Cavalier Corner

April 2021

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30 CAVALIER CORNER cavalier profile JALEN KNIGHT Fourth-Year • Lacrosse Fourth-year defender Jalen Knight's path to Virginia was like that of most students — she knew she wanted to come to Char- lottesville for a great education. It was the option to walk on to the UVA women's lacrosse team that created an additional plus for the Peachtree City, Ga., native. "I applied to Virginia because I was really interested in coming here for the school," Knight said. "I'd also been to camp and met [coach] Julie [Myers]. I talked to her, and she said that I should apply to the school and potentially try out, if I was able to get in. When I was accepted, I was deciding be- tween here and Notre Dame, and I just re- ally liked coming here better after I visited. "During the summer before my first fall, I reached out to Julie again, told her that I had gotten in and was coming to Vir- ginia, and she told me about how tryouts would go in the fall. All summer I just worked really hard on doing conditioning and preparing for tryouts." Knight went through two weeks of try- outs and at the end of that was offered a spot on the team by Myers. After two years playing for the Cavaliers, Knight found herself competing for a starting position on defense. "I didn't expect much coming in and trying out, but after practicing with the team and talking with the coaches I real- ized that earning a starting position was something that was achievable," Knight said. "It wasn't like I was just going to be on the team to fill a space, I could actu- ally contribute to the team. I just kept working hard, kept performing in prac- tice, and it just worked out." Now as a fourth-year, Knight was voted a captain by her teammates prior to the 2020-21 season. "It's really an honor because I walked on to the team and didn't expect much com- ing in. To grow over the last four years to become part of the team, it's like I never even walked on," Knight said. "The first- years don't even realize unless I tell them that I did walk on to the team because they're like, 'You're so connected with everyone, and you're just such a strong voice on the team.' "It's great to not have that difference, not being recruited like the rest of my class, just to be accepted as anybody else on the team." — Kristin Thurman Photo by Cameron Rangecroft/courtesy UVA Athletics

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