The Virginia men's tennis team hopes to lift some eyebrows this weekend, as they begin play in the ACC tournament in Raleigh, N.C. The Cavaliers' first match will come against eighth-seeded Maryland in the No. 7/8 game at 10 a.m. at the Millbrook Exchange Tennis Center.
Virginia will hope to capture the magic of last year's team that upset No. 27 ranked Georgia Tech 4-0, before losing to Clemson in the semifinals. Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, they will not have four of the players who made that run in last year's tournament.
|
This year's team features a lineup in which only three players had seen collegiate action before the season began, which becomes evident in the Cavaliers' 11-11 overall record. That is not to say, however, that the team did not accomplish some of what they set out to do this season.
Throughout the season, Virginia coach Brian Boland stressed the importance of progress and working to build each individual's game, along with team unity. The Cavaliers seem to have succeeded in that aspect of the sport, as players have stepped up their individual game, improving in almost every facet.
Last year's No. 6 seed Jason Romesburg led the team in victories after jumping up to the second and third seeds this season. Stephen Nolen, a freshman, played all three top seeds and tied for the team lead in victories at 20. Nolen teamed up with junior Michael Duquette to upset two ranked doubles teams back to back against Wake Forest and Duke.
"One of our goals this season was to work as hard as possible on playing as well as we could," said Boland, who was a finalist for the 2000 national coach of the year award. "I couldn't have come to a greater group of guys. They gave me all they could and I am happy with the way they progressed over the year. Hopefully, that theme will stay with us for" the postseason.
The Cavaliers will look to continue their season of progression against a Maryland team that captured its first win in nearly 10 years against an ACC opponent. Maryland, however, has the unique distinction of having no scholarship players on their roster - they are the only school in the league that does not offer tennis players athletic scholarships.
Virginia took out the Terrapins 4-3 a week ago, with strong performances from Nolen, Romesburg and senior Jonathan Chou. The doubles combinations of Chou and Duquette and sophomore Greg Alpert and Nolen picked up wins as well.
Chou said that while the team had faced a tough past week, they would be ready for the ACC tournament this weekend.
"We will need to make sure we have good practices," he said. "But after a rough stretch we will be hungry for a win [this weekend]. We will have our competitiveness back."
If the Cavaliers win their first round matchup today, they will go on to face the second-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels in the semifinals.
Read More
Virginia is getting ‘better and better,’ and it was all on display against Syracuse
By Michael Liebermann | 1 hours agoVirginia did almost everything right in its best performance of the season.
For Virginia softball, challenging No. 8 Florida State series comes at critical time
By Emory Huffman | 7 hours agoFlorida State is both a major challenge and an opportunity.
Women’s lacrosse will face a gauntlet — here’s what to expect
By Lauren Halak | 8 hours agoThe Cavaliers are getting ready to face a pair of elite opponents.
