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(09/03/09 9:21am)
The question of who will start the season at quarterback is generally settled some time before the first game of the season. Asked if this was the case for the Virginia football team, coach Al Groh and linebacker Aaron Clark were not exactly decisive.\n"No, not necessarily," Groh said.\n"No idea," Clark added. "If I knew, I couldn't tell you anyway."\nAt least that is settled.\nTaking nothing away from a William & Mary team that posted a 7-4 record in 2008, indecision at the quarterback position preceding the season opener may be a bit more disconcerting against an opponent like USC, for example.\n"The disadvantages of starting the season against USC are a bit apparent to anyone who plays them," Groh said.\nIt was certainly apparent to Virginia last year when the Cavaliers suffered through a 52-7 colossal beatdown against the Trojans which, for all intents and purposes, served as an exhibition for USC.\n"It carried a lot, it was rough," senior linebacker Denzel Burrell said. "It was hard not to turn on television and see the highlights of the game, and hear about how great their team is and read about all the things we were doing wrong. It definitely carried over."\nStronger team unity, however, has Burrell hopeful that the 2009 campaign will begin on a higher note.\n"That was a big thing last year early in the season - letdowns - players leaving, and being suspended, and things like that - that really hurt us," Burrell said. "That's been a big thing in the offseason - to be your brother's keeper and really watch over everyone on the team."\nVirginia's general optimism may also arise from the fact that William & Mary does not produce first round NFL draft picks on a yearly basis, or ever, for that matter. The team's decision to play its in-state FCS opponent stems from the recent establishment of a regularized 12-game season by the NCAA.\n"Whereas before it was based on some kind of calendar formula - how many solar eclipses there were in a particular year or whatever," Groh said. "I just couldn't figure it out - I just would wait until the administration said, 'You've got 11 or 12 games to play.' But the opening up of the 12th game on an annual basis gave us the opportunity to expand our schedule, and in doing so, then, we thought the best thing for all parties concerned ... was to schedule those games locally."\nVirginia's second game last season against Richmond was another recent example of this sort of scheduling. But to everyone who watched that game, it was apparent that even FCS opponents could give the Cavaliers a run for their money. Holding only a 3-0 lead heading into the fourth quarter, Virginia seemed on the verge of a total collapse following the previous week's nationally televised embarrassment. Only a couple of late-game heroics, including a 60-yard interception return for a touchdown by-then junior Vic Hall - coupled with a flurry of squandered opportunities by the Spiders - sealed the victory for the Cavaliers.\nDuring its season finale, Richmond played another in-state opponent: William & Mary. The Tribe took the Spiders to the wire, losing in overtime, 23-20. In another game of note, William & Mary opened the 2008 season against N.C. State in Raleigh. The Tribe outscored the Wolfpack in the second half but fell in the end, 24-14. These strong performances showed Groh all he needed to know about William & Mary's high-powered offense.\n"We have complete exchange with William & Mary," Groh said. "It's one of the highest scoring teams last year that they've had there in coach Laycock's 30-year tenure."\nIndeed, William & Mary averaged an impressive 397.5 yards and 32.8 points per game last season. Although the Tribe lost graduated senior quarterback Jake Phillips - brother of former Virginia tight end John Phillips - Groh said he is impressed by wide receiver-turned quarterback R.J. Archer.\n"We've had a chance to watch some of the games that he played in previous years as a wide receiver," Groh said. "And we also respect the fact that we had a pretty good quarterback here in '05 to '06 who played wide receiver the previous two seasons, so we use that as a precedent ... We have a very high appreciation of how a guy can step in and do very well, especially when he's a veteran player."\nIf Archer really is the second coming of former Virginia quarterback Marques Hagan, then the Cavaliers certainly have reason for concern come Saturday.\nAt least Groh knows the other team's starting quarterback. Once he decides on his own, the 2009 season will finally begin.
(09/01/09 8:24am)
By the time Virginia Tech comes to town, Vic Hall might be lining up for the game winning field goal.\nFor now, Virginia coach Al Groh is content to name Hall the team's starting punt returner. Never mind that Hall is also the leading candidate to be the team's starting quarterback; that starting quarterbacks rarely do anything other than play quarterback; that returning punts often involves head-on collisions with 200-pound giants running full-speed with the sole purpose of laying the returner flat on his back.\nHall may run the first punt back for a 60-yard, dazzling touchdown. Or, he may tear his ACL and never play college football again.\nCertainly, Hall already faces the possibility of injury as a running quarterback, but putting him in the position to return punts only exacerbates the problem inherent to his style of play.\nBut after enduring a disappointing 5-7 season last year, during which Virginia ranked last in the ACC in both scoring offense (16.1 points per game) and total offense (299.8 yards per game), and 10th in punt return average (6.6 yards per game), Groh appears willing to take some risks if it means boosting offensive production.\n"Vic's our best punt returner," Groh said. "So when it's time to return punts, that's all that's at heart, that's at issue. We have a chance to score on that play; I want to put our guy back there who gives us our best chance to do that. We want to handle the ball cleanly - to do otherwise, we jeopardize our chance to win."\nHeading into his last season at Virginia, Hall seems determined to be the Cavaliers' Renaissance man, doing whatever it takes to win.\n"I'm just taking it one day at a time, taking every moment in and leaving it all on the field," Hall said. "'Cause no matter what happens - if I make it to the next level or not - I can never get college football back."\nPerhaps it is this sense of urgency that has inspired Hall to take on his new roles with such vigor.\n"He wants a few other jobs, too," Groh said, "if we'd let him have them."\nBut no matter how badly Hall wants to be Virginia's superhero this season, he is not immune to the basic human condition of fatigue. Even Hall acknowledges the difficulty associated with returning punts and immediately lining up under center on first down.\n"Definitely I'm limited," Hall said. "If I have to, I could go play quarterback, but we have other guys obviously who could play quarterback in that situation."\n"That situation" will occur every time the opposing team punts.\n"That's one thing we know for sure," Groh said. "We'll have Vic back there every time [they punt]."\nIf this is indeed the case, Groh and offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon may have to give more snaps to junior Marc Verica or senior Jameel Sewell, raising a couple of potential problems. First - featuring multiple quarterbacks in a single series could disrupt any offensive rhythm the team builds. Moreover, the use of Sewell or Verica on first down may actually make the offense more predictable. Any attentive defense should recognize that when the starting quarterback is on the sideline, the offense is more likely to hand the ball off to a running back.\nDespite these potential problems, if Hall does become an effective returner, he will have a chance to ignite the offense with big plays - the likes of which Virginia saw few and far between last year.\n"It's a position that I've learned," Hall said. "And once you learn something, you have fun doing it, 'cause it's catch and run."\nThat could be the mantra of the 2009 Virginia football team: Run, Hall, run.
