Saturday afternoon at the Virginia Tennis Facility, No. 7 seed Virginia defeated No. 10 seed Arizona 4-2 to punch its ticket to the NCAA quarterfinals for the 18th time in the last 20 years. With a final home victory behind them, the Cavaliers (23-7, 9-4 ACC) will look ahead to Waco, Texas, where they will face No. 2 seed TCU Friday at 5 p.m. at Baylor’s Hurd Tennis Center.
At Line 1 doubles, junior Mans Dahlberg and sophomore Dylan Dietrich set the tone Saturday with a commanding 6-3 win over the Wildcats’ (26-5, 6-2 Big 12) top duo of juniors Jay Friend and Eric Padgham. The Cavaliers broke early and capitalized on sharp net play and consistent first serves.
Over at Line 3 doubles, freshmen Rafael Jódar and Roy Horovitz delivered under pressure. Serving for the match at 5-4, the duo saved two break points before sealing a 6-4 victory that clinched the doubles point for Virginia. The win improved their record to 5-0 as a team this season and showcased their growing confidence in big moments.
The Cavaliers carried that energy into the next phase, where freshman Keegan Rice wasted no time extending the lead. Playing at Line 3 singles, Rice won 6-4, 6-2 to give Virginia a 2-0 edge. The Canadian player has been a steady presence all season and rose to the occasion again with his third ranked win of the year.
Graduate student James Hopper, playing at Line 4 singles, followed Rice’s lead. After grinding out a 6-4 opening set, Hopper fell behind 5-4 in the second but broke back to keep the match alive. He then held serve and broke his opponent again to close it out 6-4, 7-5, pushing the Cavaliers to a commanding 3-0 lead.
Arizona, however, fought back. At Line 1, Jódar fell to No. 5-ranked graduate student Colton Smith 6-3, 7-6 (7), despite saving three match points and pushing the second set to a tiebreak. Meanwhile, at Line 5 singles, Jangjun Kim dropped a difficult three-setter 5-7, 6-2, 7-5. Kim also saved multiple match points at 5-4 in the third set but could not hold off his opponent.
With the score now at 3-2, attention turned to Line 2 and Line 6 — each in a third set. At Line 6, Dahlberg had clawed back after losing the first set and led 5-3 in the decider. But it was Dietrich, battling No. 6-ranked Friend at Line 2 singles, who ultimately sealed Virginia’s place in the Elite Eight.
After losing the first set 6-1 and trailing 5-2 in the third, Dietrich mounted an extraordinary comeback. With the crowd behind him and the match on the line, the sophomore dug in.
Dietrich held serve to stay alive at 5-3, then broke Friend with an aggressive return game to close the gap. With tension mounting, Dietrich held again to level the set at 5-5. Sensing a momentum shift, he played another fearless return game to break Friend for the second time and take a 6-5 lead. Serving for the match, Dietrich kept his composure and closed out the comeback, winning five straight games to seal a 1-6, 7-6 (1), 7-5 victory.
“I basically told myself that, ok, he failed in the second set at closing me out, so let’s just make it as tough as possible for him,” Dietrich said. “ … I felt like maybe physically I was a little fitter than him. I was a little bit more patient because of that, and in the end that helped me.”
Pedroso praised Dietrich’s resilience.
“Just an incredible mental effort by Dylan, and it’s what we talk about all year long,” Pedroso said. “It’s just about playing complete matches and not letting the score faze you or how well the other guy’s playing.”
As Dietrich played point by point, the Virginia fans roared with every swing. In the final home match of the season, the Boar’s Head crowd packed the stands and gave the Cavaliers the kind of boost only a home court can provide.
“I’ve never seen Boar’s Head that packed,” Dietrich said. “It was full, and it definitely helps, especially when emotions are running high and when you’re fired up. To just have the full support from the crowd behind you is special.”
Before a single point was played Saturday, the Cavaliers paused to honor a life that was taken too soon. The Cavaliers held a moment of silence for Braun Levi, a senior at Loyola High School in Los Angeles planning to attend Virginia in the fall and a beloved member of the tennis community, who recently passed away after being struck by a drunk driver in Manhattan Beach. In tribute, each Virginia player wore “Braun” on their uniform sleeves throughout the match.
The Cavaliers then went on to play with the kind of purpose and fight that reflected that tribute and to “Live Like Braun,” putting on a strong performance they hope will propel them through the rest of the tournament.
Read More
TILOCK: The real Virginia baseball just stood up
By Xander Tilock | 2 hours agoThe Cavaliers' chronic issues are dwindling, and underperforming stars are ascending.
Women’s lacrosse drops heartbreaking rematch to Duke, ends NCAA Tournament run
By Eleanor Buchanan | 15 hours agoVirginia fell in the second round of the tournament for the second time in a row.
With postseason hopes on the line, Virginia completes sweep of Miami
By Emory Huffman | YesterdayVirginia has won 10 of its past 11 games.
