Virginia returned from a tournament in Arizona this week 3-1-1 after accruing a win and a tie against Arizona and Arizona State, respectively.
[caption id="attachment_30083" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Junior Michael Shabaz teamed with 2009 graduate Dominic Inglot to win the national doubles championship to cap the spring season.
[caption id="attachment_30081" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="After missing the final nine games of the season because of an injury, senior back Lauren Elstein hopes for a full 2009 campaign.
I am as sure that the Virginia baseball team is set for the long haul as I am that Virginia has a better football team than William & Mary. Hm ... Maybe that didn't come out quite right.
[caption id="attachment_30078" align="alignleft" width="176" caption="Senior outside hitter Lauren Dickson leads the Cavaliers in kills per set with 3.8, up from her 2008 average of 2.84, which also led the team.
When the Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers kickoff at 8:30 p.m. tomorrow, the NFL regular season will have officially started without Michael Crabtree, the San Francisco 49ers' first round pick of the 2009 NFL Draft. Crabtree, who entered the draft following his sophomore season at Texas Tech, is reportedly holding out for more money. I'm not going to pretend to know the business or legal side to these matters or the importance that agents place on getting their clients top dollar, but I think the notion of Crabtree holding out this long is preposterous. Crabtree, who felt he was the draft's best receiver and should've been selected (and paid) accordingly, was offended when he wasn't the first receiver taken during the April draft.
One of the best traditions in the sports world is the pregame tailgate. And when it comes to traditions, the University of Virginia is unparalleled among colleges worldwide.
Last night, after I climbed up into my loft, I drifted into a most delightful dream. Suddenly, I was in the middle of the Rotunda playing poker with Thomas Jefferson, Kathy from Newcomb and the fox that terrorized Lambeth. We played a few hands.
Sit back, relax and smoke a cigarette - if you're so inclined. Think of your darkest hour of desperation - that time in high school you had to shoulder tap that scruffy-looking man to procure your alcohol of choice.
Anyone and everyone associated with the University and mildly interested in sports wants to know how the U.Va.
In anticipation of another Cavalier football season starting Saturday, I would like to share with you the top-10 Virginia games that I have experienced live.
For those of you who don't read my awesome sports column every week - that is, for everyone except my dad and my editor - let me share the back story.
As a member of the sports media, there are times when I feel disconnected with mainstream sports reporting (read: ESPN), and times when I roll my eyes at the things athletes and coaches say.
The Virginia women's volleyball team ended its season-opening weekend in Texas with a record of 1-2.
One current and one former Cavalier will play in the 2009 U.S. Open, which begins today. Somdev Devvarman, a two-time NCAA individual champion who graduated from Virginia in 2008, will compete in singles after winning three matches to enter the field of 128. Current junior Michael Shabaz will compete in the doubles event of the Open with Wayne Odesnik, the current No.
Like several of you, I went to the Girl Talk concert Saturday night. I was hoping to make it in time to hear Virginia men's basketball coach Tony Bennett and football coach Al Groh speak to the crowd; I did not. I was disappointed to miss Bennett.
I was disheartened to find out a few weeks ago that the Virginia football team was picked to finish fifth in the ACC Coastal Division by the members of the media who gathered in July for the ACC Media Days. But with the landslide, four-game losing streak the team ended 2008 on, the large number of questions surrounding this year's team and the strength of the rest of the Coastal Division, it was unlikely that Virginia would be picked to finish much higher. There are many reasons to believe the Cavaliers will suffer through a losing record this year.
Athletes talk about team chemistry and camaraderie like chefs talk about adding ingredients in appropriate proportions.
Virginia women's basketball coach Debbie Ryan announced yesterday that junior forward Kelly Hartig has transferred from the University, citing academic reasons.
[caption id="attachment_29722" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="From left: Michelle Vittese, Paige Selenski and Tara Puffenberger represented the United States in the Junior World Cup.