(08/31/09 7:30am)
There should not be any shame in losing to the University of Southern California, where Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks double as Calvin Klein models; where high-profile basketball recruits "matriculate" for one year to declare their candidacy for next year's NBA draft; where the ocean breeze carries a winning current and beautiful women to shore. As it turns out, the West Coast juggernaut of college athletics plays a little tennis on the side.\nBut heading into the quarterfinal round of the NCAA men's tennis tournament, No. 1 Virginia expected to beat the No. 8 Trojans and continue its march toward a national championship. Considering their unblemished r
(08/28/09 1:22am)
It has been seven years since Virginia offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon sat in the press box, calling plays from above. That was for a man named Urban Meyer, then coach at Bowling Green, now known for the two national championships he won at the helm of a high-powered Florida offense.\nA lot has happened since then. The Red Sox finally won the Series - twice. Brett Favre has floated in and out of retirement. America has crowned its first king: James - Lebron, that is.\nEven through all of that, Brandon still gets bubbly when he talks about his dynamic spread offense.\n"Getting a chance to be back in a situation to run an offense is very exciting for me," Brandon said. "I'm really up for the challenge."\nBrandon makes it quite clear what his spread offense is designed for: a versatile quarterback who can stretch the defense and scramble out of the pocket to make a play if need be.\n"The offense is built for a quarterback who can run," Brandon said. "[Senior Jameel] Sewell, [senior Vic] Hall - they're all nifty on the perimeter."\nBrandon did throw a bone to Virginia's third potential starting quarterback, junior Mark Verica, praising his ability to "make a guy miss out there and get yards."\nBut even Verica acknowledges his limitations when the pocket closes.\n"In the pocket, two hands on the ball," Verica said. "If you're out scrambling, just throw it away."\nThat does not sound like the appropriate mantra of Brandon's spread offense.\n"The element of the quarterback running - I think that's one of the X-factors of the offense," Brandon said. "'Cause if you line up in the shotgun, a lot of defenses don't account for it - so it's the 12th guy."\nThat formation is certainly reminiscent of Hall's all-time best performance against Virginia Tech last year, during which the quarterback rushed for 109 yards and two touchdowns, including a 40-yard breakaway thriller. Hall did not complete a pass in that game, however, which begs a question: Can a guy who has not been a full-time quarterback since high school make smart decisions in the passing game; or, quite simply, can he move the chains with his arm?\n"He's come a long way from the spring," Brandon said. "Just with his footwork, who he's supposed to be looking at on the throws we're asking him to make."\nPerhaps even more importantly, it's unclear whether the 5-foot-9 quarterback can even see over the line of 6-foot-6 giants who protect him from the pass rush. If he does manage to find passing lanes, it will be up to an inexperienced receiving corps to get open and generate first downs.\nThe Cavaliers have lost their top two leading receivers from last season - NFL-bound Kevin Ogletree and graduated senior Maurice Covington - who combined for 1137 receiving yards in 2008, leaving sophomore Jared Green as the only returning wide receiver who grabbed double-digit receptions last year. Green totaled 144 yards on 12 catches while appearing in all 12 games.\n"We're not thin at receiver but we're young there," Brandon said. "Those guys will continue to mature and grow."\nBrandon has a fresh crop of receivers to pick from for his offense, including the speedy redshirt freshman Javaris Brown, an unproven Dontrelle Inman - who played in each game last season but only caught two passes for 22 yards - and sophomore Kris Burd, who nabbed seven receptions for 65 yards a year ago.\nIn addition to the possible holes at wide receiver, Virginia also will have to try to fill the void left by the departure of John Phillips, the last in a long line of Cavalier tight ends to make the jump to the NFL. Heath Miller of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tom Santi of the Indianapolis Colts come to mind. The legacy these powerful offensive anchors have left behind has led many to refer to Virginia as "Tight End-U." Brandon insists he is committed to continuing the trend.\n"We're playing with a tight end and the tight ends are doing a nice job," Brandon said. "It's really about getting the best people on the field and then spreading the field and taking advantages of mismatches that way."\nJunior Joe Torchia, who played in seven contests last season without a single reception, is expected to start the season at tight end. His lack of experience splitting out wide to the perimeter raises questions about Virginia's potential downfield options.\nBe that as it may, Brandon does not seem reluctant to employ a variety of formations.\n"I'd like to see Sewell and Vic out there together," Brandon said. "That's another package that [we are] kind of thinking through a little bit."\nIndeed, the key to Virginia's success on offense this season may be Brandon's ability to manage his trio of quarterbacks in unorthodox ways.\n"If you have a quarterback that can shift into the slot and throw him the ball - I mean that's a whole different deal," Brandon said. "Or you can just use him as kind of a decoy"
(08/27/09 12:10am)
Michael Shabaz is by all accounts an impressive tennis player. His no-holds-bar serve is difficult for opponents to return effectively, as they instead frequently scuff the ball into the net or launch it into the stands. Although serious and driven on the court, the Virginia sophomore loves to make jokes with his doubles partner, senior Dominic Inglot.\n"We were joking about it the whole year - winning a national title in doubles," Shabaz said. "We just felt like we were one of the most talented teams out there."\nAlthough Inglot may have injected a bit of his British humor into the conversation, it is hard to imagine him being amused by the serious prospect of winning a doubles title.\nPutting aside the unlikely scenario in which Shabaz and Inglot laughed at the thought of achieving such a goal, the doubles tandem made the dream a reality when the pair defeated No. 2-seed Davey Sandgren and John-Patrick Smith of Tennessee in the Ncs in May.\n"Both did not play their best tennis in the singles championships but continued to battle and persevere," Virginia coach Brian Boland said. "They started off the year as our No. 2 doubles team and continued to get better ... They deserve so much credit for showing such confidence and resilience, especially under the circumstances they were under."\nAfter dropping the first set, 5-7, against Ole Miss' top doubles team in the round of 32, the pair's title chances were on the verge of slipping away. The Cavaliers took the second set, 6-3, though, and secured the victory when Shabaz served out the match to take the third set, 6-4.\n"That first match was as tight as could be," Shabaz said. "We broke a 4-all set, and I think once we won that, we kind of felt like our draw was wide open after that ,,, We kind of felt like we could just run with the title."\nThe doubles tandem cruised through the next two rounds against Texas Tech and Pepperdine, winning each match in straight sets to wind up in a semifinal matchup against the North Carolina duo of Clay Donato and Taylor Fogleman. The two teams already had squared off three times previously this season, with the Tar Heel tandem taking the regular season and NCAA Regional matches, 8-5 and 8-3, respectively. The lone victory for Inglot and Shabaz came in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament, during which the pair snatched an 8-3 victory en route to a 4-0 rout of the Tar Heels .\n"When you play somebody over and over, both teams have a feel for each other, but at the same time it's a guessing game - who's going to throw something different at each other," Shabaz said. "They were probably the best team that gave us a run for our money."\nThe Cavaliers' eventual 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory set up a rematch of the National Indoor Championship semifinals with Tennessee's Sandgren and Smith, the No. 2 doubles team in the country, which Virginia bested in the fall.\nFor the third time in the doubles championships, however, Virginia fell to a one-set deficit, needing to grab two sets in a row to win.\n"Going in to [the match] we felt good, but they came out on fire," Shabaz said. "They took care of us in the first set."\nShabaz believes the three-set format, different from the eight-game pro-set used in team competition all year long, favored the Virginia duo.\n"The better team usually wins in a longer match," Shabaz said.
(08/27/09 12:09am)
Virginia women's basketball coach Debbie Ryan announced yesterday that junior forward Kelly Hartig has transferred from the University, citing academic reasons. Hartig started in 32 games last season, averaging 1.4 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. She will attend University of Colorado-Denver this fall, where she does not plan to continue playing college basketball. Her older sister Jayna, a redshirt junior, will stay with the team.\n-compiled by Andrew Seidman
(08/22/09 10:11am)
I'm at the Grandover Resort in Greensboro, N.C. for the "ACC Football Kickoff," where the entire ACC media has congregated to collectively suck up to every human being who is at least 6 feet, 200 pounds.\nIt's one hell of a spectacle - the media sycophants gather around the superhuman football players and try to imbibe as much of their glory as possible. One reporter tries to befriend Vic Hall by praising his dreadlocks, as if the hairstyle distinguishes him from any other athlete in the room (I count at least four others).\n"That's kind of your trademark, now, isn't it?" the writer asks.\nHall, with great enthusiasm, responds, "Yeah, right now."\nUpdate: He may cut them in the future.\nSo whose presence is felt the most in this room full of top-notch athletes and potential Heisman candidates? It has to be Clemson running back C.J. Spiller, or, more specifically, the life-sized cardboard cutout poster of the player that accompanied the Heisman candidate on his trip to the resort. Naturally, my first impression of this fellow is that he's either a self-aggrandizing prima donna of the likes of Terrell Owens, or he's the real deal, and everyone should know it. Then again, if I entered my senior year just 921 all-purpose yards short of the ACC record, I'd probably carry around another version of me, too.\nBut after listening to him "talk," it turns out the poster has more personality than the real-life human being. It even drew questions from an honorary member of the media.\n"I interviewed the poster," Florida State senior linebacker Dekoda Watson said. Quarterback Christian "Ponder was holdin' the poster up, and I'm sittin' there askin' questions ... he had a nice smile."\nIf Spiller is the conference's most explosive player, Watson may be one of its most fearless. Not only did he have the audacity to stare down and question Spiller's alter-ego, the 226-pound linebacker also took a not-so-subtle shot at Georgia Tech running back Jonathan Dwyer, the 2008 ACC rushing champion and Player of the Year. When asked about Dwyer, Watson replied, "You said who?" Although he played the comment off as a joke, Watson does not appear to be intimidated by the conference's most dynamic offensive players, Spiller included.\nAs for the most bizarre interview session I stumbled upon, the award goes to Willie Young, N.C. State's redshirt graduate defensive end. Young deflected the notion of a rivalry between N.C. State and North Carolina.\n"I don't know anything about those guys over there," he said. "I don't know nothin' about 'em. For real, I just know that we come out and play once a year, try to tear each other's head off, with no sympathy. Other than that - it's balls to the wall - best team - whoever shows up wins the game."\nThis was presented in all seriousness.\nAsked if he ever keeps an eye on what goes on over at Chapel Hill, Young responded with a definitive, "Nahhhh."\nNow, you may have glanced at Virginia's schedule and realized N.C. State isn't on the itinerary. Virginia fans should be thankful for that; I'm not sure we're ready for a "balls to the wall" showdown against this Young character, who apparently has a proclivity for delivering blows to the head with no regard for human life. The Cavaliers may have enough headaches on their plate to deal with already.\nIn other news, Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen apparently lost 95 pounds, down to a solid 306. Five more pounds and he wears a thong in a commercial with Andy Reid.\nAnd I must say, it's not a bad move for coach Reid; if anything will shift the Philadelphia media's attention away from Michael Vick, it's gotta be Reid in a Speedo. But I digress...\nAs much as I hate Maryland, it's hard to not sympathize with Friedgen. A borderline diabetic who flirted with 400 pounds is not someone I normally feel like taunting.\n"I had a daughter that went over to Europe spring semester," Friedgen said. "And of course she came back, and she said, 'I've got a new father.'"\nI can root for a guy like that.\nThe goal of these media days, as I understand it, was to help to determine the shape of the league. The general consensus among the players and coaches was that the ACC is a league of parity, lacking clear front-runners and even bottom-dwellers (there's talk of Duke emerging from the cellar). Thus, left without a clear picture of how the season will unfold, I can only present a select few indisputable facts that came to my attention at the ACC Kickoff.\n1. Wake Forest quarterback Riley Skinner is good at golf.\n2. The fans aren't the only party guilty of arrogance at Clemson.\n3. Virginia has three potential starting quarterbacks. I'm hoping we go with the dreadlocks.
