University of Virginia: Quick Facts
- Location: Charlottesville, Virginia
- Founded: 1819 by Thomas Jefferson
- No. 3 Public University in the Nation
- No. 1 Public Law School (US News)
- No. 1 Public Business School in the World (Financial Times, 2024)
- A Public Ivy Institution
- Nicknames: Cavaliers, Wahoos, Hoos
- Mascot: Cavalier
- Colors: Orange & Blue
- Conference: Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)
Student-Athlete Resources
Academics & Student-Athlete Development
Our athletic academic department is focused on creating confident student-athletes - in the classroom and on their field of play! Academic Coordinators offer support to student-athletes, even before you arrive on grounds. They are here to support you through registration, selecting a major, booking tutors, and even assist in finding internship or career opportunities!
Virginia Athletics Master Plan
The Harrison Family Olympic Sports Center
Virginia Athletics unveiled the Harrison Family Olympic Sports Center in September of 2025. The new building has been designed with the student-athlete in mind! Sports Medicine, Strength & Conditioning, and Sports Nutrition have been provided the top technology to help our athletes compete in peak form.
Sports Performance
At Virginia, our approach is to create well-rounded athletes. This includes a universal approach to their training and improvement. Our individual departments are home to leaders in each field. We all work together to create the best environment for our student-athletes to thrive.
Sports Psychology
Our incredible sports psychology team includes Dr. Bob Rotella and Dr. Jason Freeman.
Dr. Rotella is the team's Mental Performance Consultant. He is best known as a bestselling author, has client list of highly successful professional golfers, and has helped his professionals win over 80 major championships. A Charlottesville local and former head of Sport Psychology at UVA, we enjoy meeting with Dr. Rotella at his home to chat about our best strategies for a strong mental game in golf.
Dr. Jason Freeman is an expert on providing sports psychology services to a variety of student-athletes. Dr. Freeman is an excellent resource for sports performance and mental coaching. In addition to his expertise in sports, Dr. Freeman is a licensed clinical psychologist and is available to our student-athletes for their general well-being and mental strength. As a long-standing member of the UVA community, we're lucky to have Dr. Freeman on our team!
Sports Nutrition
Strength Training
Sports Medicine
Virginia Women's Golf History
First Year of the Program
2002
NCAA National Championship Appearances
15
NCAA National Championship Elite-8
5
NCAA Regional Appearances
19
ACC Championship Titles
2
ACC Individual Champions
3
All-Americans
21
All-American Scholars
48
Augusta National Women's Amateur Invitations
8
PRACTICE FACILITIES
Watch the video below to hear Head Coach Ria Scott describe UVA's practice facilities and how they are best utilized by our team!
GOLF COURSES
The Nest at Birdwood
- Our 6-hole par three course
- Ranked #26 in Golfweek's Best 2023 Par 3, Short, and Non-traditional courses.
- The Nest is just steps from the Dean Family Performance Center, making it a favorite of both programs.
- With three sets of tees to choose from, holes range from 45 yards to 135 yards in length.
2025-2026 TEAM
Ally Black
Fourth Year - Austin, Texas
- Majoring in Sociology
- University of Virginia SAAC Representative
- ACC Academic Honor Roll (2023, 2024)
- Helped Westlake High School to win the Texas 6A State Championship (2019)
- Co-chair of the Texas Cup, helped the AJGA raise more than $150,000 for the Aces Grant program
Jaclyn LaHa
Third Year - Pleasanton, California
- Majoring in Economics
- University of Virginia SAAC Representative
- ACC Academic Honor Roll (2024)
- All-ACC Academic Team (2024)
- 2025 Chattanooga Classic Runner-Up
- NCAA Championship Appearance (2024, 2025)
- Top-20 NCAA Regional Finishes (2024, 2025)
- As a first year, recorded five Top-20 finishes.
