Cavalier Corner is the publication just for UVa sports fans!
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1483813
DECEMBER 2022 25 though, has strengthened a bond that Hop- kins had with her dad that began through soccer — a sport he had never played but became invested in because of his daugh- ter — and added the affinity of both of them now having suited up in orange and blue. "He drove me to every single club game growing up, whether that be an hour or states away, and didn't miss a practice," Hopkins said. "My dad volunteered and sac- rificed a countless number of hours serving as my team's coordinator, on top of his job. I was not nearly as appreciative as I should have been and wished I was. "Honestly, my adolescent and teenage self thought of him as overbearing because he was always, and I mean always, involved. Going off to college and becoming inde- pendent during my college soccer career has made me realize how rare it is to have a parent like him. He's my last call before a game and my first call after." After making waves on a national level for the Commodores, Hopkins has continued drawing attention nationally as a Cavalier. In her time with the Hoos, she has earned a pair of All-ACC honors while also being named to the MAC Hermann Trophy watch list yet again. She is one of a handful of active players in the 2022 season to have hit the 30 goal and 20 assists threshold for a career, and she appeared in her 100th career game when she took the field against Duke in the ACC quarterfinals at Klöckner Stadium. For her career, Hopkins has scored more than 50 goals and tallied 25 assists. After earning her degree in medicine, health and society at Vanderbilt, Hopkins is now completing a master's of educa- tion program in kinesiology with a focus on exercise physiology at Virginia. After her collegiate playing career is finished, she hopes to pursue a professional career and explore options for medical school. And with that, she treasures the fact that part of her journey includes one more connection with her father. "I am beyond blessed and grateful to have played at UVA and share so many unique experiences with him," Hopkins said. "Never in a million years could I have imagined how special it is to wear the same V-Sabre my dad did years ago as a football and baseball player at Virginia. "There isn't a day that goes by where he doesn't tell me how proud he is of the person and player I've become. I sincerely hope and pray that one day in the far future, my husband and father to my children pos- sesses a shred of the unwavering commit- ment, unconditional love and pride he has for me and my siblings. "Having the opportunity to share UVA with my dad as two athletes, many years apart, has truly been a once-in-a-lifetime experi- ence. It's been hard to put into words how unique the UVA community is, but anyone who has ever competed wearing the V-Sabre knows the exact feeling and emotion I have sharing this with you all. "It has been the 'Honors of Honor' being a student-athlete at one of the most distin- guished universities in the world. To all the alumni reading this: I've realized through shar- ing stories with my dad about our times here that so much, yet even more surprisingly, so lit- tle has changed here in Charlottesville. U-Hall may no longer be standing, but the memories created decades apart remain the same." In exactly 100 career games played at Vanderbilt and Virginia, Hopkins has amassed 53 goals and 25 assists for 131 career points. (Photo courtesy UVA)