CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – After falling to UCLA to start the 2026 campaign, No. 11 Virginia men’s soccer’s struggles continued Monday with an end-to-end, 3-2, defeat to No. 16 High Point, before the Cavaliers bounced back with a 4-0 win over American on Friday, its first win of the season.
Against the Panthers, both squads traded goals until the match was knotted up 2-2 by the 50th minute. Ivorian forward Sami Oulouheu and English forward Arnold Matshazi, both new transfers this year, scored their first goals of the season to give the Hoos a fighting chance. But a second yellow card issued in Virginia’s defense forced the Cavaliers to go down to ten men, before Aidan Morrison blasted the game-winning goal for High Point.
Entering their game against American 0-2, the Cavaliers got the win after hammering four goals past the Eagles while keeping a clean sheet. Returners AJ Smith, Marco Dos Santos, Sebastian Pop, and first year Ghanian star Prince Abanfo notched the goals, the first goals of the season for each of them.
The Cavaliers will match up with Florida Gulf Coast Monday evening at 6 p.m. at Klöckner Stadium, before they take on their first ACC contest of the season Friday at 6 p.m. against Boston College as the homestand continues into September.
Women’s soccer had its midweek contest with James Madison postponed but took the field again on a balmy Sunday afternoon at home against Yale.
Ella Carter hammered Virginia to an early 1-0 lead, but after a saved penalty, Yale equalized at the other end three minutes later. Yale keeper Isabel Willems faced 26 Virginia shots and made nine saves over the course of the contest, but it still was not enough to keep out the relentless Cavalier attack. Sophia Bradley netted the game winner in the 75th minute to give the ‘Hoos at 2-1 triumph in their home opener.
Tennessee will take on Virginia next at Klöckner on Thursday at 7 p.m., before the Cavaliers head to the nation’s capital on Sunday for a matchup with Georgetown at 1 p.m.
Field Hockey
Rylee Dennis scored 56 seconds into field hockey’s opening contest of the season against the Penn State on the road. Virginia second year Riley Savage and first year Livvy Barker both notched their first goals of the campaign to give Virginia a 3-0 lead going into the fourth period.
Penn State brought the home crowd to its feet with a rollicking fourth period, scoring three unanswered goals to knot the match up at three and force overtime. Virginia keeper Nilou Lempers kept the Nittany Lions out of the goal during the extra period, after making three saves throughout regulation, letting last season’s scoring leader Mia Abello to hit home the game winning goal for the Cavaliers to secure a 4-3 victory
Virginia will head to New Brunswick, New Jersey beginning Friday at noon as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Hoos have matchups scheduled against Rutgers on Friday at noon, and Ohio State on Sunday at 11 a.m.
Volleyball
Beginning the season with two matchups on the court at John Paul Jones Arena, volleyball dropped their season-opener against American 3-1. Virginia dropped each of the first two sets by four, 25-21, before nabbing set three with a 25-23 victory. American came out swinging in the fourth set and took control to ultimately take the set 25-21 and the match with it.
The Cavaliers will be back at JPJ Tuesday against Liberty Flames at 6 p.m. They will then head to a neutral site in Richmond to battle William & Mary on Friday at 2 p.m.
Rowing
Virginia rowing alumna Sky Dahl earned a gold medal for Team USA at the World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam last week. Dahl was in boat for the PR3 Mixed Coxed Four Race., helping the U.S. hand Great Britain its first loss in the race since 2011, ending a 58-race win streak. Team USA finished in 6:46.60.
Fellow alumna Heidi Long was competing for Team GB and earned a silver medal in the Women’s Eight.
Current UVA first year Clara Hoarness was in the boat for Denmark, finishing 10th in the Women’s Four.
Football
Four UVA players earned ACC weekly honors following the team’s 34-8 season-opening win over North Carolina State on Saturday. Beau Pribula was named the league’s quarterback of the week, right tackle Monroe Mills was the offensive lineman of the week, safety Brandyn Hillman earned defensive back of the week honors and kicker Will Bettridge was named the special teams performer of the week.
