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OCTOBER 2023 25 McDermott took the confidence boost from scoring that goal with her into spring training because she knew she would be called on to step up in 2023 and help fill the void left by the loss of two first-round NWSL draft picks in Haley Hopkins and Alexa Spaanstra. She worked hard through the spring and during her squad's trip overseas to Italy, and she used that time to hone her skills. "She's dangerous and a threat to get in behind which is very important as an attacker," Swanson said. "The questions the first year brought out were could she finish at this level? Can she handle the ball in tight spaces, espe- cially back to goal? "I think she's improved in those categories and Coach Raab has done a great job developing her on that and she's done a great job of working on the things she needed to work on. Her timing of runs is better, her understanding of space and setting up defenders and her understanding of defending and the concepts we value. "The spring helped her a lot, the trip to Italy helped her a lot and it's been good to see that pay off early in the season." "It's big shoes to fill and it was a little nerve-racking at first," McDermott said. "The spring and offseason was a time I really spent focused on developing to be the best I can be. It was a good time for me because I was able to practice with everyone and we spent so much time to just learn and develop and gain confidence without having to worry about games. "Being able to get that experience and bring it into the fall was a big game changer for me." That confidence showed immediately this fall, with McDermott stepping up as a focal point in the Virginia offense. She tallied a brace in the season opener, striking twice in the win over Nevada to help the Cavaliers to a 5-0 victory. She notched her second brace in a 2-1 win over West Virginia to provide the lift the Cavaliers needed for the decision. McDermott also notched the sixth-fastest goal scored in UVA regular-season history with a strike in 55 seconds against VCU. Her 6 goals entering ACC play led the team and she has already earned ACC Offensive Player of the Week honors once this season. "I think it's validation of how hard she's worked and the development she's made over the course of one year," Swanson said of McDermott's start to the season. "She's given us a real lift in terms of goal scoring with the players we lost to graduation last year and the injuries we had coming into this year. She's re- ally stepped up in that regard and we're going to need her to continue to do that." McDermott, a second-year forward from New Hamp- shire, tallied a team-high 6 goals during Virginia's first 10 matches this season. (Photo courtesy UVA)