The No. 23 Virginia softball team earned its third consecutive NCAA Tournament bid on May 10 and will compete in the Knoxville Regional, according to an announcement during the NCAA Selection Show on ESPN2.
This marks Virginia’s fourth appearance in program history at the NCAA Tournament, with previous selections in 2010, 2024, and 2025. The Cavaliers are seeded second in their regional quadrant and will face Indiana (42-14) in their opening game. Host Tennessee is the No. 7 overall seed for the tournament.
The Knoxville Regional begins Friday, May 15, with Tennessee playing Northern Kentucky at 5:30 p.m., followed by Virginia versus Indiana at 8 p.m. The schedule continues through Sunday, May 17, with potential elimination and championship games as teams advance or are eliminated.
Virginia recently achieved its highest regular-season win total since 2004 with a record of 37 wins before entering postseason play. The team reached the milestone of back-to-back seasons with at least 38 wins after defeating Pitt in the first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. Three players received All-ACC honors this season: Macee Eaton was named to the first team while Bella Cabral and Julia Cuozzo were selected for the third team.
Head coach Joanna Hardin said, “We’re so grateful to have the opportunity to compete this weekend. We don’t take for granted how difficult it is to be in this field of 64 and the job the selection committee has to do. I’m grateful our body of work and season was recognized. We’re comfortable in Knoxville and have played there a lot in recent years (for NCAA Tournament and early season tournaments). We’re comfortable with the field and facilities. We’re grateful our student-athletes get to go there and showcase their skills and extend their season. We’re thankful we get to play another weekend together and we’re going to do everything we can to extend our season and stay together as long as possible.”
The winner of this regional will advance to face whoever emerges from Georgia’s Athens Regional.
