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Field Hockey Captain Mia Abello
UVA was a natural fit for Virginia Field Hockey team Captain Mia Abello (Batten ’26), who was recruited by top ACC, Ivy League, and Big Ten programs as a high school junior.
When she was visiting colleges to help make her choice, Abello said, she was looking for a university with strong academics, abundant school spirit and camaraderie, and a field hockey program with strong team culture and work ethic.
“When I went to UVA, that is what I saw,” she said.
Abello said UVA’s impressive options in her academic interest areas appealed to her as well. She ended up studying public policy leadership at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. “I am passionate about understanding the deeper ‘why’ behind complex societal and organizational challenges,” she said. “At Batten, I’ve learned to be a stronger team member, break down complex problems, and create concise solutions that serve a greater purpose.”
That focus continued this year when Abello was chosen for UVA President Scott Beardsley’s Student Advisory Council. Her goals as a participant are threefold—to advocate for student-athletes, to promote honor in the classroom in the age of AI, and to explore opportunities that foster belonging and strengthen the UVA experience.
“I’m a curious person who enjoys problem solving and public policy along with pursuing my goals as a student athlete,” she said. “I think having a policy background and my leadership roles on the UVA and USA field hockey teams will allow me to stay bold and represent well.”
Abello is the recipient of a bicentennial scholarship created by Michelle Cusimano Vachris (Col ’96). The scholarship is awarded to a field hockey and women’s lacrosse student-athlete in alternate years—Vachris played both sports at UVA. She still holds the record for number of saves in the lacrosse program’s history and is second place for number of saves in field hockey.
“When my husband and I established this scholarship, we hoped to support young women who would help shape the future of field hockey and lacrosse—not only through their talent, but through the way they lead and lift up the people around them,” said Vachris. “To us, being a strong leader and a good teammate is every bit as important as excelling on the field. Mia embodies those qualities so genuinely. We are especially proud to support a student-athlete like Mia, who embodies everything that makes Virginia Field Hockey so special.”
Abello completed an internship at the Virginia Athletics Foundation last summer. “The experience made being a student-athlete more special, and playing more special, because I realize how hard people are working behind the scenes for me to compete and represent UVA.”
After she walks the Lawn, Abello will continue working toward her dream of playing for Team USA in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. She has been in the USA Field Hockey pipeline since high school and was first selected to the US Women’s National Team as a high school senior. If Abello is chosen for the Women’s National Team in 2027, she will train full-time in hopes of being selected for the Olympic team.
“It’s a high-performance, high-pressure environment,” Abello said, “but it’s a dream of mine and something I’ve worked toward.”
Abello had a standout junior year—she started all 19 games, was named First Team All-ACC, and scored 9 goals and a team-best 20 points. The team, led by Head Coach Ole Keusgen, had a successful 2025-26 run, finishing the regular season with a 15-1 record and as ACC Regular Season Co-Champions. The Cavaliers advanced to the final of the ACC tournament with wins over Stanford and Syracuse.
“The Syracuse game was a highlight,” Abello remembered. “We had some setbacks. I had a bad virus but was able to play in double overtime and fight for my team. It’s those bounce-back moments that help me see the joy in the sport.”
Two weeks after her third-year UVA season, Abello competed in the Junior World Cup and served as a captain of the U21 USA National Team. They had a record finish, placing sixth in the world.
Virginia Field Hockey is currently in the homestretch of Abello’s final year, working for a strong finish before postseason play.
“Our goal as a team is to be the hardest workers on the field,” she said before the season began. “We want to be the strongest team out there and represent UVA with honor in the classroom and on the field.”
