Another Promising UVA Spring Sports Season Has Arrived

While the Virginia men's basketball team is in the midst of its most disappointing season in years, it seems like a good time to remind UVA fans that another very promising spring sports season is right around the corner, or in some cases, is already underway for the many elite spring programs at the University of Virginia. Let's break down what's in store for the Virginia Cavaliers this spring.

Virginia Tennis

The 2025 spring seasons have already begun for the UVA men's and women's tennis teams. Both teams are coming off of ACC regular season titles in 2024 and both are ranked in the top 10 to begin the season. Virginia men's tennis is ranked No. 5 in the nation and just opened the season with an impressive 5-2 road victory at No. 15 South Carolina on Thursday. The Cavalier men graduated the bulk of their mainstays from the back-to-back national championships in 2022 and 2023, but return some key contributors, including Dylan Dietrich. UVA women's tennis is ranked No. 9 in the country and began its season with a pair of 7-0 sweeps against Duquesne in a doubleheader on Wednesday in Charlottesville. The Virginia women are led by Elaine Chervinsky and Melodie Collard, who won the program's first NCAA doubles title this past fall.

Virginia Baseball

Fresh off of a second-straight trip to Omaha, Brian O'Connor's Cavaliers are primed for another big season in 2025. Virginia is ranked No. 2 in the D1Baseball Preseason Top 25 and most of the college baseball preseason polls will likely end up with the Hoos ranked in the top five to open the season. The Cavaliers lost a few key pieces to the MLB Draft like Griff O'Ferrall, Ethan Anderson, and Casey Saucke, but they return a loaded lineup and most of their pitching staff from last year's roster. With the likes of Harrison Didawick, Henry Ford, Jacob Ference, Evan Blanco, Jay Woolfolk and a host of other notable contributors from the 2024 team all returning in 2025, Virginia has the roster to make a run to the College World Series for the fourth time in the last five years. The 2025 UVA baseball season will open on Valentine's Day weekend and outside of the continental United States as the Cavaliers take on Michigan (February 14), Villanova (February 15), and Rice (February 16) in the Puerto Rico Challenge in Ponce, Puerto Rico.

Virginia Softball

For the first time in program history, Virginia softball is ranked in the preseason polls to begin the 2025 campaign, coming in at No. 24 in the Softball America Preseason Top 25. The Cavaliers are coming off of their best season in more than a decade, winning seven of their eight ACC series, placing fourth in the conference standings, earning their second-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, and advancing to a regional final for the first time in the history of UVA softball. Joanna Hardin's team brings back seven position starters, including First-Team All-ACC shortstop Jade Hylton, and four of six pitchers, including First-Team All-ACC pitcher Eden Bigham. The 2025 Virginia softball season will open on Thursday, February 6th, when the Cavaliers take on South Carolina to open the Gamecock Invitational in Columbia, South Carolina. Virginia's first home games will be on the weekend of February 20th through 23rd, when the Cavaliers host Delaware, UConn, Longwood, and Penn as part of the Mizuno Classic at Palmer Park.

Virginia Men's Lacrosse

Lars Tiffany and the Cavaliers are coming off their second-straight trip to Championship Weekend and fourth Final Four appearance in the last five postseasons, but they have some big holes to fill following the departures of Connor Shellenberger, Payton Cormier, Cole Kastner, and others. UVA brings back McCabe Millon, who set the UVA freshman goals record with 41 in 2024, and he is joined by a number of quality returners, impact transfers, and promising freshmen. Virginia is ranked No. 5 in the Preseason USA Lacrosse Division I Men's Top 20 and the Cavaliers will begin their season against Colgate on Saturday, February 8th at 12pm ET at Klockner Stadium in Charlottesville.

Virginia Women's Lacrosse

The UVA women's lacrosse team is also ranked No. 5 in the Preseason USA Lacrosse Division I Women's Top 20 in the second year under head coach Sonia LaMonica, who was named the 2024 Co-ACC Coach of the Year in her first season leading the Cavaliers. Virginia went 15-5 last spring and earned its highest seeding in the NCAA Tournament since 2008 after notching huge wins over Notre Dame, JMU, Boston College, and then North Carolina in the ACC Quarterfinals. UVA loses its three leading points scorers in Morgan Schwab, Katia Carnevale, and Mackenzie Hoeg, but returns a number of other playmakers like Jenna Dinardo, Kate Galica, Madison Alaimo, Kate Miller, and Mel Josephson in cage. Virginia opens its season against Liberty on Friday, February 7th at 4pm ET at Klockner Stadium in Charlottesville.

Virginia Track & Field

Vin Lananna's group took a big step forward in 2024, in particular on the men's side. The Cavalier men captured the first outright ACC Outdoor Track & Field Championship in program history behind an ACC title from Nate Mountain in the 3000m steeplechase and seven other podium finishes. At NCAAs, the UVA men finished eighth in the team standings with 26 total points, their third-highest finish in program history and the highest of any ACC team. Shane Cohen brought home the NCAA title in the 800-meters. On the women's side, Margot Appleton returns after winning back-to-back ACC outdoor titles in the 1500m and placing fourth in the 5000m at NCAAs. The UVA track & field season opens with several indoor events, beginning with the Virginia Tech Invitational on January 17th and 18th, and the Cavaliers are scheduled to host four meets at Lannigan Field in Charlottesville over the course of the outdoor season.

Virginia Golf

Both the UVA men's and women's golf teams are set up for successful springs as they return quality rosters built around stars in Ben James and Amanda Sambach, who both competed for Team USA in the 2024 Arnold Palmer Cup last summer. James became the first Cavalier to be named a two-time First-Team All-American and the UVA men return the bulk of a roster that posted its best-ever stroke play finish at the NCAA Championships and reached the match play quarterfinals at NCAAs for the second year in a row. Sambach is a three-time First-Team All-ACC selection and two-time finalist for the ANNIKA Award. The Virginia women qualified for the NCAA Championships for the 14th time in the 21-year history of the program. UVA women's golf opens the spring season at the Collegiate Invitational at GCC in Guadalajara, Mexico on January 31st, while Virginia men's golf will start play at the Puerto Rico Classic on February 10th.

There are also some winter sports teams to be excited about, even if the UVA men's basketball team isn't having its usual level of success. The Virginia women's basketball team has won three of its last four games, including a huge victory at Virginia Tech on Thursday night in the Commonwealth Clash. And of course, the Virginia women's swimming & diving team is a heavy favorite to win its fifth-straight national championship this season.