(This is the first article in a four-part daily series examining the proposed restructuring of the Virginia athletics department.) Success in the hyper-competitive world of Division I sports requires tremendous commitment, both from the athletes themselves and also from the institutions they represent.
DURHAM, N.C.-The ACC standings told the story for the Virginia men's lacrosse team before Saturday's game at No.
The Virginia women's lacrosse team has seen anything but smooth sailing so far this season, losing three conference matches and battling sluggish starts as its stands 8-5 overall and 0-3 in the ACC thus far. But the waters seem calm, at least for the time being.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - There is light at the end of the tunnel for the Virginia baseball team. After losing 10 of their last 11 games, the Cavaliers (19-20, 6-12 ACC) solidly defeated North Carolina, 5-2, Sunday at Boshamer Stadium.
After losing to Wake Forest on Saturday, the Virginia women's tennis team redeemed itself Sunday by dominating N.C.
NFL front-office suits aren't exactly adept soap opera stars. That's why on 363 days out of the year the pigskin pundits let the crew from "Passions" fashion true television drama while the footballers stick to what they know best: busting the living bejeezus out of each other. But two days a year, the NFL drops its blood and guts mantra for 16 hours of titillating teledrama, or teledrool, depending on your level of interest in water cooler chat about offensive tackles from Emporia State.
Saturday was a beautiful day for the Virginia softball team in more ways than one. While the spring weather for the Cavaliers' doubleheader against Georgia Tech was almost perfect, the pitching and clutch hitting were even better. Virginia pitchers gave up five hits in the two games and led the Cavaliers (39-13, 2-2 ACC) to win the first game, 2-1, on a walk-off double by sophomore Ruby Rojas and the second game, 1-0, on an extra-inning home run by senior Meaghan Young. "It was a great pitching duel," Virginia coach Cheryl Sprangel said.
The Virginia Sports Information Directors selected Schuye LaRaue as the Virginia women's basketball player of the year yesterday. LaRue led the Cavaliers to an 18-14 record and NCAA tournament bid.
The Virginia men's lacrosse team knows nothing comes easy in the ACC. The conference regular season title will be on the line Saturday as the ninth-ranked Cavaliers travel to Durham, N.C., to take on No.
What would you do if you had to sit out of your sport for months to recover from surgery? You might get depressed or sulk and complain. But if you were Virginia women's tennis player Amy O'Donnell, you would probably smile and maybe even crack a joke or two. "She always laughs through everything," Virginia assistant coach Justin Drzal said of O'Donnell.
Virginia baseball heads down to Chapel Hill, N.C., this weekend with mixed emotions. On the one hand, they are riding the wave of satisfaction that comes with just having beaten in-state arch-rival Virginia Tech.
The Cavaliers proved there is a light at the end of the tunnel yesterday afternoon at the U.Va. Baseball Field. Virginia (18-18) ended an eight-game losing streak with a 7-4 victory against Virginia Tech (16-17). The victory was especially sweet because it came against Virginia's rivals from Blacksburg. "It's great to get a win," Cavalier shortstop Hunter Wyant said.
Well, my time as a sports columnist is quickly coming to an end, and I would be remiss not to write at least one NBA draft column.
Rutgers sophomore basketball player Todd Billet, who Virginia coach Pete Gillen originally recruited two years ago, announced todayhis intentions to transfer to Virginia.
Practice and discipline are words exchanged between player and coach. Love and friendship are thoughts shared among father and son. But to Bobby and Huntley Montgomery, who embrace both relationships, their bond is something unprecedented.
The Virginia baseball game against Liberty yesterday mirrored the unpredictable Charlottesville weather. Thanks to a late rally by the Flames (16-15) and missed opportunities by Virginia (17-18), the Cavaliers lost, 5-4, in 11 innings. "It was a tough game, and you lose those occasionally," Virginia coach Dennis Womack said.
It's hard not to feel for the men of the Virginia track team. When they heard this weekend that the recommendations of a University task force included the elimination of the men's indoor track team and the creation of a women's golf team, they understandably felt betrayed.
The Rutgers University Sports Information Web site reported yesterday that Virginia has been granted permission to contact Scarlet Knight 6-foot-1 point guard Todd Billet regarding the possibility of his transferring to play men's basketball for the Cavaliers. Billet, a sophomore, led the Scarlet Knights in the 2001 season in scoring average, with 16.6 points.
The Virginia men's tennis team knew it was going to win. But that didn't stop the Cavaliers from avoiding a letdown and putting together one of their most impressive performances of the year. In both teams' last conference match of 2001, Virginia (11-5, 4-4 ACC) completely manhandled Maryland (4-11, 0-8), 7-0, and gave the Terrapins yet another winless ACC season.
In a meeting Sunday night, University athletes and coaches expressed concern about the Virginia 2020 Strategic Planning Task Force for the Department of Athletics recommendation for radical changes in the athletic department.
