With only 11 matches remaining in the regular season, the No. 11-ranked Virginia men's tennis team will kick off the second half of the season on outdoor courts this afternoon when they face No. 56-ranked Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.
The Cavaliers return to action after a three-week lapse in match play and bring with them a three-match winning streak.
Although this is the second-longest winning streak for Virginia this year, the indoor season's results were somewhat less satisfying than expected for most of the players.
"It didn't go as well as we expected," senior Rylan Rizza said. "After starting out high in the rankings, we were a little disappointed, and thought we could do much better than we performed."
The Cavaliers posted a 7-3 record prior to the National Indoors Tournament, but won just three of their next five games. Others, however, feel that the team is in great position to finish strong.
"We're right where we need to be," coach Brian Boland said on the first half of the season. "We've had ups and downs, but it put us in a position we need to be in."
The team faced especially tough matches this season and has had several close ones that fell the wrong way by only one or two points. All this has made Virginia a stronger squad, ready to go to the outdoor courts with a deep-seeded will to win.
"The first half of the season needed to happen," senior Nick Meythaler said. "Last year we had a great run, and maybe it was too easy to accomplish our goals -- we needed to experience some adversity. With the record we have, it'll humble you quickly, and we got the fight back. We're not overlooking any team."
The Cavaliers have been working especially hard not only for this afternoon's match against the Hokies, but also for the rest of the season.
"We've improved our focus in practice," said Rizza on what the team has been doing to prepare for a strong finish. "We've realized that there's not much time left and we have the best team we've had in four years -- this is it."
Coach Boland agreed with Rizza, asserting that the practices this past week have been the best the team has had all season and that he is extremely pleased with the chemistry of the team.
While there are some who view this match as just another stepping stone to becoming a better team and working toward a championship, others have a different opinion.
"Wahoos don't like losing to Virginia Tech," Meythaler said. "There's a definite rivalry, and it's good for the University to have pride" in beating them.
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