Virginia women’s lacrosse closed out the 2025 regular season in spectacular fashion Wednesday with a 19-9 drubbing of in-state rival Virginia Tech, earning the another point for the Cavaliers (11-5, 5-4 ACC) in the Commonwealth Clash against the Hokies (9-8, 3-6 ACC). Fresh off their recent breakthrough into the top 10 on the polls, Virginia proved the voters right.
A product of one of the most storied rivalries in the history of collegiate athletics, matches between the two are always contentious. Last season, the Cavaliers beat Virginia Tech 14-12 in regulation, with sophomore midfielders Kate Galica and Madison Alaimo breaking freshman records. This year, Galica was poised to break yet another record, this time for most draw controls in a single season — set in 2022 by Aubrey Williams. As the sun set over Klöckner Stadium, just 11 draw controls separated Galica from Virginia lacrosse history, making it a matter of when it would be broken, not if.
The Hokies appeared to have the edge over the Cavaliers in the first few minutes, thanks to a pair of back-to-back goals that caught junior goalkeeper Mel Josephson off-guard. Undaunted, Virginia quickly retaliated with a counterattack of its own in the form of sophomore attacker Addi Foster.
Much like she has all season, Foster found a way to shake her defender, slamming a shot past Virginia Tech’s goalkeeper to put the Cavaliers within one. Just over a minute later, she tallied her second goal of the night off the assist from Alaimo. The only player to register points in every single match this season, Foster’s shot percentage of .564 ranks third in the ACC and 27th in the country.
Foster’s brace gave Virginia the momentum it needed to take control of the match. Three more Cavaliers scored after Foster broke the ice, including Galica and freshman midfielder Peyton Sfreddo. With just over four minutes left in the first quarter, Foster garnered a free position opportunity that resulted in her third goal of the night and a three goal lead for Virginia going into the second quarter.
The second quarter was relatively silent, with both teams trading shots and subsequent saves. Just before the 10-minute mark, the Cavaliers were fouled and earned a clutch free position attempt. Alaimo appeared ready to shoot, but as soon as the whistle blew, she dished the ball to freshman attacker Gabby LaVerghetta, who was waiting behind the goal. By the time the Hokies’ goalkeeper realized what was happening, LaVerghetta had already gotten the shot off, marking her tenth goal of the season.
That goal was incredible in its own right, but LaVerghetta was far from finished. After several minutes without a goal, Alaimo found LaVerghetta near the right side of the post. Strapped for space and time thanks to the defender at her back, LaVerghetta executed a spectacular behind-the-back shot that sent the fans roaring to their feet. It was yet another display of talent from a young player who has helped bolster Virginia’s offensive line all season long.
Perhaps even sweeter than the crowd’s reaction to LaVerghetta’s goal was the team’s excitement when sophomore midfielder Corey White drew a foul at the top of the eight meters. Despite being one of the quieter members of the Cavaliers’ stellar sophomore class, White was anything but as she fired a rocket past Virginia Tech’s goalkeeper without so much as a step. It was a veteran move from a player with only two years under her belt.
Virginia continued to dominate through the third and fourth quarters. Most exciting of all was the moment Galica finally broke the aforementioned record. On top of that, Galica set another mark with her 17 draw controls on the day, smashing the previous single-game record — again set by Aubrey Williams in 2022. Despite the mounting pressure with each draw control, Galica remained as composed as ever, approaching the task with the same tenacity that has made her stand out throughout her collegiate career. For her, today was just another day on the job.
By the time the final buzzer sounded, the scoreboard read a whopping 19-9, with nine different Cavaliers registering goals. Foster scored four, while Galica and sophomore midfielder Jenna DiNardo each had a hat trick. Sfreddo, LaVerghetta and her twin sister freshman midfielder Livy LaVerghetta all tallied two goals, and Alaimo had a whopping six assists on the night.
“I’m so proud. So proud,” Coach Sonia LaMonica said. “I thought it was such a total effort to bounce back off of the hard road loss, and to come up with the fire that this group came out with tonight was just amazing and outstanding all over the field, end to end. We just didn’t allow [Virginia] Tech to have an inch.”
Virginia will be back in action when its opponent in the ACC Tournament is announced Thursday, along with the rest of the bracket. The tournament will be broadcasted live on ACC Network, and the championship game will take place at American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.
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