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Virginia Set to Face Virginia Tech in First Round of ACC Tournament
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 4 Virginia women’s lacrosse team will head to College Park, Md., to compete against in-state rival Virginia Tech in the first round of the 2010 Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. Opening draw is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Thursday at Maryland’s Ludwig Field. There will be a live broadcast for free on TheACC.com, while live statistics can be found on VirginiaSports.com.
The Cavaliers (12-3, 4-1 ACC) enter the tournament as the fourth seed and are bringing a six-game win streak into the game. Senior All-Americans Kaitlin Duff and Brittany Kalkstein lead the team this year, with 47 and 44 points, respectively.
Virginia Tech (6-10, 0-5 ACC) is coming off an 18-4 loss against No. 3 Maryland in its regular-season finale. The Hokies are led by Jessica Nonn, who has 33 goals, 52 ground balls and 33 draw controls on the season.
This will be the second meeting this year between the Hokies and the Cavaliers, as the first was a 20-14 road win for Virginia. In the highest scoring game ever played between the teams, sophomore Josie Owen and senior Caity Whitely had career-high days, with a combined total of 14 points to lead Virginia. In addition, Kalkstein snatched nine draw controls, tying her own career-high to surpass her previous school record for single season draws.
For Tech, Morgan Widlake scored a hat trick, while Ryan Rotanz and Allie Emala each tacked on two goals apiece.
This will also mark the second time the Cavaliers have faced the Hokies in the ACC Tournament, with the first time being last year’s first round. Virginia earned a 13-5 victory in the contest. In the all-time series between the two squads, Virginia holds an unblemished 15-0 record.
In conference tournament action, Virginia owns a 16-8 record in the league’s 13-year tournament history. Overall, the Cavaliers have won five conference championships, including four of the past six.
The winner of the Virginia vs. Virginia Tech match-up will advance to face second-seeded No. 3 Maryland in the semifinal round on Friday at 5 p.m.