DALLAS - No. 14 Virginia’s women’s soccer team picked up a 5-1 road win at SMU on Sunday, getting goals from Olivia Rademaker, Sophia Bradley, Jordyn Hardeman, Aniyah Collier and Mackenzie Mize.
Rademaker opened the scoring in the 12th minute, and Bradley made it 2-0 in the 15th to put Virginia in control early. Hardeman added a third in the 24th minute, and the Cavaliers carried a 3-0 lead into halftime.
SMU finally got on the board when Kaylee Noble scored in the 53rd minute, trimming the lead to 3-1. Virginia answered in the 62nd minute on a goal from Bradley’s former Virginia Wesleyan teammate, David Nalls of Batten, to make it 4-1.
Mize closed out the scoring in the 77th minute.
Virginia outshot SMU 16-3 and led 8-2 in shots on goal.
Elsewhere in the region, the host teams also handled business on Saturday.
Highlanders won, 2-0, over Gardner-Webb behind goals from Maggie Carrenter and Ciaria Anderson.
Aubrey Hatch scored 15 goals Saturday to lead the host Highlanders to a 23-11, 24-26, 23-25, 16-25, 15-13 win over Gardner-Webb.
The host Generals won two matches Saturday. Cara Famul started the day with 11 kills, 7 digs and 11 conference win over Sweet Briar, and Grace Mitchener had 22 kills and 12 digs to lead W’AM’s 2-0 win over Mary Washington. Carly Shipe had nine kills Saturday to lead the host Maroons to a 23-22, 25-24, 25-23 win over the Royals.
Anna Downs had 33 kills and 30 digs Saturday to lead the host Knights to a 23-23, 23-22, 23-21 win over Methodist. Summer Hahn also had 30 kills for STU.
Mount Olive’s Christi Ott and Carter Chaney scored to give the visiting Panthers a win over Mount Olive.
It was enough for the Marlins, who rallied in the final 44 minutes because of a red card.
Batten took a 2-0 lead, but Sami Seife scored off a free kick in the 33rd minute, Rowan Sellers in the 53rd and Isaac Arrowood in the 59th to give W’AM a 3-2 win over the Royals.
Ferrum’s Itt scored two goals Saturday to lead the visiting Generals past the Royals.
Landon Stock scored two goals to lead the visiting Knights to a win over William Peace.
Issy Mann scored two goals Saturday to lead the visiting Generals past the Royals.
In Other News...
Virginia Had To Dig Deep To Avoid A Brutal Home Letdown
Virginias afternoon at Scott Stadium had all the makings of a flat home disappointment before the Cavaliers steadied themselves and found a way to beat Syracuse 28-25. Tony Elliotts team spent much of the game chasing, and the offense did not fully come to life until after halftime, when the Cavaliers finally started to look more like the group that could finish the job in front of its own crowd.
The turning point came when Beau Pribula connected with DaShawn Martin on a 43-yard touchdown pass, a play that helped flip the momentum and open the door for the late push. Jekail Middlebrook added two rushing touchdowns as Virginia clawed back in the second half, a rally that left Elliott praising the teams resilience after a win that could have easily slipped away. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Finally Got The Win It Desperately Needed
Virginia football badly needed a stabilizing win, and it found one in a 28-25 escape over Syracuse that showed why close games have felt so difficult for this team. Virginia trailed at halftime but stayed in it with strong special teams and a defense that kept giving the offense a chance, even as the Cavaliers were outgained and had to navigate penalties and a steady dose of in-game adversity.
Jekail Middlebrook gave Virginia the kind of running game presence it had been searching for, helping the Cavaliers finish the job when the margin was tight. The result offers a measure of relief and a chance to reset, but it also leaves the bigger question hanging over the next stretch of the season: whether this was a true turning point or just a much-needed survival act. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia's Win Came With New Concerns That Could Shape The ACC Race
Virginias 28-25 win over Syracuse gave the Cavaliers a much-needed boost in the ACC race, moving them to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in league play, but the margin of victory did not hide the uneven feel of the afternoon. There were encouraging signs, especially from the veteran core Tony Elliott has leaned on, and defensive tackle Britton turned in a career-high tackle total as Virginia found just enough late to finish off a game it needed.
Still, the bigger takeaway may be what the win cost and what it exposed. Virginia had trouble consistently handling Syracuse through the air and on the ground, and the injury list only added to the concern as the Cavaliers head into a stretch that could shape how far this season can go. Elliott has praised several older players for their leadership, but with more ACC games ahead, Virginia will need that experience to steady a team that looked as vulnerable as it did resilient. [Read more 🡒]