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26 CAVALIER CORNER BY BILL BUNTING T he Virginia women's soccer program has been a home for elite players through the years, and for more than a decade the Cavaliers have seen some next-level goalkeepers come through the program. Names like Chantel Jones (2007-11), Morgan Stearns (2013-16) and Laurel Ivory (2017-21) are at the top of the record books and forefront of fans' minds. One more name has been added to that list with fifth-year Cayla White (2019-23). One of the things that sets her apart hasn't just been her performance on the field, but her role as a mentor and leader to help continue the stretch of top-notch goalkeep- ing at UVA. During the course of her career, including the last two seasons as the starter, White placed herself among the all-time top 10 at Virginia in wins (26), shutouts (16) and saves (115). This past season she led the ACC in save percentage (.855). "It feels good [being in that company]," White said. "I had very specific goals set for myself this season, and I feel like I met them individually. I worked really hard, and it ended up showing and translating well statistically. "I wouldn't say I put too much focus on stats because sometimes they don't per- fectly translate to how good a goalkeeper is, but knowing I was working hard and trying to be my best every day and seeing improvement was what mattered." White joined the Cavaliers in the 2019 season out of Washington & Lee High School in Arlington, Va., redshirting due to injury during a season that saw the Cava- liers climb once again to No. 1 in the na- tional rankings, advance to the finals of the ACC Championship and earn a top seed in the NCAA Tournament. During that time, she wasn't able to spend as much time around the team as she would have liked due to her rehab ses- sions. That firmly imprinted upon her how important time with teammates coupled with a welcoming environment was to young players — specifically the younger keepers Camryn Miller and Victoria Safradin. "My freshman year was a hard year as I re- habbed my ACL, so I wasn't around the team as much and that was challenging," White said. "I kept my head down and just grinded. It was all in God's plan, and I just worked re- ally hard and learned as much as I could so when it was my time to go, I would take it. "That was my whole mentality my fresh- man, sophomore and junior years here. That's the hard part of being an athlete is being so competitive and sometimes getting just one chance to prove yourself, and if you don't take it and run with it then it is going to be someone else's." White has tried to take the experience of her first three years and the last two as a starter to really leave an impact on the play- ers coming behind her who will look to grab the spot in their moment. "I try to teach as much as possible based on my experience here and areas I was suc- cessful in or the ones I struggled in that took longer to overcome," White said. "I talked to them a lot about the mental side of the game — preparation, how to not be overwhelmed or not amped up enough. You have to find a balance, and I talked to them about how to find that. They didn't get a lot of games, so it's important to try to replicate that in practice. "As I've gotten older, I've told myself each year I want to be more welcoming to each class coming in and get to know people on an individual level outside of soccer so I can help them — even if it's off the field — so I can serve as a mentor because I know that was something I really needed when I came in as a freshman." "One of the special things about Cayla isn't only that she has made such a positive impact in our games, but more importantly in our training environment," Virginia goalkeeper coach Sam Raper said. "Her goalkeeping qualities speak for themselves; however, the thing people don't see is the way in which she has helped develop the Goalkeeper Union we have at Virginia. The environment we have is one of holding each other ac- countable to the highest of standards, and the experiences Cayla has had throughout her career, along with her qualities as a per- son, allow each goalkeeper to relate to her and value her feedback as highly valuable. "Cayla has made a lasting impact on the team, however, the influence and example she has set within our goalkeeping unit, is an example of the type of goalkeeper any program, or team, would be honored to have. She is a factor as to why the other goalkeepers she has trained alongside have developed to the level they are now." When those younger players watched White, there were several key moments that they can look to when the 5-foot-6 keeper stood tall in goal. Many came along the run to the quarter- finals of the NCAA Tournament in 2022. She has a few that stand out in her own mind, though. One being the Cavaliers' come- back win at No. 2 North Carolina in 2022, and the other being a 1-1 draw at No. 9 Clemson this past season — a game in which White made a career-high 11 saves. "I've never experienced anything like that [UNC game]," White said. "We'd worked so hard and hadn't beaten them in my time here. I think it was just the way it went with us being down and coming back. "[The Clemson game] was a pretty crazy game," White said. "It felt like they were in our half the majority of the game just pounding on us. As a back line we did a good job of denying the majority of things. They did score on us, but it felt like that was bound to hap- pen with how many chances they had, and I felt like we did a good job that game. "There was one save where I felt like after I made it that I wasn't getting scored on unless it was a special shot in the upper 90. The adrenaline is just pumping, and you have that feeling you're on top of the world." The way she carried herself in that game — amped up, but not overwhelmed — encapsulated White's career and was a real-time example for whoever steps into her shoes in 2024. And perhaps, more than stats, that is an even greater legacy that White leaves behind at Virginia. LEAVING A LEGACY LEAVING A LEGACY Cayla White's Soccer Career Is Marked By Her Ability To Bring Teammates Closer Together