CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia men’s and women’s swimming & diving teams open the 2021-22 season this weekend with a dual meet at California in Berkley, Calif., on Friday, October 15 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

IN THE RANKINGS

  • Coming off its first NCAA Championship in 2020-21, the Virginia women’s team enters the season ranked No. 1 in the CSCAA preseason poll. The Cavaliers took the No. 1 spot in the final poll last season, just before they won the programs first national title.
  • The UVA men finished ninth at the 2020-21 NCAA Championships, marking the second-best finish in program history and best since placing eighth in 2011.
  • Both Cal teams enter the season ranked in the top-five. Cal’s men’s team is No. 2 in the preseason poll, while the women are No. 6.

WHO ARE THESE HOOS?

  • Virginia’s women return 12 of its 14 swimmers and two divers that competed in the 2021 NCAA Championships.
  • Junior Kate Douglass and sophomore Alex Walsh earned individual national titles in the 50-yard freestyle and 200-yard individual medley, respectively.
  • The Cavaliers had 12 athletes named All-Americans and won six event titles.
  • UVA also brings in eight newcomers, including freshmen Emma Weyant and Gretchen Walsh. Weyant is an Olympic silver medalist in the 400 IM from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Walsh competed at the U.S. Olympic Trials in June.
  • The Cavalier men return 11 of the 13 swimmers that competed at the 2021 NCAA Championships, including nine All-Americans.
  • Sophomore Matt Brownstead won ACC titles in the 50 and 100-yard freestyle at the 2021 ACC Championships.
  • The men bring in 11 newcomers, including US Olympic Trials participant, Jack Aikins.

ABOUT CAL

  • Cal’s men and women’s teams finished in the top-four at the 2021 NCAA Championships.
  • The Cal women earned a fourth-place finish, and the men were runner-up.
  • The Golden Bears women’s team finished first at the Chick-Fil-A Invitational last weekend (Oct. 8-9).
  • Three women won two events each at the event.
  • This will be the first meet of the season for the Cal men’s team.

UP NEXT

Virginia will host its home opener on Saturday, October 30 against Army at 10 a.m. at the Aquatic and Fitness Center.