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APRIL 2023 33 cavalier profile GRAYSON SALLADE Graduate Student • Lacrosse Grayson Sallade has nothing left to prove, at least so it seems. As a member of UVA's roster in both 2019 and 2021, Sallade is a two- time national champion. He was voted team captain by his team- mates in 2022 and again in 2023. "Grayson has definitively established himself as the leader of the program," UVA head coach Lars Tiffany said. "… He is adamant in his pursuit to know each man is accounted for while also ensuring the team and our mission come first." Originally recruited to UVA by former head coach Dom Starsia, Sallade has embraced his role as a defensive midfielder from the onset. It's a thankless job. One that typically does not include clout, accolades or praise from outsiders. But that doesn't bother Sallade because he has sights set on something much bigger — a third na- tional championship on his résumé. The journey from last year to this year has been anything but easy for the Lancaster, Pa., native, who was a dual-sport athlete in la- crosse and football at Manheim Township High School. After leading his Cavaliers to a 5-1 record in ACC play and winning a share of the program's 19th ACC title during the 2022 regular season, Sallade tore his ACL in Virginia's NCAA Tournament quarterfinal matchup against eventual national champion Maryland. While most feared he would miss the first few games of the 2023 season, Sallade's blue-collar mentality and effort in rehab made it seem easy. Sallade returned to the lacrosse field just six months after his surgery. "I thought the rehab process went pretty smoothly," said Sallade, who spent his summer rehabbing in Northern Virginia while com- pleting an internship in commercial real estate. "Once I got back to Charlottesville, being around my teammates was encouraging. Know- ing that my entire fall was going to be off regardless, I didn't really have to think about getting back to playing as quickly as possible. That allowed me to just really focus in on strengthening and getting that confidence back." After UVA's 2023 season opener, a 17-13 victory over Michigan, Sallade was named the ACC's Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career. He collected 3 ground balls, tied for a game- high 2 caused turnovers and helped the Cavaliers win 18 of the game's 32 total faceoffs. — Patrick Boling • Photo courtesy UVA athletics