UVA Hydra: Where Seven Heads are Better than One

The word “Hydra” may invoke images of a monstrous lake creature, but here on Grounds, Hydra is synonymous with the nationally ranked Women’s Ultimate Frisbee Team. The team’s namesake is a nod to the mythological seven-headed beast, symbolizing the seven players on the field during a game.  

With roots dating back to 1981, UVA Hydra has built a competitive reputation, projected to rank 21st in the country, according to Ultiworld, the premier news media site dedicated to the sport of ultimate. The team boasts a history of competing in 12 National Championships between 2002-2023, as well as two players with U.S. National Team experience.

Although Lily Zeng (MPP ’27) had played ultimate frisbee as an undergrad at Trinity University, she hadn’t expected that it’d also become part of her graduate school experience at UVA’s Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. A classmate and Graduate Teaching Assistant at Batten, Elisabeth Doty, encouraged her to give it a shot, lauding the team’s culture, and Zeng hasn’t looked back since. 

“There are a handful of us from Batten on the team now,” Zeng said. “Ultimate is a great way to destress – to keep my mind and body healthy – and an even better way to build community with other dedicated student athletes who strive to lift each other up.”

Zeng is one of four UVA Batten students currently on the 24-person roster, a small but growing presence. Batten alumni also have ties to Hydra: Jane Frankel (BA ’22) was the team’s coach last year and Kira Flores (BA ’23) – who competed in the women’s World Under-24 Ultimate Championships – stays connected with the team. Another UVA Batten student, Phillip Johnson (BA ’27), plays on the Men’s Ultimate Frisbee Club team, Night Train. Students talked about finding commonality between their academic and athletic pursuits.

“I am drawn to Hydra’s competitive nature but also to how supportive we are of each other at the same time,” said Maddi Crowe, a third-year and Batten MPP double accelerated student. “Batten and Hydra both emphasize a spirit of collaboration, and working together with my teammates towards our goals has been such a joy!”

Hydra team members practice four times per week, year-round, including 2.5-hour-long sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the team’s tournament schedule is equally demanding with travel up and down the east coast. For the first time this spring, they traveled to Palo Alto for Stanford University’s invitation-only tournament – a rare opportunity for east coast programs to compete against west coast teams. The team won its Sectionals tournament earlier this month, and will head to Regionals May 2-3 in Glen Allen, Virginia, and then Nationals in Illinois in late May.

The team offers something harder to quantify than wins and rankings. Because maintaining the balance of being both a good student and a teammate can be hard, Hydra has instituted a buddy system where players are paired together to keep each other accountable on and off the field.

“It’s a built-in support network,” said Zeng. “I check in with my buddy to see how she’s feeling before a tournament, if she’s eating well and sleeping enough, or if she needs help preparing for an exam. We encourage each other holistically, not just to be a better athlete, but to be a better person. I think this is something that sets Hydra apart – we are genuinely full of joy and we’re here because we love our friends and the sport.”

With experience on both mixed and women’s teams, Zeng highlighted some differences in playing styles and team dynamics.

“On women’s teams, it feels a lot more technical, slow, and calculated,” Zeng said. “We play small ball, which involves passing the disc more quickly and across shorter distances. I love Women’s Ultimate mechanically because it involves more players, and that lends itself to making everyone on the team feel equally valued.”

Zeng also noted through-lines between what she’s learned on the field and in the classroom, such as the importance of clear, intentional communications and emotional regulation in high-stress situations, how to be mindful, and how to think about caring for people when solving problems.

One of the three Hydra team captains, fourth-year Sydney Mannion, similarly echoed the bigger parallels between the sport and life at UVA.

“UVA’s values of honor and self-governance align strongly with Ultimate’s principles of spirit of the game,” Mannion said. “Our sport has no referees, requiring players to make their own foul calls and discuss an outcome together. I think that’s one reason the frisbee community and UVA community mesh so well.”

To support UVA Hydra, follow the team on Instagram at @hydranfriends and cheer them on at Regionals, May 2-3 in Glen Allen, VA! For details, including schedule and field location information, on the Regionals Tournament, click here.