(04/21/09 5:31am)
As if tearing through the ACC regular season to go undefeated for the second consecutive year, extending its ACC winning streak to 45 games and notching its third ACC Championship in as many years was not enough, the Virginia men’s tennis team added a little icing on the cake: Showing no mercy, the No. 1 Cavaliers achieved an unprecedented ACC Championship feat by sweeping each match, 4-0.“It’s a tremendous accomplishment, and I’m really proud of the team and everyone that put so much effort into the program,” Virginia coach Brian Boland said. “Each year brings a new challenge, and any time you win an ACC championship, it’s something that you have to enjoy.”One week after dismantling No. 20 Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C. by a score of 6-1, Virginia (29-0) took on the Demon Deacons (20-9) for the second time in Cary, N.C. in the tournament finals. The result of the match — a Virginia victory — was the same, but the implications were even sweeter with an ACC Championship on the line. After the Cavaliers grabbed the doubles point, No. 17 senior Dominic Inglot struck first in singles with a 6-4, 6-3 win against No. 12 senior Cory Parr to extend the lead to 2-0.“It’s something Dom’s been striving for a long time now — to rise up to big moments,” Boland said. “He did it this past weekend.”Virginia sealed the victory with triumphs from freshman Drew Courtney and sophomore Sanam Singh at the No. 5 and No. 2 singles slots, respectively.“I don’t think many people expected us to do this after losing Somdev,” Singh said, noting the departure of former teammate and 2007 and 2008 NCAA singles champion Somdev Devvarman. The Cavaliers began tournament play in the same way they ended it — with utter domination.Virginia’s quarterfinal match against No. 8 seed North Carolina featured a doubles rematch of Inglot and sophomore Michael Shabaz’s senior day loss against the No. 16 ranked duo of junior Clay Donato and senior Taylor Fogleman. This time around, however, the pair delivered a convincing 8-3 trouncing that set the tone for the rest of the match and even the tournament.“Michael and Dom just came out and returned so well,” Boland said. “I believe they broke five straight times — which is almost unheard of, particularly at No. 1 doubles, where you usually see a lot of big servers — so they were just hitting the ball, returning extremely well, probably as well as I’ve seen Dom return all year. That was the key to their success against North Carolina.”After clinching the doubles point with another 8-3 victory for Singh and junior Houston Barrick in the No. 2 slot, the Cavaliers cruised in singles with wins from Shabaz, Courtney and junior Lee Singer.In one of the more enticing matchups of the tournament, Virginia advanced to the semifinals to play No. 4 seed Florida State. In a tightly contested regular season match March 29, the No. 16 Seminoles nearly snapped the Cavaliers’ undefeated streak with wins at both No. 1 and No. 2 singles. With a trip to the ACC finals at stake, however, Inglot and Singh came through with two crucial wins. After dropping the first set to No. 51 sophomore Clint Bowles, 1-6, No. 27 Singh bounced back to take the next two matches, 6-3, 6-2.“I just hung in there and took the second set and had momentum with me,” Singh said.An important factor all weekend for the Cavaliers was Shabaz’s doubles play. Although Inglot struggled at times, Boland said, Shabaz remained poised at all times.“Michael, from a doubles standpoint, was consistent all weekend and was probably the best doubles player on the court the entire weekend of any team that I saw play,” Boland said. “He has an unbelievable gift and he put it to good use this past weekend.”Coming off a strong individual performance in the ACC tournament, Shabaz is now preparing for the NCAA Tournament at Texas A&M in three weeks.“We need a little bit of luck — that always helps,” Shabaz said. “Fitness is a big thing; it’s [going to] be really hot in Texas.”The Cavaliers find themselves in a similar position to last year’s team: undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the nation heading into the NCAAs. Last year, Virginia bowed out to No. 4 Georgia in the semifinals of the 64-team tournament.“The one thing we need to continue to stress is to do what we did this past weekend,” Boland said, “which is to remain completely composed through each and every match.”Although the team personnel has changed after losing three starters from last year’s squad, Boland said his approach will be similar.“In both cases, we had an awful lot of confidence,” Boland said. “In most years, we peak this time of the year and use these particular three weeks to play our best tennis ... to go out and improve over the next three weeks, both physically and mentally.”With only three weeks remaining in the postseason, the Cavaliers are not necessarily forgetting their success so far, but simply are focusing on what lies ahead.“All we try to do in the NCAA Tournament is give ourselves a chance,” Boland said, “and we’ve done that for six plus years now, and I don’t think it’ll be any different this year. Hopefully this will be our year, and we’ll leave it out on the court.”Notes: Against Florida State, Inglot won a 7-6, 7-6 nailbiter against No. 16 junior Jean-Yves Aubone ... Inglot and Shabaz, ranked No. 13 in the nation, dropped their doubles match against Wake Forest’s No. 11 team of senior Cory Parr and junior Steve Forman; Inglot/Shabaz won the teams’ regular season match ... By winning the ACC Championships, Virginia received an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
(04/16/09 5:48am)
For the second consecutive year, the Virginia men’s tennis team has marched through its regular season undefeated and mostly unchallenged. A 4-3 battle here, a 5-2 test there — the Cavaliers rarely were threatened during the 2008-09 campaign. The Cavaliers now will try to maintain this perfect record in the postseason, beginning with the ACC tournament this weekend as the No. 1 seed.“It’s a great accomplishment, and I’m certainly proud of the success we’ve had thus far,” Virginia coach Brian Boland said. “But I think everyone on the team understands that the hard work is in front of us — we certainly should use that as momentum as we go into the postseason. This is what we work for — to have the opportunity to play in the postseason at a high level.”Coming off a pair of 6-1 victories against then-No. 25 Wake Forest and then-No. 51 North Carolina State last weekend, the No. 1 Cavaliers (26-0, 11-0 ACC) will begin play Friday after a first-round bye. Virginia awaits the winner of Thursday’s match between No. 8 seed North Carolina and No. 9 seed Clemson.The Cavaliers beat both teams decisively at home in their regular season matchups, first downing the Tigers 6-1 March 20, and later sweeping the Tar Heels 7-0 on senior day.Virginia is not expecting to defeat its opponents as easily this time, however, as the matches will be played at a neutral site in Cary, N.C.“We played both teams at home here — that helps a little bit,” sophomore Michael Shabaz said. “It’s neutral grounds — everyone’s going to be ready to play — hopefully we can just carry over what we’ve done the last few weeks into the ACC Tournament.”Virginia’s lineup and strategy also may alter slightly. After playing in the No. 2 doubles slot for the majority of the season, the duo of senior Dominic Inglot and Shabaz — ranked No. 13 in the nation — will play in the No. 1 spot during the tournament. The former top team, composed of sophomore Sanam Singh and junior Houston Barrick, will move to No. 2 doubles.“Both teams play at an extremely high level,” Boland said. “Regardless, they can both play [No.] 1 or [No.] 2 ... Dom and Michael have been playing well at [No.] 1, so we just stuck with them.”Boland has experimented with the switch during the past few weeks, with mostly strong results. In outdoor play at the No. 1 spot, Inglot and Shabaz have compiled a 6-1 record, including wins against Clemson, Miami and Florida State. The pair’s only loss came against North Carolina’s then-No. 27-ranked team of junior Clay Donato and senior Taylor Fogleman. They bounced back, however, by topping the then-No. 1 doubles team in the nation, Wake Forest’s tandem of senior Cory Parr and junior Steve Forman, in an 8-6 road victory. They then notched another win against N.C. State the following day, 9-8.“It’s been all right so far,” Shabaz said, referring to the team’s performance in No. 1 doubles. “We had a good past weekend — hopefully we can take the confidence from the two wins and get better in the ACC Tournament [because] we could play those guys again.”Meanwhile, Singh and Barrick — ranked No. 6 nationally — have thrived in the No. 2 slot, posting a 6-0 record in outdoor contests. Singh said both teams are comfortable in either position.“Michael and Dom and Houston and I are at the same level — any of us can play [No.] 1 or [No.] 2,” Singh said. “We keep switching it up because of matchups and rankings — and we leave that on the court and go out and play.”But Inglot’s shaky play at No. 1 singles may be a concern for the Cavaliers. The senior dropped both matches during the weekend and suffered a “tweaked wrist,” doubles partner Shabaz said. Boland said, however, that Inglot has “fully recovered.”Still, it remains to be seen whether Inglot will be completely healthy Friday. He did not practice Tuesday and has dealt with a slew of injuries throughout the season, ranging from shoulder pain to a stomach ailment. It took three exhaustive sets for Inglot to put away North Carolina’s Donato in singles when healthy, so the added strain of a wrist injury may prove costly for the senior.If Virginia can overcome this setback and reach the tournament finals, it could face either No. 4 seed Florida State or No. 2 seed Miami, both of which the Cavaliers defeated in 4-3 thrillers this season. The Hurricanes took the Cavaliers to the wire during their regular season meeting, climbing back from a 3-1 deficit to tie the match at 3-3, until Singh clinched the victory at the No. 2 spot. The Seminoles, meanwhile, provided another scare during the following match, striking down both Inglot and Singh in the top two singles matchups. Despite these missteps, Virginia secured the victory with wins from Shabaz, Barrick and freshman Drew Courtney.But the potential for a rematch has not fazed Boland, who said he remains focused on the team’s first match.“I didn’t even know that was the bracket — I’m glad you told me that,” Boland said. “I don’t know. Right now, it’s Clemson or North Carolina.”Shabaz, fully aware of the tournament setup, said he is confident the Cavaliers would prevail in a potential rematch.“When we played them, we played at their house, so that definitely helped them,” Shabaz said. “Hopefully, if we do play them down the road, then it’s not as close as the prior matches. I think it will help us that we’re on neutral grounds because I think we are the better team, and we’ve proven that so far.”Although top-ranked Virginia appears to be the favorite heading into the tournament, Singh noted that the higher stakes may elevate the other teams’ play.“It’s always different with regular season and the tournament,” Singh said. “Even if we beat those teams [easily] in the regular season, sometimes it can get tight in the tournament because it’s a different atmosphere, and we’re playing for something more than just a normal dual match.”
