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24 CAVALIER CORNER BY GREG WATERS M ARCH 13, 2017 WAS A day Lauren Moses said ripped her heart apart. On the strength of a 19‑12 season and a quar‑ terfinals loss to ultimate ACC Tournament champion Notre Dame, the Hoos felt con‑ fident they would receive their first NCAA Tournament bid since the 2010 season. But the festivities in John Paul Jones Arena turned to dismay when the Virginia women did not hear their team name called for a spot in the "Big Dance." "I haven't gotten to the tournament since I've been here, and last year being so close to it just ripped my heart apart," Moses said. "Having that feeling, going into my last year, it's like holding back nothing. There's noth‑ ing for anybody on this team to hold back whether you're a first‑year or fifth‑year. "Everything was taken from us last year, so we're going out and taking it from some‑ one else at this point." The fourth‑year forward has been a mem‑ ber of UVA's starting lineup since her first game on Grounds. She entered the season with 825 career points and 600 career re‑ bounds. A team captain last season and again in 2017‑18, Moses displayed her leadership by starting the "holding nothing back" charge in the offseason with her health. "My No. 1 goal was losing a few pounds, because obviously I'm getting old with these knees, getting in shape, just trying to have my best in‑shape season," Moses explained. "That was struggle this summer because I was out so much with my knees, but my weight is lower than it's ever been since I've been here. "I also focused on finishing better around the basket and free throws, getting my free throw percentage up." The team also pushed the "holding noth‑ ing back" mantra by amping up a non‑con‑ ference schedule that many felt was the rea‑ son for the Hoos missing out on the NCAA Tournament last spring. Virginia added NCAA title runner‑up Mississippi State, Maryland, Indiana, Georgia and Duquesne to its nonconference slate. That's perfectly fine with Moses. "We definitely needed that, and I love that the coaches put us in these positions because we don't want to be on that bubble again," she said. "We're doing everything we pos‑ sibly can on the front side to make sure we don't leave it in the hands of the committee. "Just making sure that we get these qual‑ ity games in and obviously not just compet‑ ing with these teams, we want to win." Moses taking that posture is no surprise to head coach Joanne Boyle. "We rely a lot on her leadership," Boyle said. "The team looks to her for that leader‑ ship. She integrates herself in the team well and takes the younger players under her wing. "She's kind of like momma bear, look‑ ing around to see who needs what and who needs help. That's a comfort for the girls, but she also has a strong voice on the floor." Second‑year guard Jocelyn Willoughby concurred, saying Moses' leadership is key to the team's success in 2017. "I think she's been a great captain," Wil‑ loughby said. "She was captain last year. She's a huge presence for us on and off the court." Her leadership is natural, but Moses said it comes from other sources. "I think it also came with maturity and experience," she noted. "After my first year, I played a significant amount. So just having that one year, a really good experience play‑ ing in the ACC, I was able to let the game come to me." Asked what she would have done differ‑ ent her first season she said without hesita‑ tion, "slow down." "I think my first year, I was just very anxious," Moses explained. "Just slow down and be confident in what you are doing. I usually tell our first‑years, just be confident no matter what it is, on or off the court. "Most of the things you're doing off the court relate to your focus and strategic ways on the court." The first‑year education, her maturity and the holding nothing back mentality are all part of the experience that has made Moses a valuable team leader. What gives her credibility is living it and being an ex‑ ample to younger players. Last season, as she struggled with knee problems and her minutes dwindled, Moses wasn't sulking on the bench; "momma bear" was essentially another coach. "The thing that stood out to me with her was even when she was on the sideline, she was still engaged, still being a leader and not waiting to get back on the court, keep‑ ing the team together, making sure we were doing what we need to do to be successful," Willoughby noted. "Lauren is the person in the locker room who calls the team meetings if we've had a bad practice or if we've had a bad game," Boyle added. "It's not always coaches who take the lead, she's in the forefront of that thought and she can do so because she has been consistent in what she does for this team, on and especially off the court. "She's the one that in the bad times, dur‑ ing the losing streaks, she's the one every‑ one follows." Entering her final year at Virginia, Moses wants to continue playing basketball but is focused on completing her American stud‑ ies degree with a concentration in visual and popular culture. "It's studying films, plays, images, every type of visual culture you can think about," she said. "It's interesting." Moses is studying for the GRE and is vetting three potential graduate schools. She hopes to someday go into sports journalism and broadcasting after basketball. But for now, momma bear is on watch in Charlottesville. FOLLOWING MOSES Fourth-Year Forward Lauren Moses Hopes To Lead The Cavaliers Back To The Promised Land Through the first seven games of the season, Moses ranked fourth on the team in scoring (6.9 points per game) and was tied for second in rebounding (5.0). PHOTO BY MATT RILEY/COURTESY UVA