Cavalier Corner

June 2015

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lowing a late-season game. "She's a leader on the defense, which is huge. She's been really good with her communication, which is a huge aspect of it. Rachel's a warrior. She just came out every day and worked very hard." Vander Kolk played nearly every minute in goal for Virginia, finishing second in the ACC in saves per game (7.47) and with a .419 save percentage. At the end of the regular season, Vander Kolk became the seventh Virginia player — and the first since Brittany Kalkstein in 2007 — to be named ACC Freshman of the Year "It was really a nice experience to be able to see everything pull together and all the hard work we put in — my teammates and ev- eryone who helped me get here — pay off," she said. At Severna Park High School, Vander Kolk also starred in basketball and soccer, and was named the school's Female Athlete of the Year as a senior. In basketball, she led the team in scoring her senior season en route to earning 2014 first-team all-county honors; in soccer she was a two-year starter in goal. However, lacrosse was always her first love. "It was always my go-to," she said. "The other sports were kind of fun just to keep you going and give you looks at different kinds of athleticism. It was nice to go through it, but it was always lacrosse." Myers said the 5-11 Vander Kolk's athleticism helps make her a special player. "Whenever we play random sports, you always want Rachel on your team —- whether it's volley- ball, kickball or basketball," Myers aid. "She just sees the ball and sees lines really well. I think all of her sports experiences helped make her an even better goalie. "And she knows sports so well that she's com- fortable talking and directing a defense as well, which a lot of times for a first-year kid is the hard- est step to take. She sees it and understands it, and can distribute the information really well. As a first- year kid, she's a great leader already." Myers said Vander Kolk has been as impres- sive in the classroom as she's been on the field. She described Vander Kolk as "the epitome of a student- athlete." "She's a really on-the-ball kid," Myers said. "Her high school tran- script is not like one I've ever seen before." Vander Kolk is hoping to major in aerospace engineering, with the goal of someday working with air- planes and helicopters. "I've always loved them," she said. "It amazes me that you can keep that much mass in the air for so long. It's just always amazed me. I want to know how they work." Myers, who joked that it would be nice to some- day be able to say that she knows a rocket scientist, believes the sky is the limit for Vander Kolk. "Everything she's done, she's just always found her way through to the top," her coach noted. Myers is certainly glad Vander Kolk chose to come to Virginia. "We're super lucky that at some point in her childhood she decided that this was her dream," Myers said. "It made recruiting really easy." During the recruiting process, Vander Kolk was courted by a host of schools, including Duke, Penn State and Navy. However, she said her decision to come to Vir- ginia was a no-brainer. "I've loved it since I was a kid," she said. 'It was one of those things where I've wanted to go here my entire life, so it was cool that it got to work out." ◆ "I've loved it since I was a kid. … I've wanted to go here my entire life, so it was cool that it got to work out." VANDER KOLK ON UVA

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