When things get tough, some people fold. But for the Virginia women's tennis team Wednesday night, giving in was not an option.
After losing all three of their doubles matches to open the highly-anticipated showdown against in-state rival Virginia Tech, the Cavaliers roared back from the 1-0 deficit by winning five of their six singles matchups and shut the door on the Hokies, 5-2.
The victory was Virginia's (6-4) second straight over Virginia Tech (7-7) and its fourth win out of its last five meetings. It also snapped a two-match losing streak for the Cavaliers.
"It was awesome," said freshman Laura James, who won her match in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3, over Hokie Bridget Bruner. "Losing all our doubles matches made us focus, because we knew we had to win four out of six. Every match was important. I was really anxious to play."
James, who played the No. 4 spot, was not the only one who came out pumped after doubles and won her singles match decisively. The top three - junior Amy O'Donnell, sophomore Henriette Williams and senior Chistie Schweer - all claimed victory in straight sets.
O'Donnell destroyed Kristen Stubbs, 6-1, 6-2, Williams overpowered Antonella Pozzi, 6-4, 6-3, and Schweer defeated Ines Khelifi, 6-3, 6-4.
"It was a mature response from the top of our lineup," Virginia assistant coach Justin Drzal said. "In doubles, we didn't mentally finish and close out. But they stepped up in the right moments without being told. They responded and knew what to do. They didn't get nervous, down, edgy, or bent out of shape. Tonight they showed their experience and what they have learned."
As expected with any contest between huge rivals like Virginia and Virginia Tech, the match resembled the many that had been played before - mental, gritty and close. Prolonged rallies and thrilling points characterized all the matches, and the contest was much closer than the final scores indicated. Endurance and mental toughness were ultimately the deciding factors.
"It really was a mental match," O'Donnell said. "I definitely wasn't as confident as the score shows."
In the end, the Cavaliers outlasted the Hokies and closed the door on their arch-rivals. Schweer's monster serve that overpowered her opponent on match point was the epitome of how Virginia ended the match - with a bang.
"Our experience shined through," Drzal said. "For what's upcoming and what we have to face next, this is a very important win for us. We've just got to keep going, and we can build on this."
What Drzal is talking about is Virginia Commonwealth, yet another in-state rival that the Cavaliers' will face on Sunday. The Rams currently are ranked 10 spots higher than Virginia and are sure to be a bigger challenge than Virginia Tech. Their top player, Martina Nedelkova, is the sixth-best singles player in the country.
"VCU's going to be really tough," James said. "They're a really good team. It gets really intense on the court. We know we can get it done against them, we just have to do our parts and play really well."
If the Cavaliers' gained confidence helps give them their second-straight win when they play the Rams, the big victory over the Hokies will prove to be much more than just another win for the Cavaliers.
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