- Competed in the 2022 US Women's Amateur
- Competed in the 2021 U.S. Women's Open
- First-Team 2022 Rolex Junior All-American
Mira Berglund
Third Year - Örnsköldsvik, Sweden
- Transfer from Campbell University
- First-Team All-CAA
- CAA All-Championship Team
- 2024 Mercedes Benz Intercollegiate Champion
- Six Top-10 Collegiate Finishes in 2024-2025 Season
- 72.74 Scoring Average in 2024-2025 Season
- WGCA All-American Scholar (2023-2024)
Kennedy Swedick
Second Year - Albany, New York
- UVA Echols Scholar
- WGCA All-American Scholar (2024-2025)
- 2025 Virginia Women's Open Champion
- NCAA Championship Appearance (2025)
- 2023 AJGA Rolex Scholastic Junior All-America Selection
- USGA Girls Junior Participant (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
- USGA Four-Ball Participant (2024)
- AJGA Golf Performance Center Junior Champion (2023)
- New York State High School Champion (2022, 2023, 2024)
Remi Bacardi
First Year - Miami, Florida
- Miami Herald Girls' Golfer of the Year (2022, 2023, 2024)
- Qualified for the USGA Girls Junior (2024, 2025)
- Top-5 finishes include 2023 AJGA Huntsville Junior, 2023 Mizuno Keith Mitchell Junior Championship, 2023 Junior Orange Bowl, and 2024 AJGA New Orleans Classic.
- Competed in the 2024 KPMG Women's Irish Open
Elsie MacCleery
First Year - Crozet, Virginia
- 2024 Central Virginia Player of the Year
- 2022 Virginia State golfer of the Year
- 53rd VSGA Junior Girls Champion
- Top finishes include 2023 SCJGA Sea Pines Junior Heritage, 2024 Donna Andrews Invitational, 2024 Dye Junior Invitational, and the 2022 Elite Invitational.
Yuuki Takada
First Year - Gold Coast, Australia / Tokyo, Japan
- Studied in Gold Coast, Australia for High School
- 2023 Queensland Girls Amateur Champion
- 2022 Golf Australia Girls Order of Merit Honors
- Top finishes include 2023 South Australian Junior Amateur Championship, 2023 Katherine Kirk Classic, 2023 Australian Girls Amateur, 2022 Greg Norman Junior Masters, and the 2023 South Australian Junior Masters.
Miranda Lu
First Year - Vancouver, Canada // Bradenton, FL
- Joining the Cavaliers in January 2026
- #26 in the Class of 2026
- 2025 AJGA Scholastic Junior All-American
- AJGA Arnold Palmer Invitational Runner-Up
- Top finishes include the Florida Girls' Junior Championship, UHY Albany Junior, and the Fortinet Girls Invitational at Stanford
COACHES
Head Coach Ria Scott
The 2024-2025 season marks the seventh year Ria Scott leads the Virginia program.
Coaching Highlights
- 2025 WGCA East Region Coach of the Year
- Has led programs to NCAA play in all 18 years of collegiate coaching.
- Coached the International Team to victories in both the 2019 & 2020 Arnold Palmer Cup
- During her time at Virginia, has helped players to WGCA All-American Honors (4), Golfweek All-American Honors (3), and All-ACC Honors (7).
The 2024-2025 season brought UVA's 19th berth into NCAA play in 21 seasons of the program’s history. The Cavaliers thrived in stroke play during the 2025 NCAA Championship, advancing to match play for the first time since 2016.
Assistant Coach Annie Schmidt
Schmidt completed her second year with Virginia in the 2024-25 season. During the regular season, the Hoos saw five top-five tournament finishes and advanced to match play at the ACC Championship. She aided Head Coach Ria Scott and the Hoos as they reached their 19th consecutive berth into NCAA post-season play. The Cavaliers secured a third-place finish at the NCAA Charlottesville Regional and advanced to the NCAA Championship at Omni La Costa. In 2025, the Cavaliers finished in the top-8 of stroke play. Advancing into match play at the NCAA Championship.