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24 CAVALIER CORNER Steve Swanson's eye years earlier in a week- end of competition in the NCAA Tournament. "I saw Haley play back in the NCAA Tourna- ment a few years ago," Swanson said. "She obviously was with her Vanderbilt team, and they were in the same second- and third- round bracket we were in down at Baylor. "What struck me back then about her was her speed and athleticism, but also her competitiveness. She looked dangerous every time she touched the ball and pos- sessed such a strong work ethic. "When her name came up in the transfer portal we all were extremely excited about trying to get her to Virginia." Further indications of fate's touch involve the tim- ing of the process. When he got home from the College Cup in the spring of 2021, Swanson had a feeling he should check the transfer portal and it was one of the first things he did when he walked in the door to his house af- ter the semifinal game. He saw that Hopkins had just added her name to the portal. That set off the chain of events that would hap- pen quickly and lead Hopkins to become a Cavalier. "After what felt like an eternity, but was realistically 48 hours, my club coach con- tacted me with the news I had been waiting for — Steve Swanson at UVA was interested in speaking with me," Hopkins said. "When I heard that, I remember smiling ear to ear with tears almost welling. "My club coach, Walid Khoury, said some- thing I will never forget, 'If you say you want the best college soccer coach to develop your ability, Steve Swanson is your guy.' Steve and I got in contact shortly after and we did not stop talking until I committed. He and the coaching staff were so incred- ible and consistently went the extra mile in everything they did. "What I thought was going to be a very dif- ficult and stressful experience, turned out to change the trajectory of my life for the better." Despite the excitement she felt at the prospect of playing for the Cavaliers, it wasn't a decision that was instantaneous on her part. Hopkins took the time to reflect on the opportunity ahead of her — one that met her goal of playing at an institution with both a high level of soccer success and academic achievement, but this option also had the added layer of being the alma mater of her father, David, who had played football and baseball for Virginia before joining the Texas Rangers organization after completing his playing career with the Cavaliers in 1982. At the time of her com- mitment to join the Cava- liers from Vanderbilt, Hop- kins had never been to Charlottesville. She'd been to Virginia sporting events, but only when the Hoos were playing on the road. Her first time on Grounds was the day she reported to school for preseason training prior to the 2021-22 academic year. Playing at her father's alma mater, Hopkins — seen here on Senior Day with her mom, Beth, and dad, David — followed in the footsteps of her father, who played baseball and football at UVA. (Photo courtesy UVA) " Having the opportunity to share UVA with my dad as two athletes, many years apart, has truly been a once-in-a-lifetime experience." HOPKINS