The No. 4 Virginia men’s tennis team has a set of conference matchups this weekend at home — the team takes on Virginia Tech Friday and No. 11 North Carolina Sunday.
Virginia Tech (8-10, 5-5 ACC) has been streaky so far this season — after starting the season off with three consecutive losses, the team won four straight, then lost three more, and it has continued that inconsistency throughout the season. However, the Hokies remain a strong threat. Most recently, they dominated both Boston College and Clemson, and had a strong showing against the then-No. 4 Tar Heels, only losing 3-4. When they come to town, they will look not only to avenge last season’s 6-1 loss, but also put an end to a Cavalier winning streak over the Hokies that spans over five years.
North Carolina (18-2, 5-1 ACC) features senior Ronnie Schneider — ranked No. 23 in the nation by the ITA — and freshman William Blumberg, ranked No. 34. The team is currently riding a five-game winning streak. Its last loss came almost a month ago on March 10 to Wake Forest — the same team that topped Virginia (18-1, 5-1 ACC). The losses to Wake Forest serve as the only blemishes as far as conference record goes for both North Carolina and Virginia. Virginia is the second of two road games for the Tar Heels this weekend, as they also travel to Clemson to take on the Tigers Friday.
A big boost to the Cavaliers will be the return of freshman Carl Söderlund. After getting injured early in the season, Söderlund has been out the past seven weeks and been day-to-day for the past week. However, Söderlund will return to action this weekend, having returned to 100 percent health.
Head Coach Brian Boland showed great enthusiasm and optimism for having Carl healthy again.
“We have Carl Söderlund back in the lineup,” Boland said. “He’s been out since Feb. 20, so that’s big news for us, because he’s certainly one of the best players in the country. He’s been a huge help to the team.”
In light of the team’s slew of other injuries and issues staying fully healthy, Boland showed gratitude towards the training staff following last weekend’s matchup against Clemson.
“I think the guys felt physically better today,” Boland said. “I give all the credit to Andrea and Suzanne and the rest of the training staff for really preparing the guys. We just had a lot of work to do from last week, and we were in a tough spot, but what they were able to do over the last 48 hours is incredible.”
The prior week, there were many questions about the team’s future — ranging from Boland’s announcement of his promotion to the injuries that plagued the team prior to its match against Wake Forest. However, the Cavaliers responded with a big win over Clemson Sunday — arguably their strongest performance all season. Now, the team will have its hands full again when it faces an in-state rival followed by a national powerhouse.
Senior Thai-Son Kwiatkowski said he is confident that in the long-run, the adversity will help, especially come May.
“It’s tough if you don’t face any tough times like that [because] then there are going to be tough times in May, and you’re not going to know how to react if you don’t go through that earlier in the semester,” Kwiatkowski said. “We’re going to have another big match against Virginia Tech Friday, and I look forward to playing it.”
With Söderlund back, Boland is confident the team is on the rise and is satisfied with where they stand, he said.
“The guys are really focused, and they’re just an unbelievable team,” Boland said. “I love our leadership, and we’re in a really good place right now. I think the guys are taking it a day at a time and [are] really just coming out each day and supporting each other and trying to be the best team they can be.”
Both matches will take place at Snyder Tennis Courts in Charlottesville. The team takes on Virginia Tech Friday at 3 p.m. and North Carolina Sunday at 1 p.m.
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