Cavalier Corner is the publication just for UVa sports fans!
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/174129
E By Greg Waters lly Buckley likes to have fun, and this season she and Virginia's field hockey team plan on having a lot of it. "She's always there to do something fun," UVa head coach Michelle Madison said. "Elly and the senior class, they're very close and they bring the team closer." But Madison is quick to point out that her cocaptain has a highly competitive side as well. excitement and rush of playing in the NCAA Tournament semifinals as a first-year, Buckley and her teammates are looking forward to more than regular-season success. "We have really high expectations this season," said the native of Perth, Australia. "My goal is to play the best I can, and my teammates are doing really great to start the season." Virginia lost to No. 3 North Carolina 3‑2 in the national semifinals in 2010, ending a record- Loving Every Minute Fourth-Year Field Hockey Standout Elly Buckley Is Enjoying Her Final Season "She brings hard work, she loves the game and she knows how to balance the two," Madison said. "She plays for the love of the game; it's not work for her, but at the appropriate moments she gets serious." This year, Buckley and the fourth-year class are hoping to have a lot of fun winning, and the Wahoos opened the season undefeated in their first seven contests and ranked fifth nationally (as of Sept. 16). However, after experiencing the setting campaign at 20-4, setting a program mark for wins in a season and making the club's third overall appearance in college field hockey's final four. "The first year was very rewarding getting to the finals," Buckley said. The Cavaliers may be primed for another special season. If that is to happen, Buckley, who will earn her psychology degree in May, will need to continue