A season full of ups and downs ended in a difficult fashion for Virginia men's and women's tennis, as both teams bowed out of the ACC tournament early, taking away a chance for postseason play.
In seasons that produced both exciting wins and disappointing losses, both squads walked away believing that the future is bright for the Virginia tennis programs.
In Virginia head coach Brian Boland's first full year at the helm of the men's program, progress was stressed from day one, especially after the loss of four seniors made success in the ACC seem difficult.
Even with two freshmen pushed into the lineup, the Cavaliers played with heart and progressed in a way that Boland believes will set up terrific teams in years to come.
"I am really proud of the way this team has played all season," Boland said. "They worked hard all year and really improved individually, which is all I asked for coming into the season. I told the guys, even with the losses of four players, that we could compete and improve and create a future that is very bright."
The men lost to No. 25 North Carolina in the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament, after beating Maryland in the play-in game, to drop to 12-12 on the season. After the Tar Heels took the doubles point by winning two of three doubles matches, they quickly put away the match by beating Michael Duquette, Stephen Nolen and Jonathan Chou in straight sets to win the match 4-0, and end Virginia's season.
Although Duquette and Nolen suffered setbacks in the tournament, they led the Cavaliers for most of the year. Duquette played No. 1 singles for most of the season after playing in the bottom of the lineup for most of the previous season. Even with a quick jump to the top, Duquette played great tennis, scoring big victories against some of the nation's best players.
Nolen, as a freshman, tied for the team lead in victories with senior Jason Romesburg with 21 overall wins. Nolen will look to lead a talented team back to the winner's circle next year, when Boland's first recruiting class, which touts some of the nation's best players, joins the mix.
The season was much the same on the women's side of the court, as the women bowed out of the ACC tournament early, losing to No. 9 Wake Forest, 4-0. The loss closed the 2002 season with an 11-10 overall record.
The year provided a few memorable highlights that will be forever remembered by head coach Phil Rogers. For the first time in his 19 years as head coach of Virginia, the Cavaliers beat ACC foe Florida State.
"It was obviously one of the better wins in my career," Rogers recalls. "My team really played tough and battled out there. I was very proud of them for the way they played that day and the entire year. Though we came up really short in some matches, I only see better things upcoming for our program."
The women's team featured two players that were ranked by the International Tennis Association at some point in the season. Henriette Williams and Jennifer Tuchband, who were ranked No. 77 and No. 99, respectively, at the end of the season, led the team in victories and will be back again next year to battle in the ACC.
Seniors Amy O'Donnell and Christine Kim were a formidable doubles tandem for most of the year, and will be sorely missed next season as the only players to graduate this weekend. The twin sisters Dora and Marta Bechliwanis also provided some energy in the lineup, both in singles and doubles competition.
As it stands now both coaches said they can't wait until next fall comes, when their players take to the practice courts once again. Boland is particularly excited as he brought in a top five recruiting class, with some people calling it the best in the country, only three months into his Virginia career.
"We are really excited about the progress made by the current players and the incoming freshman that will really give us a boost," Boland said. "I told the guys that if they practiced hard, and gave it their all this season, the future would be very exciting."
With a roller coaster of a season behind both the Virginia tennis programs, and progress made on both sides, the future of Cavalier tennis seems to look bright.
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