it would only take a couple of quality victories to vault the Cavaliers into the top 25, and from there, anything can happen if the Cavaliers return to postseason play. Swanson and company have their work cut out for them, but the 2024 campaign is certain to bring plenty of entertainment to Klöckner Stadium.
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