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JUNE 2022 5 Sixth-year head coach Joanna Hardin guided the Virginia softball program to its best season in more than a decade, tying a program record for ACC wins (13) and tallying its most overall victories (28) since the 2010 team that went 34-23 in 2010. Cavalier Corner sat down with Hardin to discuss the successful season and what's next for her program. Cavalier Corner: What did you see in the fall that made you have a feeling we could see this kind of season? Hardin: "I saw competitiveness. We had depth at every position defensively and of- fensively. Intrasquads were tight scores, and pitchers were battling. The depth helped ele- vate our starters and the backups were better. "Our fall game against James Madison we were aggressive and put up a lot of runs early and the pitchers were lights out. That was a huge sign. Then we hosted George Washington and lost a 1-0 game, and the team was angry. "The demeanor showed me they didn't like losing and that was a moment where it was different because it wasn't approached as just a fall game. It was a game, and they expected to win. The competitiveness and focus was there, but they also could be lighthearted and fun. That combined indicated it could be a special year." Cavalier Corner: How did your philosophy of scheduling balance to challenge your team while preparing them for the ACC gauntlet play into this season? Hardin: "We knew we had one of the toughest schedules, so we needed to schedule games that would really challenge us but ones we also knew gave us chances to win. "We had a couple of weekends where we lost some games that we felt we shouldn't have lost, but we had to scratch and claw and fight. We started to figure out who we were. That culminated in the final non-conference weekend at Tennessee. We played Tennessee tight twice and rallied to beat South Alabama who finished second in their conference. "We scheduled for balance, but we had some hard-fought games we won that built confidence. That rolled right into our ACC opening series with Notre Dame." Cavalier Corner: Was there a moment that crystallized your belief that the hard work was going to yield results? Hardin: "Notre Dame for us was the turning point. I think when Abby Weaver hit that three-run home run to walk things off in the first game was a big moment. "We knew right then we were prepared to play in the ACC and that this would be a re- ally special conference season after our non- conference slate." Cavalier Corner: How did your team slogan help focus the team on success this season? Hardin: "Our mission statement that defines who we are and what we're about is 'living with integrity, community service, a fearless pursuit of development, competing for championships and bringing good into the world.' That's what defines us every year and is the foundation of what we are about and how we try to live each day. "This year specifically, we were picked to finish 10th, and there weren't a lot of expecta- tions for us from the outside. I had to recali- brate myself after last season. A good friend challenged me to bet on myself, what I know and my experience. I turned that to the team and challenged them the same way. "We don't need the world to expect us to do anything if we expect it of ourselves. We don't need the affirmation from outside, but we need it from ourselves. We know the work we put in and trust ourselves. We are betting on our preparation, our knowledge and our work. "Having confidence in what we were doing was important, as was tuning out the noise and everyone else's opinions. The focus had to be on us and what we know we are capable of doing. They did that and entered every game with confidence, expecting to win and expecting to compete. That showed in some comeback wins and our ability to hold leads late in games." Cavalier Corner: You have a top-15 class coming in on the heels of a top-30 class. What does that do for setting the table for the future? Hardin: "It brings even more competitiveness. It's going to be harder to get on the field and grab a spot. That's what you need to win championships; your starters and non-starters have to be just as good as each other. "It will add more depth because any day different people could be on the field. It will add different looks, it will add depth to our bullpen and rotation, power and speed to the lineup and just pushes everyone to be better. "I'm excited and think it will be a well-balanced offense and de- fense while adding more weapons to our tool kit. This class is going to challenge our returners. They've won championships, they know how to win and expect to win and bring that with them on Day 1." — Bill Bunting five questions with Softball Head Coach Joanna Hardin Hardin led the Cavaliers to their best season since 2010, pro- ducing a 28-26 overall record and a 13-11 mark in the ACC. (Photo by Jim Daves/courtesy UVA) cavalier sports