How are UVA’s olympic sports performing this fall?

While a majority of the attention bas been given to the football program and their monumental game this Friday night, we are sure to check in on the rest of the fall teams around Grounds.

The 2024-25 academic year was a relatively down one for the Virginia athletics department, given the high standards they have established. This fall, while football has been building momentum on the field, other programs have returned to their true form as well.

Here is a glimpse at the non-revenue fall sports teams and how they have been performing:

Cross Country

The Cavaliers sit in 6th in the men’s USTFCCCA poll and 18th on the women’s side, after dominant showings in the Spider Alumni Open and the Virginia Invitational. Two more meets are to follow in the coming weeks, before the ACC Championships begin on Friday, October 31.

Field Hockey

Following a run to the NCAA quarterfinals last year, which ended with a heartbreaking overtime loss to Northwestern, the ‘Hoos have returned with a vengeance.  

Ole Keugsen’s squad is off to a roaring 6-0 start, five of which have come against ranked teams. Nilou Lempers has surrendered just three goals all season in her first season as the full-time goalkeeper. Junior midfielder Mia Aebllo leads the team with three goals and two assists. The 3rd ranked team in the land returns to action at Cal this Friday night at 9 ET.

Golf

With the full year structure of college golf, a majority of the action lies ahead, but both the men’s and women’s teams are off to quality starts. The men finished 2nd of 12 in the Invitational at the Honors Course, while the women finished 2nd of 15 at the Wolverine Invitational. The women are in Toronto this week, competing against 10 other schools in the inaugural Canada Collegiate Invitational.

Men’s Soccer

The men’s soccer program has remained a perennial tournament team, but it’s been a while since they’ve won championships at the conference or national levels. That said, the 2025 team has already shown they can compete at the top, as they recently followed up a shutout victory at No. 6 Louisville with a commanding 6-3 win over No. 1 Wake Forest.

The Cavaliers hope to build on their 6-1-1 record and No. 12 rank to date with the bulk of conference play lying ahead, leading into the postseason in early November. The name to know is Nicholas Simmonds, a star freshman who scored two goals against the Demon Deacons, and leads the team with four on the year.

Women’s Soccer

The slightly less storied women’s soccer program is currently the pride of Charlottesville, recently polling as the unanimous top ranked team in the nation. They are an undefeated 8-0-1, with an upcoming trip to Clemson on Thursday before returning home for the Commonwealth Clash on Saturday, October 4.

The ACC schedule is a gauntlet, but the “Hoos have already been battle tested with top-10 opponents. Lia Godfrey has been playing like the all-American she once was, with five goals and three assists so far.

Volleyball

While volleyball is one of the few sports that the ‘Hoos have struggled with historically, Shannon Wells has done a great job turning things around since she was hired in 2021. Last season, Virginia appeared in the postseason (NIVC) for the first time since 1999. This year, their sites are on the field of 64. Through ten games, the Cavaliers boast a two-game split against Michigan, a victory at Ohio State, and sweeps over Georgetown, Howard, and Troy on their resume. ACC action begins with a visit from No. 3 Stanford on Saturday.