Barely a week after attaining its highest ranking in the program's history, the Virginia men's tennis team will face its toughest test of the season when it embarks on a four-stop Texas tour. The Cavaliers are set to face the likes of No. 23 Texas Christian University, No. 1 Baylor, No. 11 Texas A&M and No. 20 Texas University.
The Cavaliers are under no illusions about the difficult task that lies ahead.
"That Texas trip is going to be tough," junior Doug Stewart said. It's "four matches right in a row against really good programs."
The trip continues Virginia's run of eleven-straight ranked opponents, the main reason behind the Cavaliers' rise in the rankings.
"I'm a believer in having a tough schedule," Virginia coach Brian Boland said. "I want the team to be tested and pushed for the ACC tournament and the NCAA's."
Virginia's (10-1, 1-0 ACC) biggest advantage going into its Spring Break schedule is the depth of its squad. With two players ranked in the top 20 and five ranked players overall, the Cavaliers have transformed themselves from the good team of last season into one of the premier teams in the nation.
Virginia will tackle the Horn Frogs of TCU in Fort Worth tomorrow, marking the first time the Cavaliers will play outdoors this season. Virginia's stellar indoor record to begin the season belies the fact that the team is built to play outdoors. No. 7 Stewart, playing at the No. 1 slot, and No. 38 Rylan Rizza both grew up in California and are good examples of Cavaliers more suited to the outdoor game. Despite their slight disadvantage being indoors, both Cavaliers have compiled an impressive record playing in their less-favored environment.
"I think we're a better outdoor team overall," Boland said. "I believe playing indoor tennis for the last four to six weeks is important. It allows the players to be more complete tennis players."
It has also been an impressive debut season for freshman Somdev Devvarman, who has recovered from a wrist injury earlier in the season to climb to No. 13 in the rankings. The pairing of Devvarman and fellow freshman Treat Huey, ranked No. 23 nationally in doubles, could be crucial in determining the outcome of some matches.
It will be a rematch of last week's USTA/ITA National Team Indoor Championships final when the Cavaliers face Baylor in Waco. The Bears were 4-1 winners the last time the two met and should be Virginia's toughest opponents. Baylor boasts the same quality of players at all positions, and the rematch between Stewart and No. 9 Benedikt Dorsch will be crucial in deciding the winner. Dorsch was the first and only player to beat recently-named ACC Player of the Week Stewart this year. Stewart said he believes playing at the No. 1 spot is always challenging, regardless of the opponent's ranking.
"It doesn't really make a difference," Stewart said. "Every school you play has a really good player playing at No. 1."
Virginia will then face Texas in Austin before rounding of their trip in College Station to face the Aggies of Texas A&M, led by No. 34 Jerry Machowski.
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