The title of NCAA Woman of the Year is coveted by all female student-athletes, but only a select few ever receive the honor. With hundreds of candidates vying for a spot among the nine finalists, it is nearly impossible to even garner a nomination, let alone win. Yet, in October 1998, Class of 1999 alumna Peggy Williams won it outright. Even more impressive? She did so while playing not just one but two varsity sports.
A defenseman on both the field hockey and lacrosse teams, Williams — then Boutilier — accomplished more in her final year on Grounds than most student-athletes do in their collegiate career.
With IWLCA Defensive Player of the Year titles her junior and senior years, team MVP honors for both field hockey and lacrosse and multiple First Team All-American nominations under her belt, Williams is a truly underrated player in Virginia sports history.
In spite of all the recognition she received, Williams was quick to caveat her success as a dual-sport athlete. According to her, playing two sports was made easier by the lack of official off-season training. Such athletes are a rarity in the modern NCAA, especially considering that Williams was a captain on both teams.
“Times were different back then,” Williams said. “It was possible to play two sports, which I loved.”
Her modesty belies the immense talent and dedication that drove her to become one of the greatest student-athletes in Virginia history. Although Williams is relatively unknown to Cavalier sports faithfuls nowadays, her resume is easily on par with Virginia greats such as Ralph Sampson, Bryant Stith and Dawn Staley, despite her receiving only a fraction of the fame.
During her captaincy, the field hockey and lacrosse teams ranked first in the nation at the same time — each boasting the best scoring defense percentage in the country.
In her 1997 campaign, Williams helped lead Virginia field hockey to the first NCAA Final Four in collegiate history. The following year, Williams reached her second consecutive NCAA Final Four and set a program record for consecutive starts and games played with 88. The Cavaliers also set multiple program records as a team, including for assists in a single season with 89 and assists per game with 4.02, both of which came in 1997.
However, Williams was equally — if not more — dominant in lacrosse. She was part of a Virginia team that made back-to-back championship appearances in 1997 and 1998 in addition to an ACC Championship in 1998.
While the Cavaliers never clinched the national championship during Williams’s career, their success was due in large part to her performance on both ends of the field. In her senior year, she led the team in goals scored with 37 — a career high — as well as ground pall pickups with 79. Defensively, she was the anchor behind a team that ranked first nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 6.00 goals per game.
Decades after graduating, Williams’s name is still all over the record book in both programs. To date, she ranks third amongst Virginia players in career ground balls and 13th all-time in NCAA history.
Apart from her impressive career on the field, Williams also excelled in the classroom. The sheer number of academic honors she racked up at Virginia could easily be enough to fill a hypothetical trophy case.
A three-time academic All-American, Williams earned multiple scholarships — including the 1997-98 Ralph Sampson Scholarship and the ACC’s 1998 Weaver James Corrigan Scholarship — and was selected to live on the Lawn, one of the highest honors at the University.
On top of an incredible academic performance, Williams founded Student Council’s Athletic Student Affairs Committee, presided over the Captain’s Council and was a member of both Virginia’s Raven Society and IMP Society.
Julie Myers, the head lacrosse coach from 1996-2023, sang Williams’s praises as a star student and star athlete.
“The amazing thing is that with all the things that she was involved in, nothing was ever hurt because of her involvement with something else,” Myers said. “She does a great job balancing all the things that she does. She never cut any corners.”
On the field and off the field, Williams was Myers’ perfect star.
“[Her teammates] call her ‘Perfect Peggy’ because there’s nothing she can’t do,” Myers said. “But she has worked at it. Everything doesn’t just fall her way. She takes charge of situations and creates all of her own success.”
That success has extended beyond her collegiate career to coaching. Almost 30 years after graduating with her Master’s in Elementary Education from the Curry School of Education, Williams accepted a position as head lacrosse coach at Western Albemarle High School, located just 13 miles from her alma mater.
Williams had several years of experience already at rival Charlottesville High School and in Ohio, but at Western, she truly shined. In her first year with the team, Williams guided the Warriors to their first undefeated season and state championship. For her efforts, she was named the VHSL 2023 Central Virginia Coach of the Year.
Williams noted that her background in education was crucial to her success as a coach.
“Coaching is teaching but outside on a field,” Williams said. “Just like in a classroom, the lessons you learn on the field can stay with you for a lifetime. When you coach, just like when you teach, you try to reach every person and bring out their best. At the same time, you are also working hard to help bring the entire team together to play their best.”
The following year, Williams and her team sought a second consecutive state championship and ultimately succeeded, storming back from a three-goal deficit against Rockbridge High School to clinch the title 14-11. To top it off, Williams was recognized as VHSL Class 4 All-State Coach of the Year. It was a dominant conclusion to an equally impressive undefeated run across two years and one that would not have been possible without Williams at the helm and the experience she gained from her time at Virginia.
Ultimately, Williams credits the University with shaping her, both as a person and a member of her community. Her success as a coach would not have been possible without her time as a player. Almost 30 years after graduating, Virginia Athletics continues to change her life, and Williams would not have it any other way.
“We all only play sports for a short time, but we can continue to give back and enjoy the game for many many years,” Williams said.
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