Virginia swimming and diving asserted its dominance as one of the premier NCAA programs after last year’s successful season and strong representation at this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris. Under the guidance of Coach Todd DeSorbo, the Cavaliers will look to build upon these recent successes as they open their season Saturday in the Aquatic Fitness Center against Navy.
Last year, the women’s team became the third program in NCAA history to win four consecutive national team titles. Justifiably, they carry a No. 1 national ranking into the new season, which is no doubt helped by the return of graduate Alex Walsh and senior Gretchen Walsh.
The sisters are returning for their final year together and, as per usual, they are expected to play crucial roles in the success of the team. Combined, the Walsh duo has won 37 individual NCAA Championships and five Olympic medals, all of which came in Paris over the summer. Gretchen Walsh, who holds the world record in the 100-meter butterfly, was named the ACC Women's Swimming and Diving Most Valuable Swimmer last season.
Two more Olympians are joining the Walsh sisters in Virginia’s quest for a five-peat — sophomore Claire Curzan and junior Emma Weber. Curzan, a silver medalist at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, will make her Virginia debut after taking a redshirt year to prepare for the Olympics. Weber is returning to the pool for the Cavaliers after grabbing the Olympic gold in the 4x100 medley relay this summer.
Though the diving team may compete in the shadow of the swimmers, senior diver Elizabeth Kaye is making an effort to elevate the diving squad’s performance. Last season, Kaye finished eighth in the 3-meter at NCAAs, becoming the first in school history to advance to the finals at an NCAA Championship and receive first-team All-American honors. Fans can look for Virginia diving to improve behind the veteran Kaye and a talented team of returning stars, including sophomore breakout candidate Ruby Borzekowski — a two-time high school All-American.
On the men’s swimming side, the Cavaliers are ranked at a respectable No. 14 following their 17th-place team finish at the NCAA Championships in March. They have not won an ACC Championship since 2013 and will look to improve upon their sixth-place conference finish from last season.
That task looks within reach based on the team’s latest recruiting class, which is ranked fourth in the country. Notable freshmen include David King, the No. 1 ranked high school swimmer in Virginia last season, and Spencer Nicholas, who was ranked second in the state of Tennessee by SwimCloud. Freshman distance specialist Dillon Wright will also look to make an impact following his appearance in the U.S. Olympic Trials in June.
The upcoming season will kick off with a couple of challenging dual meets at home against Navy and Florida. The Gators are ranked No. 2 in men’s swimming and No. 3 in women’s swimming, so both sides of Virginia’s team will have stiff competition early in the year. The Cavaliers will then travel to Chapel Hill, N.C., to take on North Carolina, whose women’s team has a preseason ranking of No. 18.
Before the turn of the calendar year, Virginia will also attend two larger meets against several schools — the Tennessee Invite in Knoxville, Tenn. and the U.S. Open Championships in Greensboro, N.C.
In the early goings of 2025, the Cavaliers will host Virginia Tech Jan. 11 and travel to Austin to compete against Texas, Arizona State and NC State in the Texas Duals meet. The regular season will finish with the annual Cavalier Invite, which will take place Feb. 6-8.
The postseason begins with the ACC Men’s and Women’s Championships in Greensboro, N.C. from Feb. 18-22. After this year’s expansion of the conference, Virginia will face new powerhouse additions to the ACC, including California and Stanford. Both of their men’s and women’s teams are ranked inside the top seven in the national preseason poll.
The season will culminate for both the men’s and women’s teams with the NCAA Championships in Federal Way, Wash. from March 19-29. After a competitive regular season, the women will look to become the third team in history to win five championships in a row. The men’s team appears poised to build on their performance from last year, but their true ceiling is still unknown.
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