Freshman Lindsey Hardenbergh chastised herself after she stroked a forehand into the net. Down 5-3 in the third set of the final match of the U.Va. Winter Invitational Monday evening, Hardenbergh appeared beaten, both physically and on the scoreboard.
“I was just making too many errors,” Hardenbergh said.
Already with a USTA Futures event victory under her belt, however, Hardenbergh gathered herself like a pro. With all of her teammates already having finished their matches, the crowd, the coaches and the athletes gathered to watch Hardenbergh break the serve of her opponent, senior Sophie Grabinski of North Carolina. It was the first of four consecutive games she won en route to an emotional 6-4, 5-7, 7-5 victory to wrap up Virginia’s spring season debut at the Boyd Tinsley Tennis Courts.
The preseason No. 41-ranked Cavaliers competed in what was, in essence, simulated match play against No. 14 Arkansas Saturday, No. 50 Utah Sunday and No. 18 North Carolina Monday in the invite. Had the individual matches counted toward a team score — as they will during the rest of the season — the Cavaliers would have posted a 6-1 victory against Arkansas Saturday and a 5-1 defeat against Utah Sunday. Hardenbergh’s triumph, meanwhile, would have secured a 4-3 victory against the visiting Tar Heels in the Monday finale.
“That’s why you play tournaments like this, so that at least one player — but hopefully our team — has that three-all moment,” coach Mark Guilbeau said of Hardenbergh’s clinching victory Monday. “It’ll really be an advantage for us when it comes to that in the future.”
Though Guilbeau noted that he was happy with the entire team’s technical skills and fitness in this measuring-stick tournament to begin the season, he noted that he, assistant coach Troy Porco and his players must synchronize their occasionally mixed signals before all the chips fall into place.
“I’ll tell you personally, I think I’m challenged right now as a coach to feel good that maybe there’s a complete level of respect from the team in terms of listening,” Guilbeau said. “We’re only trying to help them. When they work with us and share thoughts and listen with a real respectful mind and heart, they do incredible things.”
Another concern for Guilbeau is the health of senior Maggie Yahner, who is still recovering from microfracture surgery on her knee that she had during the off-season, Guilbeau said. Yahner took a couple of spills during her matches this past weekend, one of which forced her to retire Sunday with the score 3-2 in her opponent’s favor. She returned to play Monday but appeared tentative on her aching knee, falling 6-3, 6-4 to North Carolina freshman Haley Hemm.
Yahner has “got [to] be a little careful, and I think as coaches, we’re being very careful to make sure that she doesn’t overdo it,” Guilbeau said. “I’m not [going to] say she’s at full speed, that’s for sure — definitely moving really well in the doubles, but we’ve gotta get her moving at that same level in the singles.”
Guilbeau also added that freshman Claire Bartlett did not compete this weekend because of an injury and that the team hopes to add an eighth player to the roster if she can become eligible, though Guilbeau did not disclose the name.
With his six active players, Guilbeau experimented with several new looks, as occurs nearly every year during the annual U.Va. Winter Invitational. In singles, junior Jennifer Stevens, who played primarily at the No. 2 singles slot last season after playing No. 1 her freshman year, played at the No. 1 position during the weekend. Meanwhile, last year’s top-slotted player, senior Amanda Rales, played at the No. 3 position Saturday and Sunday and No. 4 Monday.
With the top spot in singles, Stevens also earned the right to take on the No. 2-ranked singles player, senior Aurelija Miseviciute of Arkansas, during Saturday’s matches. Though Stevens fell to the Lithuanian 6-4, 6-1, Guilbeau said that Miseviciute “snuck” by Stevens in the first set with “probably just 2 or 3 points difference,” he said.
Freshman Emily Fraser, the nation’s preseason No. 82-ranked singles player, won in straight sets at the No. 4 position Saturday and Sunday and was then bumped up to No. 2 Monday. She responded with a convincing 6-2, 6-3 victory against No. 103-ranked North Carolina senior Austin Smith, becoming the only Cavalier to end the weekend with an unblemished 3-0 singles record.
“To go from four [seed], and then step right away and play two, and handle that just so well, I think that’s a real positive for her,” Guilbeau said. “That gives this team an incredible option.”
Hardenbergh played at No. 2 for the first two days before being bumped to No. 3 after Fraser was moved to No. 2. Sophomore Neela Vaez, in her first year with Virginia after transferring from Purdue, played at No. 5, while the ailing Yahner played at No. 6 throughout the tournament. All but Yahner were victorious Sunday; Fraser was the only Cavalier to find victory against Arkansas Saturday.
Guilbeau would not disclose what lineup he would use for tonight’s matchup with Old Dominion but was pleased with the singles results over the weekend, particularly with the revamped lineup against North Carolina.
“I feel good about the way we played [Monday],” Guilbeau said. “I like that lineup.”
In doubles, two newcomers, Hardenbergh and Vaez, were the most successful, as the duo squeaked out Virginia’s lone doubles victory against Arkansas 9-8, while contributing to the doubles sweep of Utah with an 8-5 win at the No. 3 doubles slot. The No. 32-ranked pair of Fraser and Stevens competed in the No. 1 doubles position; the duo’s one win against Utah was sandwiched by two losses to the No. 8-ranked tandem from Arkansas and the No. 15 duo from North Carolina.
Guilbeau mixed up doubles pairs at the No. 2 and No. 3 positions Sunday, putting Hardenbergh with Vaez and Yahner with Rales; both pairs emerged with victories.
“It’s pretty cool to have six kids and to have so many different options,” Guilbeau said. “I think that speaks really well of them, of what they know how to do individually on the doubles court.”
After a light day of practice yesterday, Virginia faces an Old Dominion squad today that is coming off two 7-0 sweeps Saturday against Liberty and Norfolk State. The Lady Monarchs feature one ranked singles player in No. 88 senior Charleen Haarhoff and one ranked doubles team in the No. 40 duo of Haarhoff and sophomore Nadine Fahoum.
Read More
Cavaliers collapse, lose 3-2 in walkoff to North Carolina
By Xander Tilock | YesterdayVirginia will head to the loser's bracket Sunday after a disappointing loss to North Carolina.
Gertrude out for season after scooter accident
By Michael Liebermann | YesterdayThe hype around his second season will have to wait.
Tony Bennett’s contract extended to 2030
By Xander Tilock | YesterdayWith the legendary coach secured in Charlottesville, the Cavaliers can focus on returning to a standard of postseason success.
