Daily Progress Staff
Led by Virginia golfers Ben James and Amanda Samback, Team USA defeated Team International, 32.5-27.5, to win the Arnold Palmer Cup for the second consecutive year.
The three-day tournament was held at Lahinch Golf Club in Lahinch, Ireland. The win was Team USA’s first international victory since 2018 at Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France and their second since 2010 at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Portrush, Northern Ireland.
In singles competition on Sunday, Sambac won 2&1 against Adela Cernosek (Texas A&M). She fell behind early, losing the first two holes, but tied the score by the fifth hole. Cernosek held a one-stroke lead after eight holes, but Sambac took the lead for the first time on the 10th hole and never relinquished it.
James tied with Max Kennedy (Florida State University) for 0.5 points for Team USA. Kennedy held a 1-up lead after the 14th hole, but James tied the score with a birdie on the 15th hole, and then both players made par on the final three holes.
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Both Sambac and James are competing in the Palmer Cup for the second straight year. They helped the U.S. team win last season at Laurel Valley Golf Club in Ligonier, Pennsylvania.
Men’s lacrosse attracts top freshman class in the country
The University of Virginia men’s lacrosse team’s 10 freshmen make up the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation, according to Inside Lacrosse. This year’s group of freshmen includes five Inside Lacrosse five-star prospects, the most of any program in the nation.
Sean Brown (Dallas), Troy Capstraw (Daphne, Ala.), Kyle Corsey (Ridgefield, Conn.), Ryan Duenkel (Great Falls), Christian Grosso (Wellesley, Mass.), Hudson Houseman (Greenwich, Conn.), Luke Hublitz (Fairfield, Conn.), Luke Jamin (Rumson, N.J.), JP Ragunovich (Chatham, N.J.) and Tommy Snyder (Bay Shore, N.Y.) are set to join the program this fall.
“Our coaching staff couldn’t be more excited to have our freshman additions to Charlottesville,” Virginia coach Lars Tiffany said. “Our current staff and [former assistant coach] “Sean Kirwan has once again bolstered our team despite significant losses due to graduation, and we expect these freshmen to immediately compete for key roles in our program.”
Women’s basketball to compete in Puerto Rico Shootout
The Virginia women’s basketball team will compete in the 2024 Discover Puerto Rico Shootout, Nov. 27-30. The Cavaliers will play Green Bay (Nov. 27), Washington State (Nov. 28) and Wyoming (Nov. 29) at Coliseo Guillermo Angulo in the state capital, San Juan.
Additionally, Drake University and Norfolk State University will also be participating in the event. Admission to all games is free, and fans can stream each game with a paid subscription on FloHoops.
The Cavaliers enter the 2024-25 season coming off a run to the second round of the inaugural Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT), marking their first postseason appearance and victory since 2018.
Green Bay, the reigning Horizon League champions, finished with a 27-7 overall record and 17-3 record in conference play. After winning the league’s conference tournament, the Phoenix earned an automatic berth in the 2024 NCAA Tournament as the No. 11 seed.
Washington State went 21-15 overall last season and 7-11 in the Pac-12. As the No. 1 seed, the Cougars won three games in the WBIT and advanced to the semifinals in the tournament’s inaugural edition.
Wyoming, which returns five starters and eight players for the 2023-24 season, finished last season with an 18-15 overall record and 11-7 record in Mountain West play. The Cowgirls participated in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT), receiving a bye out of the first round and eventually advancing to the Great Eight.
