ITHACA, N.Y. – Every year, schools across the country set their sights on reaching the top of the mountain – a USPA collegiate national championship. The two programs they aim for year-in and year-out are Cornell and Virginia. Those two college polo powers will square off to open the 2013-14 season this weekend in Charlottesville, Va.

The women will visit Virginia on Friday, Oct. 18 at 6 p.m. in a rematch of the last three national championship contests. The men, who have advanced to the national semifinals in 10 consecutive seasons, will play at 8 p.m.

The Big Red women bring a streak of five consecutive wins in season openers into the matchup with Virginia. Cornell has begun the last four years with wins over Massachusetts by a combined score of 138-10, including 37-1 last year at Oxley Equestrian Center. This will be a much different animal, facing off with the team that has knocked off the Big Red in each of the last two national championship games. The Big Red leads the all-time series with Virginia 90-30-2.

The Cornell women have won 12 of the last 15 Northeast Regional titles and five national titles under head coach David Eldredge has posted a 439-121-17 record (.776) in 28 years directing the program. The Big Red has advanced to the national championship game four times in the last five years.

The perennial national championship contenders on the men's side have played at least twice in each season dating back to the 1978-79 season with the exception of last year, when the teams only played once. Virginia leads the series 62-42-2 and holds a 16-game win streak in the series dating back to a 16-15 Big Red victory in the 2008 national semifinals.

The Big Red has reached the national championship game six times since 2004 under Eldredge, who has amassed an impressive 396-166-8 record (.702) in his 28 years on the sidelines with the men.