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FEBRUARY 2023 23 BY BILL BUNTING W hen the Virginia softball team hits the field this season it will be looking to build on one of the most successful sea- sons in the last decade and with a group of players hungry to continue to build on a foundation laid a year ago. Under the guidance of head coach Joanna Hardin, who is in her seventh sea- son with the Cavaliers this spring, Virginia matched the program record for ACC wins (13) set by the 2010 team and finished sixth in the ACC standings — the highest fin- ish since the 2012 season. On the way to that finish, the Cavaliers posted series wins over No. 24 Notre Dame, North Carolina State, Boston College and Pittsburgh. The Cavaliers swept three of those series and took games at Louisville and No. 2 Virginia Tech. The Cavaliers earned a bid to the Na- tional Invitational Softball Championship for their first postseason appearance since a trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2010. "We are in a very fortunate position in that we return the majority of our offensive production from last season," Hardin said. "The combination of a hungry and athletic first-year class with significant innings of returning experience gives us a great op- portunity to execute at a higher clip than previous seasons." Among those returning are a trio of play- ers who earned all-region honors from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association in fifth-year designated hitter Tori Gilbert, fourth-year shortstop Katie Goldberg and third-year catcher Leah Boggs. Also return- ing is 2022 ACC All-Freshman team selec- tion Sarah Coon at third base. But the focus isn't on last year, it's build- ing toward the future and achieving the goals set for this season. "Last year was helpful in that it contin- ued the growth and development of our team, but we really don't talk about last season much," Hardin said. "Our goal since August has been intent on small habits, little investments day to day and trust in the compound effect of cultivating those small details in our game. "I truly believe that the only thing holding us back from becoming the team we are capable of becoming is us. When we remain focused on the team, winning games as a whole more than our own individual situa- tion, the season could be very special." The Cavaliers will be looking to quickly bring along a talented class of newcom- ers that features a group of first-years that comprised the nation's 15th-ranked recruiting class per Extra Inning Softball. All six members of the first-year class were ranked among the top 103 recruits nation- ally — including pitchers Eden Bigham and Courtney Layne, who were ranked in the top 35 overall recruits and in the top 14 pitchers nationally. "Our first-years are competitive," Har- din said. "They stepped on Grounds on Day 1 with the expectation of winning. They have all won at a very high level including high school state champi- onships and club national champi- onships. And they've brought that winning expectation and fierce competitiveness into the pro- gram, which has elevated prac- tices and pushed our returning athletes harder." Also new to the roster for the year is graduate transfer Jenny Bressler who was named to the preseason top 100 play- ers nationally by Extra Inning Softball after a stellar career at UNLV. Bressler set the single-season strikeout record at UNLV last season with 223 and has recorded 599 strikeouts for her career. She's coming off a fourth-year campaign with a 1.66 ERA and a 29-7 record in the circle. The Cavaliers jump right into things with a road tournament at Houston before partici- pating in the ACC/Big Ten Softball Challenge where Virginia will face off against Min- nesota and Maryland. It's a quick start to a season slate that features seven teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament a year ago. In conference play, the Cavaliers will host Georgia Tech, Louisville, North Carolina and Virginia Tech. The Hoos go on the road for ACC series at Clemson, Florida State, Pittsburgh and Syracuse. "Our schedule is really balanced," Hardin said. "Starting with six games in four days out in Houston will be an excellent test of our strength, mental forti- tude, and focus. "The ACC is always going to be a chal- lenge because the quality of the teams in our league is unreal. There are really no days off in conference play, but that's exactly why our athletes chose to play here was the chance to play against the best of the best. "I believe our non-conference schedule will provide us with challenging opponents that will prepare us to peak at the right time this spring." Virginia Looks To Build On Last Year's Success 2023 SEASON PREVIEW SOFTBALL Last year, head coach Joanna Hardin and the Cavaliers matched the softball program's record for ACC wins (13) and earned UVA's first postseason appearance since 2010. (Photo by Jim Daves/ courtesy UVA)