In just one week's time, the Virginia women's tennis team toppled two of the nation's top 20 teams at the ITA National Indoor Championship and vaulted 14 spots to earn the program's highest-ever ITA ranking at No. 9. Now, armed with faith in themselves, the Cavaliers travel to Montgomery, Ala., to compete for the first time in the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic.
"Obviously our first-round win [against then-No. 3 Baylor] was huge because we know we've put in the work to really have that confidence to show the country that we can compete with the best of them," sophomore Erin Vierra said. "I think we're all really pumped up to have a lot of confidence going in."
The Cavaliers (8-1) enter the weekend tournament as the highest seed in a field that includes five teams ranked in the top 50 nationally.
"The field is very strong, which is great because it gives us a lot of opportunity," coach Mark Guilbeau said. "We're going to have to be ready for some really good teams. I think that we can compete to win it."
Virginia first will face off against No. 48 DePaul. The Blue Demons (7-4) also arrive at the event brimming with confidence. Since losing three consecutive matches during the final week of January and the first week of February, DePaul has edged its opponents in five out of its last six matches. During their most recent performance, the Blue Demons earned their first victory against a ranked opponent - then-No. 48 Iowa - by a 5-2 margin. Freshman Kelsey Lawson claimed her 18th singles match of the season with a 6-1, 6-2 win at the No. 4 singles position.
Junior Lindsey Hardenbergh, meanwhile, leads the Cavaliers into Alabama after earning ACC Tennis Player of the Week honors. Hardenbergh rallied from a 5-1 third-set deficit against Baylor to clinch the deciding point in Virginia's 4-3 win.
Hardenbergh's victory helped strengthen the team's confidence.
"First you have to believe in yourself and then it goes to the next of level of believing in your team," sophomore Maria Fuccillo said. "I think that helped us in our success last weekend, and it all came together. It was definitely a good weekend to head into this weekend."
Should Virginia down DePaul in the opening round, the team will move on to face the winner of today's matchup between No. 43 Ohio State (5-2) and No. 64 Auburn (2-4).
In 2010, the Buckeyes handed Virginia its second loss of the season with a 5-2 victory. The Cavaliers and the Tigers have never met.
Virginia has one other foe to face this weekend - moving from indoor to outdoor courts. That enemy may not be listed on the event's slate, but the Cavaliers will need to adjust to the different surfaces quickly in their first outdoor matches of the season.
"It might be a little slower outside, and [there] may be a little bit longer points," Fuccillo said.
Despite the challenging court change and stiff competition, both Fuccillo and Guilbeau expressed a resolve to continue building on the impressive start to the season.
Guilbeau indicated the team's confidence will aid the team both at the Blue Gray Tournament and down the road.
"They're showing both collectively and individually that their confidence is based on doing what they need to do on the tennis court," Guilbeau said. "When you really believe and you really have confidence, you get good results"
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