Established in the spring of 1980, Virginia softball is now entering its 45th season. In all 44 seasons prior, the Cavaliers have never been preseason ranked according to Virginia Athletics — but season 45 is starting off differently.
Softball America, a well-known poll used to rank teams, released their final listing Jan. 13, placing the Cavaliers at the No. 24 spot. Established in 2021, Softball America is run by media experts and provides rankings. While other prominent polls did not rank Virginia in the Top 25, Virginia was on the cusp for many — slotting in at No. 27 according to ESPN and No. 29 according to RPI and receiving votes in the D1 Softball poll.
Earning a ranked spot by a media outlet shows that Coach Joanna Hardin’s crew is officially an ACC contender and may make a deep run in June thanks to a group of highly talented players.
These positive predictions are no small feat for a Virginia team which has struggled over the past 10 years. At the end of the 2015 season, the Cavaliers had a record of 16-40 overall, and 4-20 in the ACC — one of their worst records in recent program history. During this time, the team was headed by Coach Blake Miller, who stayed for one more season before resigning.
At the start of the 2017 season, Hardin took over the program in the hopes of turning things around — which took some time. In Hardin’s opening season, the team went 12-41 overall and 3-21 in the ACC, which was even worse than Miller's 2015 campaign.
The next few years were inconsistent and involved lengthy visits to the ACC’s lower-tier doldrums. However, in the 2022 season, the Cavaliers had their first winning record after a long drought, going 28-26 overall and 13-11 in the ACC — and it has only gotten better.
The Cavaliers are now coming off of a season in which they went 34-20 overall, 15-9 in the ACC, finishing fourth in their conference. That 2024 season marked the first time that the program won 34 games in a season since 2010.
Hardin’s crew also made a historic appearance in the postseason. Virginia advanced to the championship game of the NCAA Knoxville Regional against No. 3 Tennessee — which marked the first time in program history that any Cavalier squad advanced to a regional championship game. At the end of their 2024 run, the team was ranked No. 22 by Softball America.
Now on the eve of a promising 2025 campaign, Virginia’s high-end talent could lead to even more success. Returning to the diamond are junior pitcher Eden Bigham and junior shortstop Jade Hylton, both of whom were selected as All-ACC First Team picks and were ranked as Top 100 Preseason players by Softball America and D1Softball. Bigham, a threat on the mound, had a 2.44 ERA last season as well as a 16-8 record last season. On the opposite side of the ball, Hylton was a terror at the plate, batting .335 and punching in 41 runs.
On top of these two stars, there are seven other position starters who will be making a return as well — notably 2024 ACC All-Freshman selection Bella Cabral, who will join Hylton in a star-studded infield. Also essential is the sorely-needed return of fifth-year pitcher Savanah Henley, who suffered a season-ending injury last year but was a force to be reckoned with beforehand with a 1.65 ERA through 34.0 innings.
In addition to these veterans, the program added seven freshmen for 2025. Among these freshmen are some impressive talent, including outfield/utility player Jaiden Griffith — who was ranked No. 33 in the class of 2025 by Perfect Game — and pitcher Karly Meredith, who was ranked No. 42 in the class of 2025 by Perfect Game. The other freshman recruits have a chance to contribute this season off the bench and will serve as valuable depth.
With some new and returning talent, the expectations for this team have changed. The Cavaliers are coming off an electric 2024 run, and Hardin’s foundation for success has evidently been realized heading into her ninth season. It is safe to say that Virginia’s stock this season will continue to ascend.
This preseason ranking will be put to the test early — as the Cavaliers will begin the season with 10 straight games away from home. Thursday, Virginia takes on South Carolina at the Gamecock Invitational in Columbia, S.C., as well as East Carolina, Toledo and Saint Francis.
The Cavaliers will then continue south to Clearwater, Fla., for the Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational — where they face Kentucky, Auburn, No. 7 Texas A&M, San Diego State and No. 5 UCLA.
Including the Clearwater Invitational, the Cavaliers will play 13 games against other Softball America Preseason Top 25 teams this year. Three of those come Mar. 7-9 against rival No. 22 Virginia Tech in Blacksburg,
In the past 10 years, the Cavaliers have gone a measly 4-26 against Virginia Tech. That discrepancy in the win column stands out — and stealing a game or two from an archnemesis is a pivotal next step for this program. It will not be easy though. At the helm for Virginia Tech is senior pitcher Emma Lemley, who tends to be the winning pitcher in most recent years against Virginia. She has posted a sparkling 2.95 ERA over three seasons. But although the All-ACC pitcher is a force, the Cavaliers’ newly fiery offense should create a good matchup this time around.
The caliber of talent and versatility that this team exudes, along with the newfound confidence that the program has gained from last season, separates this team from previous years. The Cavaliers have a serious opportunity to go deep into June, potentially making it even further than a NCAA Regional Championship game. Ultimately, Virginia has a lot to look forward to this season and Cavalier fans should expect this team to be playing summer softball.
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