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BY WHITELAW REID E VER SINCE RACHEL VANDER KOLK was young, she dreamed of attend- ing Virginia, though the Severna Park, Md., native can't explain exactly why. "There's not much reason to it," she said. "It was just always a school that I loved. "I'm grateful to be able to play here." The feeling is mutual for Virginia women's lacrosse head coach Julie Myers. This season, Vander Kolk, a first-year goal- keeper, stormed on to the college scene, becoming the first UVa player in eight years to win the ACC Freshman of the Year award. Myers said Vander Kolk's early success wasn't a surprise. "We knew Rachel was the real deal in high school," Myers said. "She played for a great pro- gram where her coaches expected a lot and put a lot of pressure on her — and she always rose to every challenge, no matter what it was." Vander Kolk made five saves in her college de- but against fifth-ranked Northwestern; 10 against third-ranked Syracuse; and then 13 in a dramatic last-second win at Penn State. She is quick to recognize others for her fast start. "One hundred percent credit to my coaches and my teammates," Vander Kolk said. "From the get- go, they knew it was going to be hard for me to step right in, so they had my back the whole time, helping me every step of the way. I've had such a great support system to help me through it." One of Vander Kolk's best games was an 18- save performance in a 15-13 win in the snow at Boston College in late March. The victory over the second-ranked Eagles was part of a six-game winning streak that saw Vir- ginia improve its record from 3-4 to 9-4. For her efforts, Vander Kolk was named Inside Lacrosse National Rookie of the Week and ACC Defensive Player of the Week. "She's a freshman, but you wouldn't know it," said Virginia fourth-year attack Casey Bocklet, fol- A DREAM COME TRUE Goalie Rachel Vander Kolk Is Right Where She Wants To Be