One of those expectations? Consistency, which LaMonica says is what won Josephson the starting job. Josephson, who LaMonica describes as “happy-go-lucky” in her own right, thrived in the fall and preseason under Waters. The fact that Waters still plays at a professional and international level doesn’t hurt.
“What Caylee really lends to us is the eyes of someone who has seen so much and has experienced such an evolution of lacrosse in the new pro league,” Josephson said. “It's faster, the shots are better and the screening is harder. She’s able to dig into how each of us plays and craft very specific skills to help all of us get better.”
Josephson, too, has had to evolve her game. She cut her teeth in lacrosse playing box and continues to train with Ginny Capicchioni, who is also the U.S. women’s box coach. But she had to pivot to suit UVA’s zone defense under the new staff.
“Changing things like the way that I played behind the goal and how much I'm actually integrated into the defense outside of the crease is something that I had to work on going into the fall to make sure that I was supporting the defense around me in the systems that Kerrigan [Miller] and Caylee wanted to implement that have been successful thus far.”
It also meant building a rapport and trust with the defense so they saw her as an eighth defender. So far, so good — and, frankly, mission accomplished against Stanford.
“Mel has a lot of confidence in the group in front of her, and the unit in front of her has a lot of confidence in Mel,” LaMonica said. “When you have that belief in those two entities within your defensive unit, it allows you to step up in those moments and to play free and confidently.”
On offense, it was the upperclassmen seeing the game well. Graduate student and Lehigh transfer Katia Carnevale (6G, 1A) and senior Mackenzie Hoeg (5G) led a unit that no longer includes last year’s leading scorer, Rachel Clark, who is now a member of Boston College.
“Katie has just been an unbelievable addition to this offensive unit,” LaMonica said. “She obviously brings great experience, and she's so fun to watch — so smooth, such a high lacrosse IQ and just an incredible skill set. Mackenzie has been a great leader. She’s certainly got a strong knack for off-ball play.”
Hoeg is also key on the draw, but a solid outing from Stanford’s Annabel Frist (12 DC) meant UVA had to find other ways to win. LaMonica doesn’t expect draws to be an issue moving forward — Frist had herself a day. If anything, seeing the Cavs win even without winning the draw gives her confidence.
“That, to me, shows the grit and resiliency and will, which makes me really proud,” LaMonica. “We know that in those games, if that's what it takes, that we can get the job done.”
But don’t get it twisted. UVA is continuing to dot every “I” and cross every “T” in 2024. The Cavs started 5-0 last season, including beating Princeton, which they play Saturday. Virginia finished 11-7, bowing out in the first round of the NCAA tournament when Albany rallied from a seven-goal deficit.
“You don't forget a loss like that,” Josephson said. “More than anything else, it gives you a chip on your shoulder.”
Josephson and the Cavs are hoping to write a different ending.
“We practice 20 hours a week not to lose games, right?” Josephson said. “We go out there every single day with the intention of being on that field last week in May.”
