DI’s Virginia Women’s Rugby fell off last year. After a couple of uncharacteristic losses during the season, the team bowed out of the Mason Dixon playoffs during the quarterfinals (to James Madison). Virginia struggled with personnel last year, but that hardship is paying dividends now, the first signs of which were seen in the team’s 31-14 win over Navy.

Last year began with plenty of promise. Kechner and team were happy to have leader and inside center Kelley Frank return from ACL repair, but then the roster started to whittle down. Ten of 15 starters sustained injuries: During the first weekend of play, Virginia’s scrumhalf suffered a front and back labrum tear, and then the fullback (ACL), both locks (knees), hooker (ankle) and both starting wings (broken ankles on the same day) were out for the season.

“So, we had to play very young players for very important minutes,” Virginia coach Nancy Kechner said. “The result? We played six first-year [freshmen] students in the spring, and they got lots of good playing time.”

The lineup shuffle paid off. Laura Watkins, who spent the previous three years at wing, moved to flyhalf and is doing a great job. Brianna Kim, who became a familiar name during the college 7s championship, stepped into scrumhalf and “has turned into a beast,” according to Kechner. Kim fine-tuned her craft during the Women Junior All Americans’ tour to Canada while serving as vice captain. So did captain and prop Christy Haney, who traveled to Canada with the Women All Americans this summer “and came back better than ever,” Kechner said.

The room on the roster allowed players like first-year Hannah Turley to step into the spotlight. A UVA legacy, Turley is from Hong Kong and competed for the 7s team at the 2013 Asian Youth Games.

And now with the majority of Virginia’s very good players back – Rae Stueber, Jenn Anderegg and some more seniors – the team is ready to settle back into its winning ways. The season started with a 37-0 win over DII George Washington and picked up steam this past weekend.

Although Navy scored four minutes into the game – when a Virginia clearance kick ricocheted off of the Navy wing back into the try zone for an easy downing – the Charlottesville side regrouped quickly.

“We did the whole ‘UVA rugby thing’: sort of unconventional, very quick because we’re small, and wide open rugby,” Kechner said after the Navy score. “Navy didn’t respond to the constant unpredictable pressure, and we started controlling the game. Five different people scored, and the backs were in support, and passed some beautiful ball. Navy was big and physical, but I don’t think were expecting us to be a challenge. I overheard one of their players tell her family, ‘In 15s, you have to maintain discipline for a full 80 minutes, and we didn’t.’ … [Navy is] always classy, including their fans.”

It’s still early in the season for Navy, which left the Mason Dixon conference last year and competes in ACRA as an independent.

“We have six seniors who will be stepping up to fill the shoes of the nine seniors we graduated last year, and a few juniors who have been playing on the starting side since they were freshmen who I expect to step into leadership roles as well,” Navy coach Jenny Jasper said. “We had 60 Mids try out for the team this season, which is a blessing and challenge at the same time. Some of the new players are showing promise and could definitely be playmakers this season.”

But the graduation of players like All American No. 8 Erika Pedersen, who is irreplaceable; the towering and strong Katie Smith at second row; and scrappy, elusive scrumhalf Juliann Hitt have left vacancies that will not be filled seamlessly.

“It was a good win for us, and Navy is a good team,” Kechner added. “This week we have our biggest rivalry: James Madison at home on Sunday morning. We are stoked for that and want to avenge our loss to them last season.”

The game against JMU, like Navy, will still be a friendly, and in all likelihood, Virginia’s toughest league competition with be the South Division’s North Carolina. That game won’t occur until the spring due to the Mason Dixon conference’s split season.