LYNCHBURG, Va. – In his second season at the helm, director of women’s volleyball Kevin Cardoza guided the University of Lynchburg women’s indoor volleyball team to a 13-1 record to begin the 2025 campaign, marking the best start in program history.
Lynchburg extended its win streak to six games last weekend, with the Hornets entering Old Dominion Athletic Conference play with a 10-1 record. As the team prepared to face Bridgewater for its Code Red event on Friday, with the sixth-ranked Washington & Lee Generals looming the next morning, Coach Cardoza understood the importance of defeating tough opponents early in the season.
“Every day in our gym, we’re playing high-level, intense, competitive volleyball,” Cardoza said. “When we’re getting into some of these matches, we’re seeing the competitiveness translate where we’re a little more equipped to handle tough situations.”
Lynchburg defeated both opponents in a thrilling weekend, including a fifth set between the Hornets and Washington & Lee, which was decided by two points.
In 2024, the women’s volleyball team captured its first ODAC Tournament victory since 2017, with Lynchburg defeating Guilford in the ODAC Quarterfinals. While Cardoza enjoyed the team’s 19-12 mark from last season, which was a progression from Lynchburg’s 11-14 record in 2023, he understood that the Hornets’ championship aspirations did not expire last November.
“Heading into work before the first preseason training session, I told them this isn’t day one; this is month twelve,” Cardoza said. “We’re going to continue to build upon what we’ve been doing.”
Juniors and seniors on the volleyball team began their Hornets career under the direction of Coach Hannah Givens, who transitioned to direct beach volleyball at Wingate University. As the hiring process commenced, junior middle hitter Ava Meinhardt believed the team’s common goal helped to discover a candidate who could thrive in Lynchburg.
“It made us closer to lose a coach and come together to agree on what we wanted as a program,” Meinhardt said. “We wanted someone who wanted the same end goals as us. We wanted an ODAC. It’s never been done here.”
With the team’s unprecedented run to begin the 2025 campaign, the athletes’ wishes became increasingly attainable with victories over ranked teams. Even after being selected to the All-ODAC Third Team in 2024, Meinhardt set her sights on team success for the new season.
“We’ve always wanted this moment,” Meinhardt said. “I feel like the group of girls that we’ve had since my freshman year has wanted more. Now that we’re getting more, it pushes us to be better.”
Ten Hornets graduated at the conclusion of the 2024 season, and although Coach Cardoza searched for incoming freshmen, the staff identified several transfers who would immediately bolster the roster. Kate Hardie and Jackie Bryant combined to produce 267 kills in the opening 14 games, and junior transfer Alexis Scipione tallied 369 assists (“Lynchburg Women’s Volleyball”).
While shouldering a nearly unblemished record brought excitement to the locker room, Coach Cardoza noted that added pressure can also come with added responsibilities.
“I don’t know if ‘pressure’ is the word to describe how I feel,” Cardoza said. “I feel the weight of expectation for what I know this program can achieve. We deserve the ability and the right to feel the pressure because we’ve earned that, but there’s for sure an expectation in this program to win an ODAC Championship.”
Throughout the program’s ascent in recent seasons, the recruiting pool simultaneously became more talented. As new faces emerged, however, Coach Cardoza and his staff remained focused on finding the proper fits for the Lynchburg culture. Working hard, staying competitive, and striving to be a better person have kept him at the forefront of his team’s mission.
“The way that we do everything matters, whether it’s showing up early or being a cohesive unit,” Cardoza said. “The program and teammates will make you a better volleyball player, but the one thing in my 16 years of coaching I’ve never had to do is make people work harder.”
Following Cardoza’s arrival from Virginia Tech, where he served as an assistant, he felt like the Division III dynamic allowed him to foster each athlete’s life beyond the court.
“I’m getting to see them as complete human beings,” Cardoza said. “It’s a little tougher at that [Division I] level. I don’t think we could have a kid taking nursing, someone in a sorority, or having other jobs.”
For Meinhardt and her teammates, the coaching staff’s personality provided confidence on and off the court.
“Practicing harder and making each other better is truly helping all of us,” said Meinhardt. “It’s not for just the six girls on the court at that one time; it’s all 24 of us.”
As the season rages forward with eight ODAC opponents remaining, the Hornets plan to rely on their tight-knit dynamic for continued success through the finish line. While championship-level play served as Coach Cardoza’s primary advertisement upon his arrival, it served as only half of his wish for Lynchburg volleyball players.
“I want those student-athletes to walk across the stage with a diploma and a championship ring,” said Cardoza. “We are very confident and aware of who we are, what our goals are, and where we want to be. It doesn’t surprise me that this group is here.”
Visit www.lynchburgsports.com/sports/womens-volleyball/schedule to view the Lynchburg women’s volleyball schedule for the remainder of the 2025 season.