The No. 6 Virginia men’s tennis team (19-5, 12-0 ACC) earned the regular-season title and the top seed in the Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Tennis Championship after defeating Virginia Tech (7-16, 2-9 ACC) Wednesday and Boston College (5-16, 0-12 ACC) Sunday.
Virginia versus Virginia Tech
The Cavaliers picked up a 4-0 win over the Hokies to earn a point in the annual Smithfield Commonwealth Clash, a point-based competition between the two schools across all sports. With the win, Virginia now trails Virginia Tech in the Clash 9.5-4.5.
The Hokies defeated sophomore Chris Rodesch and graduate student Bar Botzer on court one to take an advantage in doubles play, but sophomore Iñaki Montes de la Torre and senior Ryan Goetz were able to respond with a win on court two before sophomore Alexander Kiefer and fifth year Gianni Ross closed the doubles point out with a win of their own to give Virginia a 1-0 lead in the match.
The doubles point proved to be the only time that the Cavaliers would be challenged during this match, as they each made quick work of their singles opponents. Botzer cruised to a 6-0, 6-1 win to increase Virginia’s lead to two, and Goetz also sailed to 6-1, 6-3 victory on court three. Ross put the finishing touches on the match as he earned a 6-4, 6-2 win. The remaining matches were not played out due to the Cavaliers already clinching the match.
Virginia versus Boston College
Before their final match of the regular season, graduate students Jackson Allen and Jefferson Dockter, along with Ross, were honored in the senior day ceremonies. All three went on to win their singles matches that day and score points for Virginia.
In doubles, Botzer and Kiefer gave the Cavaliers the advantage before Boston College was able to even it. Fortunately, Montes and Goetz were able to take care of business in their matchup and secure the doubles point for the Cavaliers.
All six courts were fully played out during this match, and Kiefer, Goetz and Botzer all earned victories along with those who were honored during the senior day ceremony. Every singles win came in straight sets.
For Virginia, this was their second consecutive ACC regular season title and their 15th overall. After a very successful regular season, they will now look towards the ACC Championship, where they hold the No. 1 seed, and Coach Andres Pedroso seems excited for the opportunity.
“The postseason in this program means a lot and that’s what we prepare all season for,” Pedroso said. “We’ve got a lot of tough competition at the ACC Championships. We’re not taking anybody lightly. Every match can be a war. We’ll be ready. That’s how it is in the postseason. It’s everyone’s 0-0. No wins, no losses. It’s a new season. So that’s how we’re gonna approach it.”
The ACC Championship will be held from Friday to Sunday at the Rome Tennis Center in Rome, Ga. The Cavaliers will have a double-bye in the tournament and will play next on Friday in the quarterfinals against either Florida State or Notre Dame. That match is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.
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