(04/10/09 5:39am)
The No. 1 Virginia men’s tennis team will bid for a consecutive undefeated regular season this weekend on the road against No. 25 Wake Forest and No. 51 North Carolina State.With a win Friday in Winston-Salem, the Cavaliers (24-0, 9-0 ACC) will clinch sole possession of the ACC title. The Demon Deacons (17-7, 7-2 ACC) have won five of their last six matches, however, including a 4-2 home victory against No. 16 Florida State, which took Virginia to the wire two weeks ago in Tallahassee. Wake’s top two singles players, No. 21 senior Cory Parr and junior Steve Forman, led the way with victories against No. 11 junior Jean-Yves Aubone and No. 49 sophomore Clint Bowles, respectively.Virginia senior Dominic Inglot and sophomore Sanam Singh did not fare as well in the top lines against the Seminoles, each falling in three sets. After returning home last week to play then-No. 25 Duke and then-No. 39 North Carolina, however, Inglot rediscovered his stroke with victories against two top-40 opponents.The match “was a great reflection of his character,” Virginia coach Brian Boland said. “By the way that match turned out and how he was able to get down a set and a break and battle back, find a way back in the match and then play a really good super-tiebreaker.”While Parr will most likely pose a challenge to Inglot in No. 1 singles, the Cavaliers may have to focus more on their doubles play. Virginia dropped the doubles point last Friday against Duke for the first time in more than a month and only the second time this season, losing in both the No. 1 and No. 2 spots. Although the pair of Singh and junior Houston Barrick — ranked No. 6 nationally — bounced back Sunday against North Carolina, Inglot and sophomore partner Michael Shabaz — ranked No. 14 — continued to struggle, losing 5-8.“Me and Dom just have to be a little more consistent — I think we’re too erratic at times,” Shabaz said. “Sometimes we’re making them play and sometimes we’re hitting the back fence with shots.”Inglot said the pair needs to start strong — both in their serves and returns — to avoid another letdown.“The times we struggle is when we put ourselves in a hole early on ... we get broken early,” Inglot said. “The three times we’ve lost this year, we got broken straight away, and there’s actually been so many times we’ve pulled it out after being broken- but that doesn’t help.”Boland tried switching around the lineup against the Tar Heels, placing the default No. 1 team Singh and Barrick in No. 2 doubles, while Inglot and Shabaz moved to the top slot. Whoever plays in No. 1 doubles against Wake Forest will have their hands full against top-ranked tandem Parr and Forman.“Wake have the No. 1 doubles team in the country ... they’re gonna pose a threat,” Inglot said. “We’re gonna have to start out with doubles — get that doubles point — and try to make our way through.”The Demon Deacon duo also has struggled recently, however, dropping its last three matches against North Carolina, Florida State and N.C. State. Wake Forest’s lower-seeded doubles teams have compensated for the slide with clutch victories of their own, however, meaning Virginia freshman Drew Courtney and junior Lee Singer may need to continue their stellar play in the No. 3 spot to help grab the doubles point for the Cavaliers. The pair has compiled a 18-4 record thus far, including a crucial win against the Tar Heels to clinch the doubles point last Sunday.Singer may be needed in singles as well, given the recent struggles of freshman Steven Eelkman Rooda. Boland inserted Singer into the singles lineup for the last match, and said he was pleased with the junior’s performance.“I’m trying to give Lee as many opportunities as he can,” Boland said. “He has a lot of potential and has an awful lot of experience, so we feel like Lee can do great things for us if he’s asked to play. The great thing about Lee is he’s always ready — he’s dealt with an awful lot of adversity.”The Cavaliers will continue play Sunday against N.C. State (9-12, 3-6 ACC) in its final regular season match. The Wolfpack enters the contest with a five-game losing streak, including three home defeats. Despite the slide, it still sits safely in 10th place in the ACC, ahead of Maryland and winless Boston College. If Virginia meets expectations and pulls out a victory, it will head into tournament play as the only undefeated team in the nation.
(04/09/09 4:58am)
“When you look back at Somdev and Treat ...”When commentary about his current team usually includes the words, “Somdev Devvarman,” “Treat Huey” or some combination of the two, Virginia men’s tennis coach Brian Boland’s model of success is clear. But even if the former No. 1-ranked doubles tandem may be the prototype for the program, Boland said the formation of pairings does not always follow a strict formula.“First and foremost, you try to find two guys that really like playing together and really believe in each other,” Boland said. “I’ve had doubles teams that were really successful that weren’t necessarily best friends off the court but really gelled together on the court.”Part of gelling on the court comes from strong communication and the ability to make in-game adjustments. This skill has been instrumental for senior Dominic Inglot and sophomore Michael Shabaz, who make up one of Virginia’s top teams. When these two players are on the court together, the net player often will hand signal to indicate a read on an opponent’s serve.“The main thing is before each serve we tell each other what we’re [going to] serve and what the net guy is [going to] do,” Shabaz said. “If we know one of the returners has a weaker, say, backhand return, we’ll definitely call whether the serve’s going to the back hand ... and depending on where they like to hit it, we make adjustments to where the net guy is [going to] move. So definitely the communication is huge in doubles — if you’re communicating well, good things are happening.”The partnership between Inglot and Shabaz began midway through last year’s season, as Boland placed the pair in the No. 2 spot. Now, the team is ranked No. 14 in the nation and boasts a 19-3 record.“Me and Michael complement each other well,” Inglot said. “We are kind of similar — we have the same mindset on the court, we know how to communicate with each other pretty well.”Boland called the experience of playing together for nearly two years “a huge advantage.” Their experience was countered recently, however, as the pair dropped two matches to an unranked Duke pair and the No. 27 North Carolina team of junior Clay Donato and senior Taylor Fogleman. Indeed, as the team heads toward postseason play, its experience must be supplemented by refinements in strategy.“We’re [going to] talk about our tactics — about who’s serving first — about what we want to tactically do at the beginning of the game,” Inglot said. “If we start off well, I really don’t think there’s a team in this country that can get a match against us and I feel really confident we can beat everyone.”It is not only planned strategies and tactics that can lead to victories, however, but complementary game styles as well.“You’d like someone that maybe is more of a setter, and someone who’s more of a hitter,” Boland said. “Someone like Somdev who made a lot of balls, and Treat, [who] put a lot of balls away.”The latest example of this is Virginia’s other top doubles team, composed of sophomore Sanam Singh and junior Houston Barrick.“Our game styles are so different,” Singh said. “Houston likes to scrap a lot of points — I’m different. I like to hit the ball, so he’s really good at the net and I complement him well from hitting from the baseline. It’s a good mix, and we’ve come together.”The pair started playing together in the No. 3 spot about halfway through the 2007-08 season, giving the two plenty of experience to build upon for this year’s campaign. They have thrived in the No. 1 slot for the Cavaliers, posting an 18-3 record in dual matches. Currently, Singh and Barrick are ranked No. 6 in the nation, having ascended as high as No. 2 at one point this season. Their development — along with the consistent play of freshman Drew Courtney and junior Lee Singer in the No. 3 position — is a large reason why the No. 1 Cavaliers (24-0, 9-0 ACC) have dropped the doubles point only twice this season.“We’ve been playing good doubles, and I feel we need to keep doing that if we want to do well in May,” Singh said, referring to Virginia’s national championship aspirations. “It’s certainly important to get the doubles point, especially when the conditions get harder and it’s away from home.”Although it may be difficult to play in the shadow of one of the best college tennis players of all time, this year’s team — largely because of its strong doubles play — has a chance to accomplish something that Somdev Devvarman’s squad never did at Virginia: Win an NCAA Championship.
