The No. 4 Virginia men’s tennis team picked up a 4-1 win over No. 17 Notre Dame on Friday afternoon at the Boar’s Head Sports Club, closing out the second to last home match of the regular season with a composed performance against one of the ACC’s toughest opponents.
The Cavaliers (18-3, 10-1 ACC) won the doubles point before taking four singles courts, headlined by a three set thriller from No. 2 junior Dylan Dietrich on Court 1 and a quick, straight-set performance from No. 14 sophomore Keegan Rice on Court 2 that helped Virginia pull away from the Fighting Irish (19-5, 8-3 ACC).
Virginia came in with a reshuffled lineup, reuniting NCAA doubles champions and No. 5-ranked Dietrich and senior Mans Dahlberg for the first time since March 1 on Court 1, while sophomore Stiles Brockett slid over to join Rice on Court 2 and new pairing of freshman Andres Santamarta Roig and sophomore Jangjun Kim on Court 3.
Santamarta Roig and Kim got Virginia on the board first on Court 3 defeating junior Evan Lee and freshman Nicholas Patrick with a dominant 6-0 win. Santamarta Roig was relentless from the baseline, driving heavy topspin forehands deep into the corners and giving Lee no comfortable position to hit from, while Kim covered the net that consistently ended points before Notre Dame could reset.
The Court 3 pairing has been one of the livelier combinations Virginia has put on court this season, and Kim spoke about what it’s like playing alongside the high-energy freshman.
“I have never had that energy in a partner,” Kim said. “I mean, it’s insane. So, this is my first time laughing in a match. He has so much energy.”
Rice and Brockett clinched the doubles point on Court 2, edging Notre Dame’s No. 47-ranked sophomore duo of Luis Llorens Saracho and Peter Nad 7-5 in a competitive set that required them to hold their nerve and close out under pressure. Rice was sharp on returns, taking the ball early and driving crosscourt to pull his opponents out of position, while Brockett was aggressive at the net, cutting off angles with well-placed volleys and forcing errors on the bigger points.
On Court 1, the Dietrich and Dahlberg duo were locked in a tight battle with senior Sebastian Dominko and graduate student Perry Gregg, trailing 5-6 when the point was decided, and their match was left unfinished. The pair had been competitive throughout, with Dahlberg mixing slices to keep the ball low and Dietrich looking to intercept at the net, but the point was clinched before they could see it through.
Virginia wasted little time asserting itself once singles got underway, with Rice delivering the first point of the afternoon and Dietrich following shortly after.
On Court 2, Rice was in complete control from the start, defeating Gregg 6-3, 6-3 in a clean straight-set performance. Rice controlled the tempo from the baseline, using his heavy forehand to push Gregg deep and take time away before stepping inside the court to redirect winners down the line. Rice was precise on serve as well, consistently targeting Gregg’s backhand on big points to set up easy first-ball attacks. When the final point was over, spectators in the stands were quick to congratulate and praise his performance. Rice now leads the team with a 27-4 record and has gone 11-1 at the Line 2 slot.
Notre Dame responded on Court 4, where Nad defeated Kim 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 in a match that swung dramatically after Kim won the opening set with ease. Kim was explosive in the first, stepping into his forehand early and driving through Nad’s defensive shots with pace and direction that the Notre Dame player had no answer for. Nad adjusted between sets, pushing the ball higher and deeper to Kim’s backhand. Kim began hitting more unforced errors, and Nad won the second set 6-1 before holding on in a competitive third to earn the point for Notre Dame. The loss was a rare one for Kim, who has hit the 20-win mark this season and is ranked No. 102 nationally.
Senior Douglas Yaffa answered back on Court 6, defeating Llorens Saracho 6-3, 0-6, 6-1 in a match that had a rocky middle set. Yaffa was sharp from the opening game, pulling Llorens Saracho wide and catching him off guard to take the first set. The second set was a stark reversal with Llorens Saracho finding his rhythm to take it 6-0. Yaffa reset in the third, returning to trusting his crosscourt forehand to rebuild from the baseline outward. He broke early and closed it out 6-1, a fitting effort heading into Senior Day on Sunday.
Dietrich then closed the door on Court 1, defeating No. 15 Dominko 6-2, 2-6, 6-2. Dietrich came out sharp, with his serve landing deep into the corners and his inside-out forehands consistently pulling Dominko wide to open up the court. He took the first set 6-2 with aggressive tennis that gave Dominko little room to work. The second set was a different story as Dominko began slowing the pace, forcing longer rallies. He leveled the match with a 6-2 second set. Dietrich responded in the third by getting his serve back in and hitting cleaner shots. He broke early and never let go of the lead, closing out 6-2 in another composed performance.
With the match decided, two courts remained in play. On Court 3, No. 40 Santamarta Roig was in command against sophomore Giuseppe Cerasuolo, having taken the first set 6-3 and leading 6-5 in the second when play was halted. On Court 5, Brockett had battled back from a 1-6 first set loss to junior Kyran Magimay, winning the second 7-5 after making clear adjustments and sitting at 1-1 in the third when the match was stopped.
Friday’s win was another chapter in a season that has seen Virginia consistently perform at the top of college tennis, never falling past the top 5 in Division I.
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