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Previewing the 2025 Virginia Women's Lacrosse Season

Originally posted on Virginia Cavaliers on SI
By Aidan Baller  |  Last updated Feb 5, 2025 9:36 AM ET

UVA women’s lacrosse enters its second season under Sonia LaMonica in one of the best spots the program has been in years, with the team being ranked 7th in the NCAA tournament before falling to No. 10 Florida in the second round. Lamonica has reinvigorated this program, bringing energy and excitement to Klöckner Stadium after leading the Cavaliers to a 15-5 record and their highest tournament seeding since 2008.

Headed into this season, Virginia is ranked No. 5 in the Preseason USA Lacrosse Women’s Top 20 poll. Despite the ranking, the team loses top talent such as Morgan Schwab, Katia Carnevale, and Mackenzie Hoeg. Still, with an eleven-women freshman class, the Cavaliers have reloaded and are ready to make a push for their fourth national championship. 

The Attack 

The Cavaliers lost their top three-point producers from 2024 in Schwab, Carnevale, and Hoeg, who combined for 200 points last season. Stepping into the fold, Jenna Dinardo returns after scoring 39 goals and dishing out 11 assists her freshman year. Joining Dinardo on the attack unit will be senior Kate Miller and sophomore Madison Alaimo with the two registering 50 and 44 points, respectively. In addition, Alaimo set the UVA freshman record with 27 assists last season and set the U21 tournament record with 25 when she won gold this past Summer with Team USA at the 2024 World Lacrosse U21 Championships. Expect the sophomore from Wantagh, New York, to serve as the primary quarterback of this 2025 UVa offense. Also look for freshman Jayden Piraino to either start on attack or see considerable time at midfield this season as well. 

The Midfield 

Moving up to the midfield, Kate Galica leads the charge after scoring 21 goals and dropping four assists as a freshman, which included a game-tying goal with two seconds left that helped Virginia defeat Boston College for the first time in eight years. She also set the UVA freshman single-season draw control record with 97, earning her ACC Freshman of the Year. 

Alongside Galica will be sophomore Addi Foster, senior Abby Manalang and junior Devon Gogerty. The three combined for 15 points in 2024 but are expected to step into more prominent roles this spring. As for the newcomers, expect five-star rated freshman Payton Sfreddo and four-star rated freshman Alex Reilly to see a lot of time at midfield as well. 

The Defense 

Starting with the woman between the pipes, Mel Josephson returns for her second season as the starting goaltender for the Cavaliers after posting 161 saves in 2024 and posting a 15-5 record. Josephson recorded ten games with double-digit saves, including a ten save day against No. 4 Notre Dame on the road. 

In front of Josephson, Florida transfer Lara Kology, sister of UVA men's lacrosse alum Kyle Kology and current defenseman Griffin Kology, joins the Hoos after helping the Gators to Championship Weekend in 2024. Alongside Kology, sophomore Cece Webb, who won gold with the USA Women’s Box Lacrosse team, should see time after redshirting her freshman year. Senior Payton Meister, junior Nicole Cruthirds, and four-star freshman Sophia Conti should also see time on defense. 

Notable Games 

February 15th At No. 17 Princeton 

February 26th Home Against No. 15 Navy 

March 8th at No. 4 North Carolina 

March 19th at No. 19 James Madison 

March 29th at No. 11 Syracuse 

April 9th Against No. 10 Maryland (Notre Dame Prep School in Towson, MD)

April 12th At No. 1 Boston College 

The Cavaliers kickstart their season on Friday, February 7th, against Liberty at 4pm at Klöckner Stadium. 


This article first appeared on Virginia Cavaliers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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