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WINTER 2024-25 27 to work to continue building this program," Le said. "Even with the transfers, everybody was invested from Day 1." Even after all the blood, sweat and tears that this fourth-year group put in over the years, this season's results still came as a shock to the system but in the best way possible. "At first glance, it was kind of shocking to me. I was like, 'There is no way that we are beating these teams the way that we are,'" Tadder said. "Looking back to the spring and our four years here, it makes sense that we are having these results. All the hard work and sacrifices that we have put in has raised the level of UVA volleyball." Following a remarkable start to the sea- son with a 10-1 mark in nonconference play, proof of concept arrived during the first two weeks of ACC competition when the Cavaliers pulled off a reverse sweep of Wake Forest on the road in the conference opener before sweeping No. 16 Florida State at Me- morial Gymnasium for the highest-ranked win in program history and then sweeping Miami in the program's annual match at John Paul Jones Arena. "After the JPJ match, we kind of reflected on the weekend," Borum said. "We took two great teams and we swept them. It was like, 'Oh, wow, we're actually doing this and our work is paying off.' The work wasn't done yet, but it was a great reward for all the work that we put in. We knew it was not going to end there." "For me, it was the Wake Forest match," Gomillion said. "Coming in, I didn't know what the percentage was around the coun- try that thought we'd win, but the way I saw the team against Wake Forest is something that I have never seen before and that set the tone for the rest of the season." Being the heart and soul of a rebuild is never easy. It comes with its own challenges, but even after everything that this fourth-year group has been through, Wells is immensely proud of how the quartet has handled it. "It has been hard. Winning carries its own weight," Wells said. "We experienced some of that and we experienced what ex- pectations are. It is a lot different being the underdog going into matches and knowing you have nothing to lose. I think this is the first time that this group walked into some matches and was expected to win. We had to grow and learn how to do that." Excelling on the court and in the class- room is nothing new for Virginia student- athletes. Throughout all the work, this foursome has found a way to keep things light-hearted and fun. Whether it is step- ping out of their comfort zones to sing their go-to karaoke song at a preseason retreat or coming up with new elaborate traditions during the season like "Club Bathroom," fun is never too far out of reach for this crew. "We have ordered a lot of accessories for 'Club Bathroom,'" Borum said. "Light-up sign, light-up glasses, light-up cups that we drink electrolytes in before the game. We just like to play songs, turn off all the lights and dance. It became a ritual when we started against Old Dominion." While volleyball might be what brought this group together, the memories away from the court are what they'll remember the most from their time in Charlottesville. "A majority of my memories are outside of the volleyball court," Le said. "Wins and losses will be great memories but the relationships we built throughout the program are very special and will be something I'll hang onto forever." "I think all the laughs and love we had for each is what I'll remember the most," Borum said. "We're constantly laughing together and loving on each other while supporting people when they are having bad days. You meet your best friends here, and luckily, we have 15 of them." Along with the laughter and fun times away from the court, Wells is incredibly sentimental about the time that she got to spend with this class. "I know in 20 years that I will be so grate- ful for this group for allowing me to be myself and grow," Wells said. "It allowed me to figure out who I wanted to be. I don't know if they realize how much they have impacted me." After the season is over, Tadder and Le are set to graduate in December, while Bo- rum and Gomillion will receive their degrees following the spring semester. Tadder and Le plan to stick around Charlottesville in the spring before pursuing careers in finance and marketing, respectfully. The duo of Borum and Gomillion have hopes to continue playing professionally, but want to make the most of the time they have remaining on Grounds. In 2023, Abby Tadder ascended to the top of the kills and hit- ting percentage leaderboards for UVA. (Photo courtesy UVA) Milan Gomillion joined the program as a transfer from Maryland in 2023 and fit right in. (Photo courtesy UVA)