List of 5 news stories.

• Week #6 - Dominant Victory: Varsity Volleyball Wins in Straight Sets

  9/24/2026
  Dave Levy, Athletic Director
  Girls Varsity Volleyball - Maya's first kill was a powerful cross court hit to the back right corner - her favorite spot - perfectly placed just inside the line. Immediately, WCDS changed their formation - moving all of their players back and to the right. After a short rally, Emory set Maya on the outside, and she showed off her finesse, tipping the ball into the open space in the middle of the court. No matter what strategy the opponent employed, the reality was the same - the most talented player on the court was wearing green - and she was relentless. In the first set alone, Maya had six 6 aces, 6 kills, and 4 assists - leaving her mark on every moment of the game. 

   

  WCDS won the toss and served first - right to Zella - who made a perfect pass to Emory. She set Maya for the aforementioned smash and then carried the ball to the service line for a sequence of aces. From there, Tandem took an early 6-0 lead. After a short WCDS run, the Badgers front line each showed off their hitting ability. First, Maya literally knocked over the opposing libero. On the next point, she set up Aoife - who has improved dramatically since August and mashed the ball directly into the ground. It didn't stop there.
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• Week #5: JV Volleyball Badgers Make History in Exciting Friday Double Header

  9/15/2026
  Dave Levy, Athletic Director
  JV Girls Volleyball - Over the course of the last seven seasons, the JV Girls Volleyball team has played nearly 100 matches. While the Badgers have won many of those matches, the team has never done it in straight sets. In the final match of the 2025 season, despite losing to them earlier in the year, the Badgers defeated Miller 2-1 on the road. Last Friday, the team pulled off an incredible 2-1 victory on the road at Regents, with Emory dominating the third set at the service line. Tonight, Tandem unlocked another level entirely - winning in straight sets - with all twelve players contributing to a historic victory - an unprecedented level of success.

   

  It should be noted that in order for a Volleyball program to have a JV team that is capable of winning in straight sets, there needs to be an excellent volleyball culture. As you're walking around the Tandem campus, at any moment, there is likely to be a ball in the air - students passing the ball around on the quad, the graduation lawn and you certainly cannot pull them out of the gym. There are over 40 student-athletes playing volleyball this season, and that didn't just happen. Just yesterday, we saw Seniors invite JV players to Varsity Practice, and JV Players help out at Middle School practice. It was nearly 8:00 last night when the last volleyball player, begrudgingly, left the gym.
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• Week #5: Serious Statement: Badgers Earn Individual Title, Dominate VISAA Opponents at Pole Green

  9/15/2026
  Dave Levy, Athletic Director
  Boys Varsity Cross Country - Every cross country race is different but there is one element that is always the same. The elite runners, who are both fit and tactically skilled, control the tempo and set the pace. When they make a move, the opponent has to decide whether or not to match it. Last season at the Pole Green Invitational, the lead pack went out at a blazing speed of 4:45 for the first mile. This season, those same runners tucked in behind Hayes as he went out in 4:55 - lightning quick for a mere mortal, easy for a back-to- back state champion. 

   

  There were ten runners in the lead pack at that first check point, enjoying a largely flat first mile. Then the course went into the woods, where the athletes run a steep and challenging hill. Testing both their mental fortitude and physical fitness, Hayes picked up his pace on the significant incline that was the second mile. Some athletes dared to match the increased speed, others simply realized they could not. With a mile to go, the lead pack was down to three runners, two breathing a little harder than the man in gray. 

   

  The closing move came much earlier than expected. Hayes did not wait for the homestretch to out-kick his competition, as he did at the 2024 State Championship meet. This time, he put the race away early - and by the time Hayes came around the corner for the final 800 meters, he was all alone. His competition, victim to a sequence of brilliant tactical distance running - and elite talent - were nowhere to be seen as he crossed the line in 15:50 - earning the pole position at the esteemed Pole Green Invitational - a 17-second victory at one of the most prestigious races in the state of Virginia!
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• Week #4: Super Season Openers for Varsity XC and MS Soccer!

  9/10/2026
  Dave Levy, Athletic Director
  Varsity Boys Cross Country - "And your 2026 Ragged Mountain Cup Champion, the most underrated high school boy in the state, from Tandem... Hayes Buppert!" Back on Tandem Lane, we're fully aware that we have a special student-athlete in our midst - but not everybody in Virginia is up to date. While he's already won five individual state championships between Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field, the Ragged Mountain Cup is a very unique Charlottesville-area tradition. It's been a close race for each of the last three years, but this season, at an astounding pace of 4:58, Hayes' time of 9:55 earned him 1st Place - and the Cup title - by three seconds. Coach Ned told him to "be a little reckless," and as Hayes came barreling down the hill, it was clear that he responded in kind. Running as the anchor of our Tandem Boys Varsity relay, Hayes was a freight train that could not be stopped, flying by runners left and right.  

   

  The extraordinary Boys Varsity Tandem 4 x 2 Mile Relay team of Hayes, Miles, Peter D and and Peter W finished fifth overall at today's Ragged Mountain Cup - but also finished as only the THIRD SCHOOL to complete the eight mile course. The only schools to defeat Tandem today were Albemarle and Western Albemarle, with enrollments of 2,100 and 1,400 students respectively.

   

  It should be noted that Badgers defeated big public schools like Monticello, William Monroe, Charlottesville High School, Louisa, Orange and Fluvanna, while also dominating larger private schools including STAB, Fork Union, Covenant and Miller. Miles got the ball rolling, as he flew off the starting line and went immediately after the top pack. Our first leg of the relay, Miles was determined to put the team into a strong position, and his time of 10:20 - which is 13 seconds faster than he ran at the time trial - did just that! Miles finished 15th overall, earning him a coveted "The Cup," tee shirt. 
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• Week #4: Exciting Rallies Highlight JV/V Double Header at Regents

  9/8/2026
  Dave Levy, Athletic Director
  JV Girls Volleyball - Her first serve hit the opposing libero so hard that the ball was deflected all the way into the back of the gym. Striking fear into the opponent, Emory changed the game tonight. In the first set, she ran off a sequence of three aces. In the second set, the team scored ten points in a row with Emory at the line - seven aces - and three incredible rallies. So when she took the ball behind the line in the third set, the opponent knew there was nothing they could do. Regents had already called both timeouts, which had no impact on Emory whatsoever. She had four huge serves in the final set, creating the key difference between the two teams, and had the game-winning dig off a big Regents hit - finding a perfect spot between the defense. As Lisa said, "this is truly the Emory era!" 

   

  Zuri and Hadley held a block party this afternoon - both meeting their opponent at the net, and returning the ball back to sender! Rising to the occasion, Zuri had a key block in the third set. It was 3-3, and Regents would take the lead a moment later, before Hadley had a block on the next point! The third set, just like the first two, went back and forth with the game on the line.
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