(04/06/09 4:49am)
Dominic Inglot would not be denied a victory on his senior day. After he and sophomore partner Michael Shabaz lost to North Carolina in doubles for the second consecutive match, Inglot made a stand.“Senior day, last day here, regular season — I didn’t want to lose two matches in a day,” Inglot said. “I haven’t done that all year, and I didn’t want that to be the first on senior day. I really just tried to figure a way to win ... and go out with a bang.”Despite the motivation that spurred on the No. 1 Virginia men’s tennis team (24-0, 9-0 ACC), No. 17 Inglot’s comeback did not come easily against North Carolina’s No. 35 junior Clay Donato. Inglot dropped the first set 5-7 and trailed for much of the second set.“It was really warm today, so the tension in my racket was pretty loose,” Inglot said. “I was serving really big, I just couldn’t make any ground strikes — everything was flying.”With the chance to win his last home match slipping away, Inglot altered his strategy. Trailing 2-3 in the second set, he said he could no longer sit back on his returns.“I just told coach, ‘Listen, I’m just gonna try to come to the net on everything, even off this serve, because it’s just not working me staying in the back,’” Inglot said. “‘I can’t rally right now, and he’s just waiting for me to make mistakes. I’m gonna make the slice, come in, and let’s see if he can pass — let’s make him step up and win this match.’”Inglot’s new strategy proved effective, as he broke Donato to tie the set at 3-3. The senior then grabbed the next three games to win the set 6-3. Riding the momentum gained from winning four consecutive games, Inglot burst out to a 3-0 lead in tiebreakers, and went on to win 10-7.“I think he didn’t expect that,” Inglot said. “I felt that was the momentum shift right there. It was 3-2, he was serving and I got the break to go 3-3. I felt really good ... I knew that was the game tactic to carry on.”No. 20 Shabaz also bounced back from both a disappointing day Friday against Duke and the loss in doubles against No. 39 North Carolina (14-7, 3-5 ACC) to play nearly flawless tennis in singles against junior Andrew Crone. Shabaz jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the first set and never trailed, winning each set by a 6-2 margin.“Right now I’m feeling really good,” Shabaz said. “I was serving well — and when I serve well, usually if I can get on a few returns, it makes my life a lot easier. I felt like the ball was coming off my racket nicely, so I could kind of bully him around the court.”Virginia coach Brian Boland said Shabaz’s performance in singles was encouraging after he struggled in the previous match against Duke.“Michael had a really off-day on Friday ... he was extremely frustrated ... and came ready to play today,” Boland said. “They were a little shaky in doubles, but with all that being said, Michael was extraordinarily sharp in singles — I think everybody saw that. He must have hit 20-25 aces. He was moving well and completely engaged in the match.”The success for the Cavaliers continued further down in the lineup with the play of freshman Drew Courtney and junior Lee Singer. Playing in No. 3 doubles, the tandem clinched the point with an 8-5 win, rendering the Inglot/Shabaz loss irrelevant. Singer and Courtney then grabbed the first two singles points with 6-4, 6-2, and 6-2, 6-2 victories, respectively.“You gotta give a lot of credit to Lee Singer ... he stepped in and did an excellent job,” Boland said. “And of course, Drew Courtney — he just keeps getting better. What a freshman campaign he’s had.”Sophomore Sanam Singh and junior Houston Barrick completed the 7-0 victory for Virginia, which notched its 10th shut-out this season. In Friday’s match against No. 25 Duke (12-6, 5-3 ACC), Virginia dropped its first doubles point since Feb. 14 against UCLA. Although the pair of Singer and Courtney grabbed the first doubles match for the Cavaliers by a score of 8-3, Duke stole the next two to win the point.The Cavaliers immediately bounced back in singles, however, winning the first three points. No. 25 Singh quickly put away No. 55 senior Kiril Dimitrov in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2. In the No. 1 spot, Inglot defeated No. 38 sophomore Reid Carleton, 7-6, 6-0. Courtney’s 6-3, 7-5 win extended the lead, which proved to be insurmountable. Barrick sealed the 4-3 Virginia victory with a 6-3, 6-2 win in the fourth slot.The Cavaliers will head to Wake Forest and N.C. State next weekend in their final tune-up before the ACC tournament. Notes: Seniors Nick Meros and Leif Sunderland also were honored at the intermission of the North Carolina match ... Singer replaced freshman Steven Eelkman Rooda in singles ... Inglot’s singles win against Duke broke a two-game slide.
(04/03/09 4:38am)
Though playing the likes of North Carolina and Duke in basketball in the same weekend might be challenging, the Virginia men’s tennis team will likely face less resistance when it faces the two conference rivals today and Sunday.Although the Blue Devils (12-5, 5-2 ACC) and the Tar Heels (13-6, 2-4 ACC) have had relatively successful seasons thus far, neither boasts an undefeated record like the No. 1 Cavaliers.The No. 25 Blue Devils come to Charlottesville riding a four-game winning streak, despite recent troubles at No. 1 singles. Duke’s top player — No. 35 sophomore Reid Carleton — has struggled outdoors, dropping four of his last seven matches.No. 39 North Carolina, meanwhile, sits in the middle of the pack in the ACC standings, after losing four of its last six conference matches. A bright spot for the Tar Heels has been the strong play of junior Clay Donato, who could pose a challenge to the Cavaliers at No. 1 singles. Donato, ranked No. 35 nationally, has won three consecutive singles matches and took Miami’s Willie Aubone to three sets before finally succumbing in the final set, 10-8. Donato squared off with Duke’s Carleton Tuesday at Chapel Hill. Despite his team’s 2-5 loss, Donato handled Carleton easily, winning in straight sets, 6-4, 4-0.“The top of the [North Carolina] lineup is pretty strong,” Virginia coach Brian Boland said.The Cavaliers (22-0, 7-0 ACC) must handle these top players from both teams this weekend to keep their perfect record intact. But the wear and tear of a long season has begun to catch up with Virginia, which barely pulled out a pair of 4-3 victories against Miami and Florida State on the road last weekend.“It was a long week and a lot of traveling,” senior Dominic Inglot said. “It starts taking a toll a little bit — you try to muscle everything rather than time it well.”Similar to Duke’s Carleton, Inglot dropped both No. 1 singles matches for the Cavaliers. The two players share similar losses, as well; both fell to then-No. 20 junior Jean Yves-Aubone of Florida State and then-No. 29 senior Daniel Vallverdu of Miami, who are now both ranked in the top 15.Inglot suffered a torn-rotator cuff last season and the shoulder pain recently resurfaced, which may be to blame for his recent slide.“The shoulder’s a little tight,” Inglot said. “But I just need to get back and do a little rehab and I should be fine.”This recent inconsistency at No. 1 singles may be the most glaring flaw on a top-ranked, undefeated team. During its six outdoor contests thus far, Virginia dropped four points in the top singles slot. Although this struggle has not yet cost the Cavaliers a match, it is still cause for concern as the postseason approaches and the competition intensifies.“It’s nothing I really want to think about it too much,” Inglot said. “I just want to get over it and then just move forward to Friday and Sunday and try to make up for it and help the team out in singles.”No. 20 sophomore Michael Shabaz, on the other hand, who has won four consecutive singles matches, said he now feels rejuvenated after falling sick earlier in the season. “I’m feeling a little healthier,” Shabaz said. “Guys go in patches during the season [because] the season’s so long — right now I’m on a winning patch.”Inglot, ranked No. 17 nationally, will look to overcome his own losing patch this weekend when the team takes on Duke and North Carolina.“[Inglot] will be ready to play this weekend,” Boland said, “and I think we’ll see a better performance from [Inglot] than we did last weekend.”
