Virginia Women's Lacrosse Excited to Host NCAA's For First Time in Five Years

Matt Newton | May 9, 2024

Finley Barger and Kiki Shaw celebrate after the Virginia women's lacrosse win over Boston College at Klockner Stadium. / Virginia Athletics

In her first season leading the Virginia women's lacrosse team, Sonia LaMonica kept alive the program's streak of now 28-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and for the first time since 2019, has the Cavaliers hosting first and second round NCAA games in Charlottesville. Virginia (14-4) earned the No. 5 seed in the 2024 NCAA Women's Lacrosse Tournament and is set to host Long Island University (11-7) in the first round on Friday at 3pm at Klockner Stadium.

"There's a lot of excitement. The evening of Selection Sunday was super exciting for them. I mean, they were elated," said LaMonica of her team's reaction to getting the No. 5 seed in the tournament. "I think it's been five years since UVA has hosted for the women. We're thrilled to be here because it's really not an easy feat, to not only get to the tournament, but to have a great seeding in it."

In their first season under LaMonica, who came from Towson to succeed Julie Myers last summer, the Cavaliers posted their first 14-win season since 2010 while facing a challenging schedule featuring nine ranked opponents. UVA picked up wins against No. 3 Boston College, No. 4 Notre Dame, No. 6 James Madison and a victory over North Carolina in the ACC quarterfinals that snapped a 14-game losing streak to the Tar Heels.

"Our schedule is definitely hard for a reason, just to prepare us for times like this," said graduate midfielder Kiki Shaw. "And I think we are definitely prepared."

Virginia's elation from taking down North Carolina in the ACC quarterfinals was quickly followed by a deflating result at the hands of Syracuse in the semifinals. The Orange crushed the Cavaliers 19-4, a defeat that LaMonica is hoping will serve to refocus her team entering the NCAA Tournament.

"That was the first time we had to turn around in one day to another really, really tough game. Two ACC teams, a Wednesday to a Friday," said LaMonica. "We just learned a lot as a team, as a coaching staff, how we need to be better and how we can turn around from one game to the next. I think we may have lingered a little long in Wednesday night's game... But I do believe things happen for a reason and that will have helped prepare us for this upcoming weekend."

Shaw echoed her coach's sentiment that the loss to Syracuse gave Virginia plenty to work on in the two full weeks between that game and Friday's contest against LIU.

"We're all so pumped. Definitely after that Syracuse loss, kind of rebuilding, get our ducks in a row, just kind of focusing on what we need to work on and going from there," Shaw said. "I think we've done a great job of shifting our energy into the next game and just focusing on stuff we need to do better."

Awaiting the Cavaliers in the first round is an LIU team who lost its first six games of the season, but have won 11 of the last 12 games and enter the NCAA Tournament riding a 10-game winning streak. The Sharks made the jump to Division I in 2020 and won the NEC Championship for the first time last weekend.

"LIU is certainly going to be a tough game for us. They're on a 10-game winning streak, just coming off their conference championship, first time for them," said LaMonica. "They're riding high, so we need to be ready to step out with tons of energy, a lot of fire, and to be able to execute the little things, the basics well, and I think we'll earn an opportunity for Sunday if we can do that."

Shaw added that the most important key for the Cavaliers entering the NCAA Tournament is an understanding that their season is on the line every time they step on the field from here on out.

"I think we need to come out ready to play every time we get on the field and remember that next time we get on the field, if we don't win, we go home," Shaw said.

The winner of Friday's game will take on the winner of Florida and North Carolina in the second round on Sunday at 1pm at Klockner.

Though it has been a decade since Virginia's last deep run in the NCAA Tournament and 20 years since the Cavaliers won their third and most recent national title in 2004, LaMonica believes the sky is the limit for her battle-tested team that has faced many of the best teams in the country and beaten some of them too.

"I think anything's possible. Look, I'll say it. We want to compete for a national championship. Do I think it's possible? Absolutely. Is it gonna be easy? Absolutely not," LaMonica said. "But again, I think this is a special group, I really do. I think there's so much buy-in, they're working hard. They've got great leadership... I think we can make a heck of a run. We're excited to see how long we can keep this journey going."