Next up in our series: Women's Soccer. Stay tuned for a look back at football and volleyball tomorrow!
Record: 15-5-3 (7-2-1 ACC) Finish: loss vs. Ohio State in NCAA quarterfinals
MVP: Sinead Farrelly
The ACC Offensive Player of the Year led the team in assists and tied for the lead in goals, and only got more aggressive as the season progressed.
Overview: After finishing strong in 2009, the women's team picked up right where they left off. The Hoos crushed 4th-ranked Notre Dame in an exhibition and didn't lose any of their first 11 matches. The team continued to play and win close games all season, steadily rising up in the rankings, peaking at #5 at the conclusion of the regular season. After a hot start to the NCAA tournament, UVA dug itself into a deep hole against Ohio State in the quarterfinals, and a late comeback bid fell just short in a 3-2 loss. (More after the jump)
Season Highlight(s): A 3-2 OT home win over BC, top-ranked at the time, the first victory over a #1 team in program history.
Season Lowpoint(s): Losing in the first round of the ACC tournament, again to BC. After such a great ACC season, it was a shame not to see if the team could parlay the success into a conference title.
Future Outlook: Losses of seniors Farrelly and Meghan Lenczyk, who combined for 24 of the teams 59 goals on the season, will hurt. The team will be young, and repeating the top-5 success of this season seems daunting. Look for substantial growth over the course of the 2011 season, as the team looks for new scorers and new leadership.