In 2006, Traci Ragukas became the first Cavalier in school history named to field hockey’s National Rookie Team.

In 2007, Shelly Edmonds followed suit, putting a second Cavalier among the rookie elite.

In 2006, Traci Ragukas became the first Cavalier in school history named to field hockey’s National Rookie Team.

In 2007, Shelly Edmonds followed suit, putting a second Cavalier among the rookie elite.

This year, a bumper crop of talented young players—eight in all, including two from the Netherlands—makes the odds good for a threepeat.

Rookie recognition is nice, but there’s a bigger prize—a national championship—that motivates coach Michele Madison. This season is the second in a pair of rebuilding years aimed at capturing that ultimate prize.

“When you’re trying to build a house, you have to build the foundation first,” Madison says. “We’re just trying to build a strong base and work up from there.”

The process of building that base has had some twists.

Take Rachel Jennings, a two-time high school All-American from Pennsylvania. One of three triplets—all field hockey standouts—Jennings and her sisters promised each other they would not attend the same university. “It was a tough pick to choose one of the triplets, but we needed a defender and Rachel’s game and disposition suited our system of play,” Madison says.

Take Michelle Vittese, New Jersey High School Player of the Year and a national roller hockey standout. Madison saw her at a club game speeding down the field with the ball—and looking up, not down.

“I said to her coach, ‘Who is that with her eyes up?’ She said, ‘That’s Michelle Vittese. She plays with her eyes up because in roller hockey one time she got slammed to the ground, and she’s never put her eyes down since.”

The next recruiting coup came while Madison was on a staff retreat. Paige Selenski, a high school All-American and Pennsylvania Player of the Year, called to say she was coming to UVA.

“In all honesty, the staff was celebrating a great class before Paige committed. We thought Paige was the cherry on the top until the Christmas phone call came.”

That call came from the Netherlands. The family of 15-year-old Floor Vogels had its eyes on UVA. “I told the family from the beginning that we had no scholarships available for 2008.  The family said, ‘This is an academic decision, not a sports decision.’”

The downside of Madison’s rookie richness is the paucity of veterans. Fortunately, third-years Ragukas and Lauren Elstein (Academic All-ACC last season) and fourth-year Inge Kaars Sijpesteinj (third team All-American) provide experience at key positions.

This is Madison’s third year at UVA. The 2006 squad went 14-8 and returned to the national top 10, and Madison was named National Coach of the Year.

Last year, though, an 11-10 record signaled the rebuilding effort, and with tough competition ahead this season, particularly in the ACC, Madison says it’s hard to tell where the path will lead.

“With a young team, we will make mistakes,” she says. “Our will has to be greater than our mistakes.”

Rookie recognition is nice, but there’s a bigger prize—a national championship—that motivates coach Michele Madison. This season is the second in a pair of rebuilding years aimed at capturing that ultimate prize.

“When you’re trying to build a house, you have to build the foundation first,” Madison says. “We’re just trying to build a strong base and work up from there.”

The process of building that base has had some twists.

Take Rachel Jennings, a two-time high school All-American from Pennsylvania. One of three triplets—all field hockey standouts—Jennings and her sisters promised each other they would not attend the same university. “It was a tough pick to choose one of the triplets, but we needed a defender and Rachel’s game and disposition suited our system of play,” Madison says.

Take Michelle Vittese, New Jersey High School Player of the Year and a national roller hockey standout. Madison saw her at a club game speeding down the field with the ball—and looking up, not down.

“I said to her coach, ‘Who is that with her eyes up?’ She said, ‘That’s Michelle Vittese. She plays with her eyes up because in roller hockey one time she got slammed to the ground, and she’s never put her eyes down since.”

The next recruiting coup came while Madison was on a staff retreat. Paige Selenski, a high school All-American and Pennsylvania Player of the Year, called to say she was coming to UVA.

“In all honesty, the staff was celebrating a great class before Paige committed. We thought Paige was the cherry on the top until the Christmas phone call came.”

That call came from the Netherlands. The family of 15-year-old Floor Vogels had its eyes on UVA. “I told the family from the beginning that we had no scholarships available for 2008.  The family said, ‘This is an academic decision, not a sports decision.’”

The downside of Madison’s rookie richness is the paucity of veterans. Fortunately, third-years Ragukas and Lauren Elstein (Academic All-ACC last season) and fourth-year Inge Kaars Sijpesteinj (third team All-American) provide experience at key positions.

This is Madison’s third year at UVA. The 2006 squad went 14-8 and returned to the national top 10, and Madison was named National Coach of the Year.

Last year, though, an 11-10 record signaled the rebuilding effort, and with tough competition ahead this season, particularly in the ACC, Madison says it’s hard to tell where the path will lead.

“With a young team, we will make mistakes,” she says. “Our will has to be greater than our mistakes.”