(03/23/09 5:57am)
After a topsy-turvy week in Texas during which the Virginia men’s tennis team dealt with a canceled match and a rain delay, the team returned home to resume ACC action this weekend. The Cavaliers won a pair of matches 6-1 at the Snyder Tennis Center against Clemson and Georgia Tech to continue their undefeated season.No. 1 Virginia’s (20-0, 5-0 ACC) return to normalcy began Friday against Clemson (8-7, 0-4 ACC) with a 3-0 victory in doubles to grab the first point. The Cavaliers then grabbed the next three points in singles to take a 4-0 lead, clinching the match. Senior Dominic Inglot, who bounced back from a singles loss to Texas last week to win 6-1, 6-4, led the surge.Though the Tigers extended the match with three-set scuffles in the three, four and five spots, the Cavaliers ultimately emerged victorious in two of the three matches.Virginia continued its dominating play in doubles Sunday against No. 62 Georgia Tech (6-8, 1-4 ACC). After dropping the first game, Virginia’s No. 2 team of Inglot and sophomore Michael Shabaz, who is ranked No. 15 individually, struck back with three straight wins.The streak began in the second game when Shabaz hit four consecutive aces, setting the tone for the rest of the match. He then added three more aces during his next serving game and claimed an 8-5 victory after hitting a trick shot. The highlight of the day came when Shabaz’s volley at the net landed on the far court and spun right back to the front court for a Cavalier point.“I approached and hit a volley at the guy at the net,” Shabaz said, explaining the unorthodox point. “He reflexed it back, and I thought the ball was coming right back at my racket and the wind kind of took it — so I just swung at it and it hit the top of the frame and put some funky back spin on it — so I just barely touched it and it had some crazy spin on it.”For Inglot, the spectacular shot reflected the team’s confidence.“We feel like we’re not [going to] lose a doubles match,” Inglot said. “[Shabaz] can come out with some crazy shots — I’m just happy that he did it [because] I didn’t want to be on the receiving end of a guy hitting a backhand at my face.”With the win, the team improved to 17-1 in doubles. The squad’s success came as no surprise to Virginia coach Brian Boland.“One of the things that’s really come a long ways is their return games,” Boland said. “They really rely on each other, which allows them to be a lot more aggressive ... Both our one and two teams can play either one or two.”Against Clemson, the No. 4 team of Singh and Barrick played in the second slot. But against Georgia Tech, the pair played in the first slot, while Inglot and Shabaz took No. 2.The change did not affect either team, as Singh and Barrick won 8-6 against Georgia Tech’s top team, No. 61 sophomore Guillermo Gomez and sophomore Ryan Smith. Like Inglot and Shabaz, the top team incurred an initial 0-1 deficit but quickly bounced back with a 5-4 lead and never looked back. Singh sealed the match with a winding ace into the back corner.Boland continued to move the lineup in singles, as Shabaz, who played in the No. 3 spot against Clemson, switched places with Singh at No. 2 against Georgia Tech. No. 18 Shabaz jumped out to a 3-0 lead, never trailing in the first set. The result was a 6-2, 6-2 win.“It helps me a lot when I’m making a lot of first serves,” Shabaz said. “When my serve’s popping, then it kind of gives me a lot of short balls to work with — I was able to use my serve and clean up with my volley or my forehand.”After winning the first set 6-3, No. 15 Inglot gave No. 12 Gomez a bit of breathing room by dropping the first game of the second set. But the senior came back with three consecutive wins and ultimately prevailed 6-2.Freshman Drew Courtney and No. 23 Singh clinched the match with 6-3, 6-2 and 6-3, 6-1 wins, respectively. The lineup change did not faze Singh, who noted before the match against Clemson that each player was confident he could win in any spot.“I feel [Inglot], [Shabaz] and I — the coaches just switch us up — anyone can play 1, 2 or 3,” Shabaz said. “It doesn’t really matter; all of us have the same levels — and we have a solid 4-5-6, so there’s no point in changing that ... [Coach Boland] just switches us up whenever he feels like we have a good matchup.”Virginia’s top three players — Inglot, Shabaz, and Singh — have now compiled a combined 43-7 singles record in dual matches. For Boland, however, the team’s strength in part comes from one of its unheralded leaders, Houston Barrick. The junior bounced back from a 4-6, 6-4, 9-11 loss against Clemson with the sixth point for the Cavaliers against Georgia Tech. After yielding the first set 3-6, Barrick climbed back to win the second set 7-5. He completed the Virginia victory with a 10-8 tiebreaker.“[Barrick] — I mean, guts — he’s a no guts, no glory type guy,” Boland said. “[He] always leaves it on the court — that’s the story of Houston Barrick and the kind of leadership we have on our team — led by him and [Inglot]. He bounced back from a difficult loss on Friday, played much, much better today.”Next weekend, Virginia will head back down south to take on Miami and Florida State.Notes: Freshman Steven Eelkman Rooda lost the one singles match for the Cavaliers against Georgia Tech, 1-6, 2-6 ... In No. 3 doubles, Courtney and junior Lee Singer trailed the entire match until they tied the score, 7-7. They won 9-7.
(03/13/09 5:46am)
Just three weeks after emerging as the crème de la crème of college tennis’s most accomplished programs in the National Indoor Championships, the No. 1 Virginia men’s tennis team will face familiar competition this weekend when it travels to No. 11 Baylor and No. 10 Texas, two participants in the mid-season tournament.Although the Cavaliers (17-0, 3-0 ACC) have been able to keep up with their demanding schedule thus far, the team will face two of its more challenging opponents of the season, as they head south to take on the Longhorns (11-2) and Bears (10-4) in difficult weather conditions.“Those two matches are vital,” senior Dominic Inglot said. “Those two guys will be definite contenders for the NCAAs, especially Texas, and it’s also a good idea to get a good feel for what the weather is going to be like; Nationals is at Texas A&M.”Inglot added that the team is still adjusting to outdoor play after competing in its first outdoor match of the season Tuesday, a 6-1 win against Old Dominion.“It really gives us a good feel of what the kind of competition will be like outdoors,” Inglot said. “We’ve played them indoors but that’s a different kind of game, to be honest. Outdoors is a whole new game and we want to see how we match up against those guys.”For Virginia, road-success begins with grabbing the doubles point to take control of the match.“The doubles point is going to be crucial,” Inglot said. “It’s a real momentum-builder; I think we’re really looking good in doubles. When we get that point, we only need three singles after that — and everyone’s doing great — I have a lot of confidence, especially lower down in our lineup.”Virginia’s depth has been a constant factor in the team’s success. Freshman Steven Eelkman Rooda has won six consecutive singles matches, placing him in the No. 5 spot for the Cavaliers. Fellow freshman Drew Courtney, who holds the No. 6 spot, has not given up a match since the first one of the season against Illinois, compiling a 12-match winning streak.Though Virginia has continued to refine its singles attack, it also has continued improving its doubles game.“I know doubles is very important,” sophomore Michael Shabaz said. “It’s very tough to take four points off us as a team.”Neither the Longhorns nor the Bears have played particularly well in doubles. Though Texas features two top-35 tandems, it has dropped the point three times already this season, including two against ranked opponents — then-No. 13 Tulsa and then-No. 6 USC. Baylor, meanwhile, has performed weakly in doubles, losing the point in seven of its 14 matches.It bodes well, therefore, for the Cavaliers that they have not dropped the doubles point since the team’s 4-3 come-from-behind victory against then-No. 4 UCLA in the quarterfinals of National Indoors. Since that break, the team has played nearly flawless tennis in the opening match, winning all 16 points and 36 of 38 matchups. The Cavalier attack is led by the No. 2 pair in the nation, Sophomore Sanam Singh and junior Houston Barrick, followed by No. 23 Inglot and Shabaz, and junior Lee Singer and Courtney.Despite Virginia’s apparent advantage in the doubles department, neither opponent will yield easily. Like Virginia, Baylor defeated then-No. 6 UCLA by a score of 4-3, and Texas also beat a tough opponent in Tulsa. Longhorn junior Dimitar Kutrovsky will test the Cavaliers in the No. 1 singles spot. Kutrovsky has compiled an 8-3 record on the year and was named last week’s Big 12 Player of the Week after leading his team to a 5-2 win against Vanderbilt. Baylor also boasts a standout junior of its own in Denes Lukacs. Although Lukacs plays No. 3 doubles for the Bears, he is currently ranked No. 10 nationally in singles. Baylor also has been particularly strong at home, carrying an eight-match home winning streak into the weekend contest against Virginia.“We’ll be ready,” Cavalier coach Brian Boland said. “We certainly have plenty of time to practice outdoors and get our two-a-days in.”Inglot said the team’s performance this weekend will have significant implications for the rest of the season.“If we do well, that’ll give us a lot of confidence going into the rest of ACC season and especially into the NCAAs,” he said.
