Just six days after upsetting then-No. 3 Duke, the Maryland women take on another ACC heavy hitter -- No. 2 Virginia -- tomorrow night in Charlottesville. Both are undefeated.

The No. 3 Terps and the Cavaliers have perhaps the most storied rivalry in the college women's game with 47 meetings. Maryland holds a 30-17 lead, but the Cavaliers have won eight of the last nine, including a 10-9 decision in last season's ACC final.

Maryland coach Cathy Reese remembers Virginia being tough even when she was a high school player at Mount Hebron looking at colleges. As a Terp, she played against Virginia six times -- and won them all, including once for the NCAA title.

For years, coach Julie Myers' Cavaliers have had one of the most deliberate, patient attacks in Division I. They're willing to work the ball for as long as it takes to find just the right opening, so the Terps must be especially sharp on defense.

 "They're always a very disciplined team," said Reese. "They're very smart. They capitalize on opponents' mistakes and they're just very organized and disciplined.

"For us, obviously, we have to come out and play very disciplined on defense and know that they're being patient and waiting for us to make a mistake -- and for us to always be ready. They hold the ball well. They're very controlled and they find their openings."

In the 15-13 win over Duke in College Park on Saturday, the Terps came together well for a team with only four returning starters and seven underclassmen in the starting lineup. It was also a good time for midfielder Laura Merrifield to return from a shoulder injury. The sophomore from England scored a career-high five goals. Amanda Spinnenweber (Chesapeake-AA) and freshman Karri Ellen Johnson (Broadneck) scored three each.

The Cavaliers boast two Maryland natives who excel at their positions -- midfielder Brittany Kalkstein (Roland Park), who ranks among the nation's best on the draw, and goalie Laura Benner (Severn), who ranks ninth nationally with 7.5 a goals-against average.

No matter what happens tomorrow, there's a good chance the two will meet again -- in the ACC tournament or in the NCAA tournament.