No. 4 Virginia closed out its Florida road trip with a commanding pair of wins, defeating No. 50 Florida State 4-0 Friday in Tallahassee, Fla., before edging No. 41 Miami 4-1 Sunday in Coral Gables, Fla., to extend their ACC record to 9-1.
The two-match sweep marked the Cavaliers’ (17-3, 9-1 ACC) first action since dropping to No. 4 in the national rankings following a 4-2 road loss to now-No. 1 Wake Forest the previous Sunday – a result that snapped the Cavaliers' run at the top spot and handed them their first ACC loss of the season. Coming to Florida with something to prove, Virginia responded with two clean performances over the course of the weekend.
Virginia began the Florida trip in Tallahassee, Fla., against a Florida State program (12-11, 3-7 ACC) struggling to find its footing in conference play. The Cavaliers came out assertive, winning the doubles point in two of the three courts before closing out three singles courts in straight sets.
On Court 1, Virginia’s reliable No. 11 pair of junior Dylan Dietrich and sophomore Stiles Brockett took down Florida State’s No. 15-ranked pair of junior Erik Schiessl and senior Luis Felipe Miguel 6-4. Dietrich and Brockett were assertive on returns and quick to poach at the net, cutting off angles and preventing the Seminoles from settling into baseline exchanges. The pair’s willingness to attack second serves and force short balls gave them control of the net throughout, and they closed out the set without allowing Florida State to build any momentum.
On Court 3, a new pairing of freshman Andres Santamarta Roig and sophomore Jangjun Kim followed with a clean 6-3 win over Oren Ezerzer and Gabor Hornung. Santamarta Roig and Kim showed strong communication and the ability to finish points aggressively at the net, with Santamarta Roig in particular looking to intercept with sharp crosscourt volleys whenever Hornung and Ezerzer tried to redirect down the line.
The lone loss came on Court 2, where senior Mans Dahlberg and sophomore Keegan Rice, another new pairing, dropped 6-3 to junior pairing of Justin Lyons and Mohammad Alkotop. Lyons and Alkotop were effective at keeping the ball low through the middle of the court, limiting Dahlberg and Rice’s opportunities to attack, but the doubles point was already Virginia’s.
The singles performance that followed was clinical, with Virginia taking all six first sets before winning three courts in straight sets.
No. 12 Rice opened the scoring on Court 2 with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Schiessl. Rice controlled tempo from the baseline, using heavy topspin forehands to push Schiessl wide and create short ball approach shots, never allowing Schiessl to find any rhythm.
Brockett drew the Court 5 spot, placed above Dahlberg. It was a subtle adjustment from Coach Andres Pedroso, and Brockett made the most of the opportunity. His 6-3, 6-2 win over No. 124 ranked junior Azariah Rusher was an efficient, low-error performance built on clean first serve placement and aggressive groundstrokes that consistently moved Rusher around. Brockett dictated pace in both sets and gave Rusher little chance to construct points on his own terms.
Santamarta Roig delivered the clinching point on Court 3, defeating Corey Craig 6-4, 6-2 in a performance that showcased the freshman’s ability to control rallies and impose himself on opponents. Santamarta Roig mixed pace well throughout, using heavy crosscourt forehands to open up the court before redirecting winners down the line.
At the top of the lineup, No. 2 ranked Dietrich was in the midst of a competitive battle against No. 121 ranked Miguel on Court 1, and Kim had a tight match developing against Alkotop on Court 4, but both were left unfinished once Santamarta Roig clinched. The depth of Virginia’s lineup made what could have been a complicated road match feel routine.
Sunday’s match in Coral Gables carried a little differently. A three-hour rain delay disrupted the rhythm of the day before a single ball was hit, and Virginia also took the court with a lineup adjustment with Dietrich pulled out of singles play.
The familiar No. 11-ranked pairing of Dietrich and Brockett took on Line 1 doubles, but Miami's junior Jakub Kroslak and senior Mehdi Sadaoui edged them 7-5, denying Virginia the clean sweep of doubles courts they had managed at Florida State. Kroslak and Sadaoui were effective at keeping returns deep, neutralizing Dietrich and Brockett’s aggression and forcing errors at key moments late in the set.
Virginia answered on Court 2, where Dahlberg and Rice were efficient in a 6-1 win over senior Antonio Prat and sophomore Rafael Segado, a lopsided result built on clean serving and sharp net play that gave Miami little chance to establish a foothold.
Santamarta Roig and Kim then came through in the decisive Court 3 match, winning 7-5 over senior Nacho Serra Sanchez and sophomore Jules Garot to clinch the doubles point for the Cavaliers.
The singles lineup, then, was altered by Dietrich not playing, with Rice sliding up to fill the Court 1 role and senior Douglas Yaffa entering at the bottom of the lineup.
Brockett was again first to score a point, replicating his efficiency from Friday with a 6-1, 6-4 straight set win over Segado on Court 4 to give the Cavaliers an early 2-0 lead. Brockett was relentless in dictating from the baseline, using heavy forehands to take time away from Segado and ending points quickly.
But Miami pushed back. Dahlberg, back in his Line 5 position, was edged in a tight match, dropping 7-5, 6-4 to Sadaoui. The Miami senior was consistent from the baseline, grinding out long rallies, and waiting for Dahlberg to go for too much. The loss gave the Hurricanes their lone point and brought the match to 2-1.
The momentum swing made Kim’s Court 3 performance all the more pivotal. The sophomore dropped the first set 6-2 as Miami’s Kroslak found his range early, but Kim adjusted, slowing down the pace and stepping into his forehand on return games. Kim took the second set to a tiebreak and won it 7-3, then held in a tense third set to close it out 7-5 and push Virginia to a 3-1 lead. It was a resilient performance from Kim, who had shown a similar fight in a three-set win at NC State earlier this season.
The clinching point came from Rice on Court 1, a spot he occupied in the absence of Dietrich. Rice battled Miami’s No. 113-ranked Prat through a demanding three-setter, taking the first set in a tiebreak 7-6(4), dropping the second 5-7 as Prat found footing, then reasserting control with a clean 6-2 final set to seal the match. For Rice to step into the top court role and deliver the clincher was a strong statement, and a reminder of how deep Virginia’s lineup runs.
Santamarta Roig’s Court 2 match against Serra Sanchez, where he had dropped the first set 6-2 before clawing back to take the second in the tiebreak and lead the third 5-3, and Yaffa’s Court 6 match against Garot remained unfinished, with Virginia already across the finish line.
The Florida road trip moved Virginia to 9-1 in ACC play as the Cavaliers work to re-establish themselves as the nation’s top program after the Wake Forest setback.
The depth of the lineup showed clearly across the two matches with different players stepping up in different moments.
Virginia now returns home for its final regular-season matches, hosting No. 18 Notre Dame on Friday, April 3 at 3 p.m. and senior day against Louisville on Sunday, April 5 at 1 p.m.
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