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34 CAVALIER CORNER cavalier profile SARA ZIODATO Fourth-Year • Tennis Last year's Hoos Choice Awards debuted a new honor: Teammate of the Year. The women's tennis recipient, Sara Ziodato, is a pure em- bodiment of the honor. A selfless player who puts her team first and just quietly goes about doing her thing: winning. She has put up big numbers since transferring to UVA as a second-year. Playing in the bottom half of the lineup, she has won 20 or more singles matches each of her three seasons. This year, she hit the 20-win benchmark in mid-March, with the heart of the season still to come. "We have been so fortunate to have Sara on the team these past three years," Virginia head coach Sara O'Leary said. "We started recruit- ing her in 2019 out of high school. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, we could not meet her in person or watch her play, so we didn't offer her a spot. She ended up at Baylor her first year, which didn't turn out to be the best fit. After many phone calls and a home visit we took to It- aly that following summer, she decided to transfer to UVA the next year." Zio, as her coaches, teammates and fans call her, has made a huge impact on and off the court. "Not only has she been a reliable and consistent player in our lineup, but she's someone who strives to get better every day," O'Leary said. "She's curious about the game, an incredibly hard worker and someone I believe could have a successful career on tour if she chooses. Off the court, she's been a leader for us through her selflessness, discipline, awareness of others and appreciation for the opportunity she has to play for this amazing university. Zio has been a tremendous asset on our team and has had a positive impact on all of our lives. I'm so grateful she chose to be a Hoo!" — Melissa Dudek • Photo courtesy UVA