Virginia Cavaliers softball
College softball team
The Virginia Cavaliers softball team represents University of Virginia in NCAA Division I college softball. The team participates in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Cavaliers are currently led by head coach Joanna Hardin. The team plays its home games at Palmer Park located on the university's Charlottesville campus.[2][3]
History
Virginia has played softball continuously since 1980, beginning NCAA play in 1982 when the organization began sponsoring the sport.[4] The Cavaliers currently play their home games at Palmer Park, an on-campus stadium that opened in 2020.[5]
The Cavaliers have been members of the Atlantic Coast Conference through their softball history, winning the 1994 ACC Tournament. They have qualified for the NCAA tournament twice in program history, most recently in 2024.
Virginia has been led by head coach Joanna Hardin since 2017.
NCAA Tournament Appearances
The Cavaliers have qualified for the NCAA tournament twice, most recently in 2024.[6]
| Year | Record | Pct | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 1–2 | .333 | Knoxville Regional |
| 2024 | 2–2 | .500 | Knoxville Regional |
TOTALS | 3–4 | .429 |
Championships
Conference Tournament Championships
| Year | Conference | Tournament Location | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Atlantic Coast Conference | Tallahassee, FL | Peggy Kellers |
Coaching History
Current Coaching Staff
| Name | Position coached | Consecutive season at Virginia in current position | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joanna Hardin | Head coach | 8th | |
| Jeff Tylka | Associate Head Coach | 1st | |
| Jamie Allred | Assistant coach | 1st | |
| Bella Norton | Assistant coach | 2nd | |
| Benjamin Sewell | Director of Operations | 1st | |
| Reference:[7] | |||
Previous Head Coaches
| Years | Coach | Record | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980–1981 | Mika Long | 47–33 | .588 |
| 1982–1983 | C.L. Ermini | 41–30 | .577 |
| 1984–1986 | Sue Ross | 81–80 | .503 |
| 1987–1992 | Terry DeTuro | 184–102–1 | .643 |
| 1993–1997 | Peggy Kellers | 124–96 | .564 |
| 1998–2005 | Cheryl Sprangel | 303–215 | .585 |
| 2006–2007 | Karen Johns | 46–65 | .414 |
| 2008–2013 | Eileen Schmidt | 145–168 | .463 |
| 2014–2016 | Blake Miller | 42–116 | .266 |
| 2017–present | Joanna Hardin | 173–217 | .444 |
Awards and honors
Retired numbers
Sources:[9]
| No. | Player | Position | Career | Year retired |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Kristen Dennis | P | 1999-2002 | 2005 |
| 22 | Lisa Palmer | P | 1986–1989 | 1990 |
Conference Awards and Honors
Sources:[9]
ACC Player of the Year
- Eileen Schmidt, 1993
- Kristen Dennis, 2002
- Sara Larquier, 2005
ACC Freshman of the Year
- Kristen Dennis, 1999
- Ruby Rojas, 2000
References
- ^ "Athletics Color Palette". University of Virginia Consumer Product Brand Standards (PDF). Retrieved January 16, 2023.
- ^ "The Park". VirginiaSports.com. UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA ATHLETICS. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
- ^ "Palmer Park". virginiasports.com. University of Virginia Athletics. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
- ^ https://www.ncaa.com/history/softball/d1
- ^ https://virginiasports.com/palmer-park/
- ^ https://virginiasports.com/news/2024/05/12/hoos-earn-ncaa-bid-as-two-seed-in-knoxville-regional/
- ^ https://virginiasports.com/sports/softball/roster/#staff
- ^ "Virginia Softball History Coaching Records" (PDF). Static.VirginiaSports.com. UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA ATHLETICS. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
- ^ a b "Virginia Softball Honors & Awards and Retired Numbers" (PDF). VirginiaSports.com. UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA ATHLETICS. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
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University of Virginia
Located in: Charlottesville, Virginia
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Established: 1819 – Endowment: $7.53 billion – Students: 22,391
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