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DECEMBER 2019 21 has the size and athleticism to face the qual- ity of shots she's going to face at this level and beyond. "What sets her apart is she has an excep- tional work ethic. She's committed to being the very best keeper she can be, and is a great teammate plus a great leader. "She's as good as any keeper we've had in the program and has a bright future down the road as long as she continues to work hard." UVA came into this season with high expectations, and the Cavaliers were 8-1-1 versus teams ranked in the top 25 enter- ing the NCAA Tournament. Ivory realized that despite going 14-5-1 with a 0.73 goals against average last season there was room for improvement. "I wanted to push myself this season be- cause I knew we had the potential to do something really big [UVA earned a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Championship]," Ivory told The Cavalier Daily. "I've worked harder than I've ever worked." Ivory's technique is another major factor in her developing into one of the nation's top keepers. "What other coaches don't appreciate is the way she can play out of the back which helps us in our system," Davis said. "It's es- sential she can play out of the back. "She might only have a couple of touches with her hands, but her stats show she's touching the ball more with her feet, and it's extremely valuable." Ivory has competed with the U-17 and U-20 Women's National Teams, and her goal is to make the U.S. Women's National Team. She appreciates the proficiency of the team's and other world-level goalies. "The way they manage a game and the way they play out of the back and handle the pressure is the best in the world," she told The Cavalier Daily. "I admire their confidence and the way they carry themselves." "I can say Laurel is as good as any goalkeeper I've seen. … What sets her apart is she has an exceptional work ethic. She's commit- ted to being the very best keeper she can be and is a great teammate plus a great leader." UVA HEAD COACH STEVE SWANSON ON IVORY