Virginia men’s tennis has yet again brought out a new lineup. In a thrilling matchup Sunday, the No. 8 Cavaliers (11-5, 3-3 ACC) faced off against SMU at the Styslinger/Altec Tennis Complex in Dallas, two days after a commanding 4-1 win Friday over Boston College. For their part, the Mustangs (12-11, 1-5 ACC) hoped to build on a decisive 4-0 win against Virginia Tech.
Virginia carried momentum into Sunday’s match after snapping a two-match losing streak with its victory Friday over the Eagles (3-7, 0-6 ACC). In that match, sophomore Dylan Dietrich and freshman Rafael Jódar, playing doubles together for the first time, cruised to a 6-0 win on Court 1. Sophomore Stefan Regalia, making his first career appearance in a dual match, teamed up with junior Ty Switzer at No. 3 doubles, but the pair, like their counterparts on Court 2, lost.
Despite dropping the doubles point, the Cavaliers dominated in singles play, winning all 10 completed sets to secure the road win. Dietrich leveled the match with a 6-3, 6-1 win at No. 2 singles, followed by a dominant 6-0, 6-1 performance by Jódar on the top court. Freshman Roy Horovitz continued the shellacking with a flawless 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 5, and freshman Stiles Brocket clinched the victory at No. 6, earning his first career ACC win with a 6-0, 6-4 result. The win improved Virginia’s all-time record against Boston College to a perfect 24-0.
Against SMU, Virginia again put out new doubles pairings, leading to mixed results across the board. The unchanged No. 1 duo of Dietrich and Jódar, comprising the team’s top two singles players, delivered a strong performance, securing a 6-3 victory. However, at No. 2, graduate student James Hopper and freshman Keegan Rice were unable to capitalize on their opportunities, falling 6-3 as SMU evened the doubles battle. It came down to the No. 3 pairing of Switzer and freshman Jangjun Kim, who fought hard, but ultimately lost 6-4, giving the Mustangs the doubles point.
The Cavaliers bounced back in singles play, delivering a resilient performance to secure the victory. Jódar set the tone at the top spot, earning the Cavaliers’ first singles win with a strong 6-3, 6-2 victory. He defeated No. 94-ranked Trevor Svajada with a mix of aggressive baseline play and precise shot-making, dictating rallies with heavy forehands and well-placed serves. Jódar controlled the pace early, breaking Svajda’s serve in the opening set and maintaining his momentum with clean play. In the second set, Jodar continued to apply pressure, hitting deep groundstrokes to push Svajda behind the baseline while capitalizing on short balls to finish the point.
Soon after, sophomore Mans Dahlberg delivered Virginia’s second singles point with a steady performance on Court 6, defeating his opponent 6-4, 6-4. Unlike in most matches, Dahlberg did not compete in doubles, allowing him to come into singles play fresh. He held consistent rallies and forced errors in his opponent. Dahlberg stayed aggressive on return games, taking advantage of crucial service breaks in each set to maintain control of the match. Despite late pressure from his opponent, Dahlberg closed the match to secure a straight-sets victory.
After a successful match Friday, Horovitz again entered Virginia’s lineup, extending the lead with a gritty performance at No. 5 singles in a 6-2, 7-5 victory. Horovitz came out strong in the first set, dictating play with sharp shot placement and a solid baseline game. He broke early and never looked back, taking the first set comfortably. The second set proved to be a tougher challenge, but despite falling behind late, Horovitz remained composed in the closing games, breaking back and sealing the win at 7-5 to put Virginia just one point away from victory.
That clinching point came on Court 2 from Dietrich, who battled through a three-set match to secure the win for the Cavaliers. Dietrich started strong, taking the first set 6-4. His opponent fought back in the second, breaking late to force a deciding third set. With the hopes of ending the overall match, Dietrich stepped up under pressure, controlling rallies and wearing down his opponent. He broke early in the final set and closed it out 6-2 to give Virginia the decisive fourth point and another road victory.
With the match decided in favor of the Cavaliers, play was halted in the remaining singles matches, leaving both Rice and Hopper’s matches unfinished. On Court 3, Rice was on the verge of securing a win, leading 5-2 in the third set after splitting the first two, 6-3, 2-6. On Court 4, Hopper was locked in a tight battle, 6-4, 2-6, 3-4, when play was stopped. Kim, typically a key presence on Courts 4 and 5, did not compete in singles.
Virginia emerged from a testing period of losses — three in four matches, against then-No. 15 Duke, No. 6 NC State and No. 1 Wake Forest — to snare the comfortable victories over the Mustangs and the Eagles. The new lineup adjustments against SMU proved effective, and perhaps the time spent experimenting against lower-caliber opponents will help when stiffer competition arrives again
The Cavaliers will look to carry their momentum into their next conference matchup, Friday at 6 p.m. at home against No. 15 California. The Golden Bears are 4-2 in the ACC and coming off a home win over Notre Dame.
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