(03/11/09 5:46am)
The month of February felt much longer than 28 days for the No. 1 Virginia men’s tennis team. Enervated by two intense weeks of tennis — seven matches in 14 days — senior Dominic Inglot began to feel the wear and tear of a grueling schedule, dropping his last two singles matches against Boise State and Virginia Tech players. In his first match back after a much-needed week-long reprieve, though, Inglot played what Virginia coach Brian Boland called “the best match I’ve seen him play all year,” leading Virginia to a 6-1 victory yesterday against Old Dominion at the Sheridan Snyder Tennis Center. Virginia then made the short trip to the Boyd Tinsley Courts at the Boar’s Head Sports Club for another match against Howard and rolled to a 7-0 victory.“Coming after national indoors, winning ... I was really feeling it a lot,” Inglot said. “I think when I came back, I was struggling in the practices a little bit and it started showing in the matches ... It showed I’m struggling a little bit there with tiredness and the confidence. I wasn’t getting confidence from the training.”Inglot, however, rebounded to defeat Old Dominion’s sophomore No. 106 Tobias Fanselow at the No. 2 singles slot.“We took a break with Spring Break and I feel like the whole team feels rejuvenated,” Inglot said. The resurgence for the Cavaliers (17-0, 3-0 ACC) began at the No. 2 doubles slot, which features the No. 23-ranked team of Inglot and sophomore Michael Shabaz. The pair held a 5-4 lead when Shabaz fired a serve for one of several aces on the day. The point set the tone for the rest of the match, as the tandem swept the next three games to win 8-4.“Doubles went really well,” Shabaz said. “I felt like me and [Inglot] really clicked today. He was serving well, we were volleying well, returning well. I thought we were pretty good in all phases; when we put our first serves in, they’re big enough that we can really control the point.”Junior Lee Singer and freshman Drew Courtney secured the doubles point for the Cavaliers against Old Dominion (13-9) with an 8-3 triumph against junior Yakov Diskin and sophomore Alex Funkhouser.The team then carried its momentum into singles, starting with Inglot’s victory against Fanselow. Inglot said his immediate success in the first outdoor affair of the season might be attributed to an increased outdoor training routine. “In the past I haven’t been looking forward to [outdoors] because indoors is usually my strength,” Inglot said. “But this year I’m really looking forward to the outdoors — we did some great training before this match and it shows everyone’s playing really good tennis.”Inglot said his newfound enthusiasm for outdoor play arose because of his increasing comfort with his serve. “I’ve always been a lot reliant on my serve,” Inglot said. “And sometimes when my serve came back I felt like uh-oh — a little bit of panic ... I didn’t really enjoy playing from the back, but now I’ve really worked with the coaches on that and now I’m really happy playing from the back.”No. 16 Shabaz continued the Cavaliers’ winning trend with a 7-6, 6-4 victory against sophomore Matt Fawcett. Though Shabaz needed only two sets to clinch the singles point, the match did not conclude without controversy. In the first set point, there was a dispute about whether the ball hit in-bounds.“I thought the ball was in,” Shabaz said. “It’s kind of frustrating but I guess you just gotta put it away and keep playing.”Although he won the match, Shabaz credited his opponent for the tough play.Fawcett “had a good serve,” Shabaz said. “When he got his first serve in it was tough to deal with it because he took the first strike of the point. He played well and it was a pretty good match.” The remaining singles contests in the lower spots were less competitive, though, as freshman Steven Eelkman Rooda and Courtney each posted 6-3, 6-0 wins at the No. 5 and No. 6 singles slots, respectively. Junior Houston Barrick rounded out the Virginia victory with a 6-4, 6-3 win at the No. 4 position against Diskin.The team followed up its triumph against Old Dominion by cruising against Howard. Numerous players who generally see little court time in matches saw playing time, winning each doubles match by at least four games and claiming every singles match in straight sets.Boland attributes the team’s strong performance throughout the day to the team’s rest and the arrival of March. Virginia will try to sustain its energy this weekend when the team heads to Texas to play No. 12 Baylor and No. 10 Texas. The break “was absolutely essential considering how tired we were at the end of the last match against Virginia Tech,” Boland said. “We had an opportunity to rest and regroup mentally and physically and had four excellent days of practice. We’re in a really good situation.”NotesSophomore Sanam Singh lost for the first time in singles 4-6, 7-6, 10-7 ... Inglot started in No. 2 singles for the first time this season after playing No. 1 previously this season ... The No. 2-ranked doubles tandem of Barrick and Singh lost for only the second time this season, falling 8-5 to No. 53 Seleznev/Fanselow ... Freshmen David Nguyen and Reese Milner each won their singles matches 6-0, 6-1.
(02/23/09 6:42am)
In its debut as the No. 1 team in the nation, the Virginia men’s tennis team won both matches of a doubleheader Saturday against No. 29 Boise State and Boston College at the Boar’s Head Sports Club.Though Virginia (14-0, 2-0 ACC) prevailed in the first contest against Boise State (5-4) by a 5-2 margin, the victory did not play out as well as the Cavaliers might have liked.“It’s about the time of the season now where there’ve been a lot of matches, a lot of training,” senior Dominic Inglot said, adding that it was difficult to play on short rest after the National Indoor Championships. “Every match is important, so you don’t have that many days off.”In his first match since rising from No. 43 to No. 6 in the national rankings, Inglot played a formidable opponent in No. 62 senior Clancy Shields and lost 4-6, 3-6.“Gotta give credit to Clancy,” Inglot said. “I didn’t serve very well ... It wasn’t a great day for me.”Coach Brian Boland said he remains confident, however, that Inglot will continue to improve.“The best is still yet to come with Dom,” Boland said before Saturday’s matches. “He’s healthy — which is the first time in his career that he’s played in the spring 100 percent healthy — but he’s yet to play his best tennis. Dom is going to continue to get better without any question as the spring moves forward.”Questions, though, may still surround Ignlot’s health. Inglot said he tweaked a muscle during National Indoors but continued to play through the pain. He aggravated the injury again yesterday in doubles against Boise State and did not play in the singles against Boston College (6-2, 0-1 ACC) . After treatment, he expects he will be ready for Friday’s match against Virginia Tech, Inglot said.Inglot was not the only highly ranked Cavalier to struggle in his first singles match since National Indoors. After taking the first set 6-4, No. 12 sophomore Michael Shabaz relinquished his lead to freshman James Meredith, who earned a point for the Broncos by winning the next two sets, 6-3, 6-4.Despite the initial upsets of Inglot and Shabaz, Virginia managed to regroup, showing its depth as an overall team. Virginia secured the match with wins from freshman Drew Courtney (6-1, 6-3) and Steven Eelkman Rooda (6-4, 6-4), as well as junior Houston Barrick (6-4, 6-4).“The younger guys — especially the freshmen — are playing really well,” Inglot said. “It takes a lot of pressure off us older guys because we know they’ll back us up if we have a problem.”The one constant that has contributed to every Virginia victory this season has been the play of undersized sophomore Sanam Singh. No. 17 Singh, who is listed at 5 feet 8 inches tall and 137 pounds, completed the 5-2 Virginia victory with a hard-fought 1-6, 7-6, 10-5 win against No. 57 Kean Feeder.Singh has compiled a 12-0 singles record in 2009 — two wins of which came in his performance in the National Indoors tournament. In doubles, Singh and Barrick are ranked No. 2 in the nation and boast an 11-1 record.“I worked a lot in the fall,” Singh said. “I wanted to focus a lot harder in matches in the fall which I didn’t do. So that’s what I’ve been doing [in the spring]. Everyone’s winning at the bottom — it’s easier to play.”He didn’t miss a beat in the back-end of the doubleheader, either, leading Virginia to a 7-0 beat-down of Boston College. After grinding through an 8-5 win in No. 1 doubles with Barrick, Singh defeated junior Thomas Nolan in a 6-1, 6-1 singles victory, placing perfectly hit balls in both corners of the court.“What I try to do now is stay more consistent, because I’m really quick on the court,” Singh said. “I knew [Nolan’s] forehand was a little bit better than his backhand so I was trying to open the court a lot to his backhand.”With an impressive serve, crisp footwork and a solid return, Singh never lost control of the match. Nolan tried hitting the ball sideways, upward and even into the stands. The only place he could not land it was over the net.“I served really well [against Boston College], which was a huge plus today,” Singh said. “I needed that quick win today ’cause it had been a long day.”The weekend doubleheader now behind them, the Cavaliers will try to remain undefeated heading into Spring Break when they resume ACC play Friday against Virginia Tech. Notes:Against Boston College, Eelkman Rooda replaced Shabaz as Inglot’s doubles partner. The pair defeated Garber/Skinner, 8-2 ... Singh replaced Inglot in the No. 1 spot in singles against the Eagles. He usually plays No. 2 ... Junior Lee Singer, Courtney, and Singh lost a combined 5 games in six sets against the weekend’s conference foe.
