Abello’s double breaks open Virginia’s 5-2 win over Stanford — October 2, 2026

Mia Abello broke a second-half tie with her second goal of the night, and Virginia pulled away for a 5-2 win over Stanford on Oct. 2 at Turf Field.

The 11th-ranked Cavaliers moved to 6-3 overall and 2-2 in the ACC. Stanford had scored first and answered Virginia’s initial comeback, but three unanswered goals after halftime settled the contest.

Jenny O’Grady put Stanford ahead at 4:50. Abello equalized, Livvy Barker gave Virginia its first lead, and Liv Martin brought the Cardinal level at 21:55. Abello then converted a corner at 44:20 before Riley Savage and Rylee Dennis added fourth-quarter goals, according to Virginia’s official recap.

The official box score shows the sustained pressure behind the late separation. Virginia outshot Stanford 21-3 and earned nine corners to the visitors’ one. The Cavaliers took six shots in each of the final two quarters, while Stanford managed one after halftime and none in the fourth.

Abello attempted six shots and put three on target. Savage finished with a goal and an assist, while Emma Watchilla supplied two assists. Dennis put all three of her attempts on goal.

Anya Jackson made eight saves for Stanford, keeping the game tied through much of the third quarter despite the shot imbalance. Nilou Lempers needed one save at the other end.

Virginia’s final three goals turned that statistical edge into a comfortable result. After a scoreless loss to Syracuse in its previous game, the Cavaliers found finishes from four different players and returned to an even conference record.