It was a familiar story for the No. 31 Virginia women's tennis team during its last regular season match of the year against Clemson - an inexplicable doubles point loss followed by a rally behind scrappy, inspiring singles play - and in the end, just another tough loss.
Only a day after Virginia beat No. 25 Georgia Tech by a score of 5-2, the Cavaliers dropped Sunday's match against the Tigers, 4-3.
The difference between the two matches, for the coaches, came down to the doubles point.
"We come out on Saturday and we play lights out and get after it," coach Mark Guilbeau said. "Then we come Sunday, and maybe it creates some pressure because we won - I'm not sure. But the bottom-line result is we're not performing as well in doubles on Sunday as we have been on Saturday, and it should be the opposite, especially after you come through a good win."
When assessing the loss - and his team's developing pattern - Guilbeau points to what happens well before the match, during preseason practices.
"I don't think [it] has so much to do with one match - it has a lot to do with a process," Guilbeau said. "And the process overall, I want to be clear, has been really good, but there is another level, and that's what the top teams I think are finding day in and day out."
The Cavaliers' Sunday loss soured their strong performance Saturday against Georgia Tech, which included a 3-0 sweep on the doubles point. With the victory, the squad tied the program record for ACC wins in a season with six.
"It was a great win, and again, that's all you want," Guilbeau said. "The kids deserved that win, and it's definitely going to help our overall season. And again, they're playing well. You can't do that without playing well. It's what this program needs to be doing is competing with the top teams in the conference, so we're getting there."
But after accomplishing such a feat, Guilbeau was left hoping for more from his team.
"I also think that part of winning [Saturday] was to have the momentum to come in and win [against Clemson], and it's just really, really frustrating that we didn't come out real well in the doubles today," he said.
The biggest challenge facing Virginia is to turn these tough, nail-biting losses into actual results. Because, as Guilbeau is well aware, the big 'L' next to a 3-4 loss means the same as the one next to a 0-7 defeat.
"I think we're all tired of hearing people say we're super talented and we're a dangerous team," Guilbeau said. "That in some ways is telling you [that] you haven't gotten it done. You need to be a team that's accomplished and getting the results."
One positive note for the Cavaliers this weekend was lone senior Jennifer Stevens' play. She clinched the win Saturday against the Yellow Jackets and finished her Virginia career with a high note - a 6-1, 6-3 win Sunday. Stevens, along with freshman Hana Tomljanovic, currently is ranked No. 38 in the country in doubles - a part of her game that was not as formidable when she arrived on Grounds four years ago.
"It's been kind of - almost inspiring - it produces a kind of a knowledge of how you can develop and play a game," Guilbeau said. "Doubles maybe wasn't her best suit when she came here, and to see her now as one of the best ones in the country is pretty cool ... I think she's had a lot of opportunities to do that and I hope that she's really in a great place because of it."
As for Stevens, it has yet to sink in.
"I'm still excited - I feel like it hasn't ended yet," she said. "I'm kind of in denial but no - it's been fun, so I don't know - I enjoyed today. It was fun even though we lost."
Virginia will now prepare for the ACC Tournament this weekend in Cary, N.C.
Read More
Lacrosse defenseman Cole Kastner announces transfer to Stanford basketball
By Michael Liebermann | 9 hours agoKastner is reviving a hoops career that has lain dormant since he graduated high school.
Virginia gets second Notre Dame rematch in a dynamic ACC Tournament bout Friday
By Michael Liebermann | 21 hours agoThe Cavaliers will get a shot at redemption against a vaunted ACC foe, in a game with serious postseason seeding implications.
Mel Josephson and women’s lacrosse prepare to take center stage
By Xander Tilock | YesterdayJosephson's ability to perform throughout a game's biggest moments is crucial for the Cavaliers.
