Virginia roots, college connections driving fanfare, chemistry behind Richmond Ivy (2024)

Look out over the Richmond Ivy's practice session on a hot, sunny, mid-May Tuesday on field one at Collegiate School's Robins Campus in Goochland, and you'll see a wealth of Virginia's top women's college soccer talent.

There's JMU's Ella Stanley, a Beaverdam native. Virginia Tech's Maysen Nelson, from Woodbridge. Roanoke defender and Deep Run High grad Bree Fulkerson. And that's just on the back line.

In attack, CNU's Madie Vincent is from Smithfield. Midfielder Morgan Oliver plays at Lynchburg and is from Powhatan. Fellow mid Jill Flammia hails from Manakin-Sabot and competes at UVa.

UVa keeper Camryn Miller is a Glen Allen native, while Virginia Tech goalie Lauren Hargrove is from right here in Richmond.

And midfielder Kiley Fitzgerald, the 2022 All-Metro player of the year her senior season at Glen Allen High, is a University of Richmond Spider.

Of the 21 players listed on the Ivy's roster, all have direct ties to the commonwealth — 11 are both from Virginia and play for a college in the state; seven are from Virginia and play college soccer in another state; and three are from other states (or, in one's case, Japan) but play their college soccer here.

Four members of the Ivy— defenders Ava Pustover and Lindsey Munyak, plus forwards Kendyl Sarver and Kanna Matsuhisa— play just around the corner from City Stadium at VCU.

"It's really special. It's awesome seeing all the recent love in women's sports, all the support. Having City Stadium be completely full is unbelievable," said Munyak, a Midlothian native who played at James River High and for Richmond United.

"It was a little overwhelming, having all that support behind you, it made it feel really surreal."

Munyak said the four Rams saw in the opportunity to play for the Ivy a chance to develop their own chemistry outside of a college setting.

Developmentally, playing in the USL W League presents strong competition, sometimes even superior to one's own college conference.

"I decided to play for the Ivy because we're getting so many opportunities that aren't in all summer teams," Pustover said, noting the chance to develop communicative chemistry with fellow defender Munyak.

"It's awesome to get to play with these girls that I play with in college, and to make our bonds better. Our practices are very demanding, and the one game so far was very competitive."

Sarver said she andMatsuhisa regularly discuss how they plan to translate work in Ivy training back to VCU in the fall.

She added that, aside from the competitive element and skill-based developmental opportunities, there's a unique intangible facet of playing for the Ivy associated with the fanfare surrounding Richmond's first pre-professional women's team since 2009.

Pustover called midfielder Brianna Behm's 84th-minute winner in the Ivy's sold-out, season-opening, 1-0 win over Virginia Marauders "the most epic thing ever."

After the goal, "let's go Ivy" chants could surely be heard from Carytown.

"Competitively, we talked about, with the fans, having that kind of pressure, when we go to the A-10s (Atlantic 10 tournament), and when we have playoffs, it's a lot of pressure," Sarver said.

"So translating that environment, making you think, putting you in situations like that, that's where the competitive aspect really helps. It was definitely the biggest crowd I've played in front of.

"It was more support rather than pressure. But obviously, you want to perform and put on a good show. I like the pressure. It makes you want to play harder when there are people out there supporting you."

Matsuhisa, a Tokyo native, played a key role in the Ivy's opening win and said she's coveting the chance to develop further chemistry with Sarver, Munyak and Pustover.

She added that, even back in Japan, she'd never played in front of a crowd akin to the 6,000-plus that packed City Stadium on May 11.

"As soon as I stepped onto the field, I was just like 'Wow,' I didn't have any words to express that feeling," she said as the Ivy prepared for their second game on Thursday at 7 p.m. at City Stadium against Charlottesville Blues FC.

"I just had this excitement to play, and showcase my skills in front of the Richmond community and contribute to this community, it's so fun."