CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Miami (15-4) will bypass the opening round of the NCAA Field Hockey Tournament for the first time ever, earning a date with the No. 4 Virginia Cavaliers (16-2) in Charlottesville, Va. Friday at noon ET. (ESPN+)

The RedHawks look to extend their eight-game win streak and attempt to win a game in the bracket for the fifth consecutive season, with Friday's victor moving on to play either Northwestern or Yale Sunday for a spot in the NCAA's final four.
 

Despite not facing each other this season, the RedHawks and Cavaliers share a great deal of recent history. The two teams have played six times since 2018, with UVA winning all six but by the narrowest of margins; the Cavaliers have outscored Miami by just eight goals total over the past half-dozen meetings. Now ranked No. 11 in the country, the RedHawks undoubtedly enter the weekend flying high, with the top scoring offense and scoring margin in the nation, an attack highlighted by MAC Tournament MVP Berta Mata (who broke the program's single-season assist record with 20 so far) and star freshman midfielders Sabez and Justina Intzes (who have combined for 42 goals and each rank among the top 10 scorers nationally).

Miami secured its spot in the tournament after taking down No. 14 UMass in a 2-1 double-overtime thriller this weekend to win its eighth-straight MAC Tournament title. Malena Sabez and Lucia Ventos were the goal scorers for Miami, scoring on a penalty stroke in the third period and unassisted in the sixth period, respectively.