At the beginning of the season, Virginia women's tennis assistant coach Justin Drzal had one goal in mind: Make the NCAA Tournament. When the Cavaliers met Kentucky in the first round of the 2001 tournament on Saturday, that vision became a reality.
Although Virginia lost to the 24th-ranked Wildcats, 4-0, the Cavaliers are far from dissatisfied with their season. As a young team, they finished with a 15-11 overall record, 3-5 in the ACC. They appeared in the NCAA tournament after falling short the previous two years. The pinnacle of their season, however, was clearly on April 20 at the ACC tournament, when Virginia played a four-and-a-half hour thriller in the first round to upset then-No. 17 North Carolina, 4-3, and advance to the semifinals for the first time since 1993.
"That clearly made a statement and propelled our team to an at-large bid to the NCAA championship," Drzal said of the victory. "The players showed that they belonged in competition with better players in the country. One cannot conclude any note on this season without a huge complement to our entire team for staying upbeat, healthy, continuing a brilliant effort in the classroom and remaining committed to the task at hand."
The women bid farewell to senior co-captains Christie Schweer and Kelly Weaver, who gave the Cavaliers much-needed experience and played important roles in Virginia's success throughout the season. Schweer, who played No. 3 singles, netted an overall singles record of 19-16 while Weaver finished the season 21-11 at the team's fifth singles spot.
Weaver also recently received the 2001 ITA/Cissie Leary Award for Sportsmanship for the East Region and became a finalist for the national award, which will be announced May 20. The Cissie Leary Award for Sportsmanship goes to those who display inspiring dedication and commitment to their teams, that has enhanced their teams' performances and exemplified the spirit of college tennis.
"The departure of Christie and Kelly will mark a monumental change in the team structure next year due to their huge contributions both on and off the court," Drzal said. "They will be sorely missed."
The Cavaliers will return four of their top six players and still have high hopes for next season. Junior Amy O'Donnell and sophomore Henriette Williams, the team's two top players this year, will lead the way for Virginia once again. Williams had a solid 2000-01 campaign and finished with a 20-12 overall record. O'Donnell, who was coming back from shoulder surgery, struggled at the top singles spot this season and dropped seven of her last eight matches, which gave her a 6-15 singles record for the spring.
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But O'Donnell and the rest of the Cavaliers can only improve. The additions of recruits and twin sisters Marta and Dora Bechliwanis to the Virginia roster surely will help.
Marta finished the under-18 Canadian Nationals ranked second in Canada, while Dora finished third. In doubles, the duo finished the tournament as the top-ranked team. In addition to their impressive resumes in Canada, the Bechliwanis' have played internationally as members of the Canadian Fed Cup Juniors team.
"They will make a brilliant addition," coach Phil Rogers said of the twins, who are from Etobicoke, Canada. "Dora and Marta are great candidates for success in the ACC. We are very excited about their commitment to attend Virginia and look forward to a future including these two exciting players"
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