(02/20/09 6:59am)
Number one in the nation — a title every sports team aspires to claim. After winning the National Indoor Championships last weekend, the Virginia men’s tennis team has reassumed the coveted position and is well on its way to taking a stab at a national crown. The grind toward the NCAA tournament for Virginia (12-0, 1-0 ACC) starts with an out-of-conference match against No. 29 Boise State and an ACC contest against Boston College (6-1) Saturday at the Boar’s Head Sports Club.In an enticing matchup against Boise State (5-3), Virginia senior Dominic Inglot will no longer have to look up at a higher-ranked opponent in the singles after vaulting in the standings from No. 43 to No. 6. Inglot faced four top-20 players during the past three weeks. He defeated the first two and was on the verge of beating then-No. 10 Arnau Brugues of Tulsa in the first round of the National Indoors before Virginia clinched the match with other singles’ victories. His victories confirmed what Inglot already knew: He is a top-10 caliber player.“I believed I had the potential to be a top-10 player at the beginning of the season,” Inglot said. “I knew it wasn’t going to happen automatically, but I knew I could build myself into a top-10 player because I got there before. I think I deserve to be where I’m at.”Inglot has grown accustomed to playing against top-notch competition and added that his new rank will not change his outlook. “Every week in, week out you’re playing against the best guys,” Inglot said. “Before I was playing against guys who were higher-ranked, and now I’ll be playing against guys who are lower-ranked, but I don’t think that will make any difference. I want to go out there and impose my game on them and show them that I deserve to be here.”Inglot’s first singles match at No. 6 in the country will come against Boise State’s No. 62 Clancy Shields.“Clancy Shields is a good player,” Inglot said. “He’ll be a tough battle. All those guys on the Boise team fight like lions — real hard.”The two teams played a like opponent earlier in the season in then-No. 4 UCLA. Boise State won both No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles against the Bruins, but dropped the remaining matches to lose, 1-6. Unlike the Broncos, Virginia showed superior depth, winning at the top-three spots as well as at the No. 6 position in singles to clinch the quarterfinals of the National Indoors tournament, 4-3.A critical factor in the Virginia win was the play of freshman Drew Courtney, who has excelled in the No. 6 slot for the Cavaliers. Courtney compiled a 3-0 singles record in the tournament and was named to the all-tournament team.“Honestly, I expected to have success,” Courtney said. “As a freshman, it’s kind of weird to have so many great things happen so soon, but it’s awesome.”Coach Brian Boland was ecstatic about — though not surprised by — the freshmen’s early success.“I certainly knew they had the potential,” Boland said. “I think it’s hard to say both as a team or individuals how quickly they’ll develop. You’ve seen the incredible strides with all our players, but in particular [freshman] Steven Rooda and Courtney have come a long ways in a short time.”Perhaps it is because of this accelerated rate at which Courtney and Rooda have adjusted that Virginia has managed to seize the college tennis limelight. The Cavaliers are now situated in a familiar position: number one in the nation. “Last year, everyone expected it of us,” Inglot said. “Everyone looked at our team and thought this was the best team on paper in college ... There was a big bull’s eye on our back. It might now become like that again, but I don’t think as much so ... We got a little bit overconfident last year. We just thought we were going to get it, whereas here we know we have to work for it.”Although Virginia appreciates the No. 1 ranking, Boland added the team has not lost sight of its most pressing concerns. “Certainly you’re honored, particularly in college tennis when there’s so much depth and so many great programs out there,” Boland said. “At the same time, it’s not something we focus on every day.”Inglot said he does not believe the team will become too confident because of the ranking, adding that the competitiveness of ACC play should help them maintain their intensity.“It can be [a step down] if you let it be,” Inglot said, noting that upcoming competition will not be quite as prominent as it was over the weekend. “The temptation will be, ‘Oh, well we’re playing Boise or Boston College.’ It’s easy to take the foot off the pedal. But this team is really disciplined. I think myself and [junior] Houston [Barrick] as captains will make sure everyone understands [that].”Boland said the team is grounded and prepared for this weekend’s slate of games.“The national indoors brings together the best teams in the country,” Boland said. “But the ACC is a league we have a great respect for, as well as our non-conference. Boise State is a great team, and any ACC match like Boston College you have to be ready to play.”
(02/13/09 6:43am)
“People have underrated us.”Senior Dominic Inglot will have a chance to prove his critics wrong this weekend when the No. 5 Virginia men’s tennis team steps into the national spotlight and tries to defend its ITA National Indoor Championship title in Chicago.Virginia (8-0, 1-0 ACC) will take on No. 12 Tulsa (9-1) in the first round of the 16-team tournament. In No. 1 singles, No. 43 Inglot will face No. 10 senior Arnau Brugues, the third top-10 player Inglot will face this season. Inglot’s first victim was No. 9 Enrique Olivares of East Tennessee State. Inglot won in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4 in a 7-0 Virginia romp. He then defeated No. 4 Bruno Agostinelli in come-from-behind fashion, 3-6, 6-4,10-8 in a 6-1 rout of Kentucky over the weekend. Brugues, a three-time All-American, has yet to lose in singles this season, despite Tulsa’s 3-4 loss against No. 2 Texas. Although he won both his singles match 6-4, 6-2, and his doubles match with partner Philip Stevens, 8-6, Tulsa relinquished its 3-2 lead, succumbing to Texas’s superior depth. If Virginia is to advance to the quarterfinals, it may need to exploit this weakness.“We are better at No. 2 and No. 3 than last year,” Inglot said. “The depth is better. Lower down the lineup, we’re very strong.”It is telling that Virginia’s highest nationally ranked singles player, No. 11 sophomore Michael Shabaz, plays in the three-spot behind Inglot and sophomore Sanam Singh. Virginia’s three top singles and doubles teams are all undefeated.Even further down the lineup in the No. 4 to No. 6 spots, the Cavaliers boast an impressive 19-4 combined singles record. Tulsa dropped all three of its matches in those spots against Texas, so if Virginia junior Houston Barrick and junior Lee Singer can continue their recent productivity, the team will have a great chance to advance.A win in the first round would set up a potential rematch with No. 4 UCLA, which Virginia defeated in the quarterfinals of last year’s National Indoors by a score of 4-3. But no matter who the Cavaliers face, the competition in the tournament will be some of the fiercest Virginia has faced all season.“The teams will get tougher,” Shabaz said. “We’re competing for a National Championship. We have a lot of confidence going into it.”As such, Virginia stepped up its training regiment this week to prepare for the competition. Even after the team’s 7-0 demolition of Maryland Sunday, Inglot said the team has not rested.“These next three days are vitally important days of training,” Inglot said, adding that he intends to focus on his serve and volley before the tournament. “You have to think about what you want out of the three days.” Although the team has not yet looked ahead to potential matchups against UCLA and No. 1 Ohio State, Virginia coach Brian Boland said he believes the Cavaliers are heading into this weekend’s tournament with confidence.“The important thing is to go into indoors with momentum,” Boland said. “We’re focused on the next match — it’s a big step.”If Virginia can carry its momentum through the tournament, it may finally gain recognition as a serious NCAA Championship contender this season.
(02/11/09 6:43am)
“It’s a vicious cycle.”That’s how Virginia men’s tennis player senior Dominic Inglot described his struggle of overcoming a torn rotator cuff injury. Although the injury was officially diagnosed last spring, Inglot said the initial problems surfaced when he was a freshman playing in the NCAA tournament. In the fall of 2007, Inglot said he took four painkillers before each match, but by spring, four was not enough.“I took 12 painkillers against Illinois [last year],” Inglot said. “I came through, but I had to see the doctors afterward, and they found a tear in [my shoulder].”Inglot had trouble grasping the prospect of surgery, not only because of the obvious setback it would mean for his level his play, but also because of the effect it would have on his teammates.“With me playing in the No. 3 spot, the rest of the guys could play lower down against easier opponents,” Inglot said. “So I decided to tough it out.”The pain, however, only intensified from then on, and Inglot was forced to take a cortisone shot before the ACC tournament.“By the ACCs, all my confidence was gone,” Inglot said. “I had lost so many matches — it was difficult to get back to form.”Inglot added that if his shoulder had been healthy last spring, his match with Georgia’s Luis Flores in the third round of the NCAA tournament “definitely would have been closer.” He lost the singles match, 6-2, 6-1, and the previously undefeated Virginia squad was knocked out of the tournament by the Bulldogs 4-3.Two days after the NCAAs, Inglot underwent surgery. After locating the tear in the rotator cuff, doctors carved it out. Rehabilitation ensued after the surgery, and Inglot said he focused on strengthening his shoulder.“The serve and forehand were problems for me,” Inglot said. “Accuracy on the serve is vital for me. Knowing when you’re down, you need to believe in your serve. When you lose that [ability], your confidence goes.” This fluctuating trajectory of confidence proved troubling for Inglot. In addition to the physical uphill climb he faced, he said the mental roadblock was intransigent. “Coach [Brian] Boland even showed me DVDs of all the great points I made to remind me of how I could play,” Inglot said.Slowly but surely, Inglot came back to full form. He is now playing at the No. 1 singles spot on the team and was named the ACC Player of the Week Tuesday for the second time this season after winning two matches during the weekend, including a 3-6, 6-4, 10-8 victory against Kentucky’s No. 4 Bruno Agostinelli . Inglot is undefeated this season in both singles and doubles, leading No. 5 Virginia to a perfect 8-0 start.Boland confirmed Inglot’s physical improvement.“This is the healthiest Dom has ever been,” Boland said.Inglot said his new position on the team has reminded him of the big shoes he has to fill and has pressured him into improving his game.“There was pressure at the beginning versus Illinois,” Inglot said. “Replacing [2008 graduate] Somdev [Devvarman] as No. 1 is a big place to fill ... You would look up to Somdev, he would lead us into battle.”Although Inglot said he recognized the need to emulate the former No. 1 player, he added that the emerging leadership capabilities of other players also has helped.“It really helps to have [sophomore] Michael [Shabaz] and [sophomore] Sanam [Singh] and [junior] Houston [Barrick],” Inglot said. “The younger guys are looking up to them, too.”And so the cycle continues; for Inglot and Virginia, however, it is now on a more favorable upward trajectory.