It has been a fairytale season for the Virginia men's tennis team, and the Cavaliers will be looking to add another chapter in the program's history when they face No. 27 Clemson in their regular season ACC finale today at the Snyder Tennis Center. A win over the Tigers would mark the first undefeated ACC season in Virginia's history and would confirm the Cavaliers second-consecutive regular season conference title. Clemson (23-8, 5-3 ACC) will also be the last hurdle before No. 2 Virginia heads into the ACC tournament to defend its tournament crown.
"They're a very good team," junior Doug Stewart said. "We played them in the finals of [the ACC tournament] last year."
Rankings aside, a direct comparison of the performance of both teams against common opponents highlights Virginia's superiority. The Cavaliers had no problems brushing aside the likes of Texas Tech and Wake Forest, teams Clemson struggled against. Snyder also has been a fortress this season for the Cavaliers, as they are yet to lose a match on their home court. The Cavaliers carry a nine-match winning streak, with their last loss away to No. 1 Baylor.
Individually, the Tigers might find it hard to match Virginia. With five ranked single players and two ranked doubles teams, the Cavaliers have one of the deepest squads in the nation. Virginia has maintained its high level of play even in the absence of key players, and the constant tweaking of the starting six still has produced the same emphatic results.
Clemson will rely heavily on the services of No. 22 ranked senior Nathan Thompson, playing at the No. 1 spot, who leads the team with a record of 22-7. Thompson's duel with No. 11 ranked Doug Stewart might turn out to be crucial in determining the outcome of the match. Stewart, who plays at the No. 1 slot for Virginia, has struggled in some matches during the season but convincingly dispatched of No. 72 Raian Luchici as Virginia ended a five-year losing streak to the Tar Heels last Sunday.
"Doug Stewart has played [Clemson's No. 1 guy] a bunch of times last year," junior Darrin Cohen said. "He had good success against him last year."
Clemson also will have to deal with a vastly improved Virginia doubles lineup from last year. Dropped doubles points are a rarity for the Cavaliers, as they have not dropped a doubles point in seven-straight matches. The No. 32-ranked pair of Rylan Rizza and Nick Meythaler and No.60-ranked freshmen duo Somdev Devvarman and Treat Huey provide a daunting challenge for the Tigers, who might have to win the doubles point if they are going to have any chance of leaving Charlottesville with a victory.
The Cavaliers' lack of familiarity with Clemson's young side might serve as an advantage in singles play for the Tigers.
"They actually graduated a bunch of players off their team last year," Cohen said. "A lot of us don't really know what to expect in our matches."
The match also serves as a dress rehearsal before the team embarks on the most important part of its schedule. Expectations have been high for Virginia since its superb performance at the National Intercollegiate Indoor Tennis tournament, falling only to the Bears from Baylor. Since then, talk of a national championship does not seem out of place when describing the ambitions of the program.
"If we sweep the regular season, it will give us a ton of confidence for the tournament," Cohen said.
History certainly waits as Virginia bids to cap its memorable season with an ACC regular season crown.
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