The No. 6 Virginia men’s tennis team showcased its depth and resilience this weekend, earning two wins over ACC teams in Georgia Tech and No. 25 Clemson to extend its win streak to five matches. Virginia played both matches without standout freshman Rafael Jódar, who was competing in an ATP Challenger Tour event in Cuernavaca, Mexico. His absence prompted a shift in the lineup, with several Cavaliers stepping up in both doubles and singles play to help carry the team, solidifying its status as a serious contender heading into the final stretch of ACC play.
The Cavaliers (16-6, 8-4 ACC) extended their win streak to four matches with a commanding 4-0 sweep over Georgia Tech (12-10, 5-7 ACC) Friday at the Boar’s Head Sports Club. The match, which was moved indoors due to inclement weather, saw the Cavaliers assert their dominance over the Yellow Jackets.
The doubles point came quickly and decisively. Virginia has reverted back to familiar doubles pairings after some lineup experimentation over the last couple of weeks, and it paid off. The Yellow Jackets struck first by winning the doubles match at Line 3. Junior Ty Switzer and freshman Jangjun Kim played together again, in a duo that had shown flashes of potential earlier in the season. However, they struggled to find their rhythm early, falling behind as Georgia Tech applied consistent pressure at the net and capitalized on break points. Switzer and Kim were unable to recover from an early break and ultimately lost 6-2.
At Line 1, graduate student James Hopper and freshman Keegan Rice responded in their normal fashion. The pair, ranked No. 42 in the nation, defeated the No. 15-ranked Yellow Jacket team of senior Nate Bonetto and freshman Gianluca Carlini. Hopper and Rice controlled the tempo from the start, balancing Hopper’s net play with Rice’s heavy baseline game. They broke early and never allowed the Georgia Tech duo to gain momentum. Hopper and Rice neutralized returns and held serve to topple one of the top doubles teams in the country. The win marked their fourth ranked victory of the season and gave Virginia a spark after the early loss at Line 3.
Moments later, the No. 35 duo of sophomore Dylan Dietrich and junior Mans Dahlberg clinched the doubles point for Virginia with a composed 6-4 victory at Line 2. They capitalized on a late break of serve after holding strong in multiple deuce games with Dahlberg’s steady volleys and Dietrich’s well-placed groundstrokes. They stayed focused under pressure, closing out the match to secure the doubles point and shift the momentum in Virginia’s favor.
Freshman Stiles Brockett, in the lineup for the first time in a couple weeks, became the first player to put a singles point on the board. Playing at Line 6, Brockett delivered a dominant performance from start to finish, defeating his opponent 6-0, 6-2. From the opening point, Brockett looked locked in, dictating rallies and moving all over the court. His serve was also a key weapon, rarely surrendering break point opportunities.
At Line 5, Dahlberg stayed strong with a steady 6-1, 7-5 win, extending the Cavaliers’ lead to 3-0. Dahlberg came out firing in the opening set, dictating play with his forehand, frequently stepping inside the court to finish points early. However, in the second set, his opponent raised his level. Dahlberg responded with more variety, breaking serve at 6-5 to serve out the match to notch his third consecutive singles win and put Virginia within one point of clinching.
Rice delivered the final blow. Breaking serve early in both sets, he breezed to a 6-2, 6-3 win at Line 2. From the beginning, Rice opened up the court with heavy cross-court forehands and then stepped in to finish points. His return game was particularly strong, leading to early breaks in both sets. Rice’s ability to dictate play sealed Virginia’s 4-0 sweep.
Sunday, the Cavaliers regrouped on their outdoor courts to take on No. 25 Clemson (19-6, 7-5 ACC). In a gritty comeback, the Cavaliers pulled off a 4-2 win to cap a perfect weekend at home.
The match did not start in Virginia’s favor, as Clemson claimed the doubles point with wins at Lines 2 and 3. Notably, the Cavaliers made a lineup switch in doubles, moving Dietrich and Dahlberg up to Line 1 and Hopper and Rice down to Line 2.
Hopper and Rice fell 6-3 to Clemson’s No. 85-ranked duo. Though the pair had their moments of aggressive net play and clean returns, they struggled to tie it all together. Clemson took advantage of early break opportunities and maintained control with consistent serves and volleys, preventing Hopper and Rice from establishing their usual rhythm.
Meanwhile, Brockett made his dual-match doubles debut alongside Switzer at Line 3. The new pair showed flashes of energy but could not overcome Clemson. The Tigers jumped out to an early lead with sharp volley angles and poaching at the net and cruised to a 6-1 win.
The match at Line 1 went unfinished with Dietrich and Dahlberg tied 4-4 against the No. 48 team in the country. Virginia’s top pair looked steady and competitive throughout, holding serve and putting the pressure on in return games.
The Tigers carried that early momentum into singles, picking up a quick straight-sets win at Line 4 over Virginia freshman Roy Horovitz to take a 2-0 lead. But that was the last time the Tigers scored a point.
Kim returned to the singles lineup, and he was the first to swing the tide in Virginia’s favor with a sharp 6-1, 6-4 win at Line 5. Kim played his usual composed and confident tennis, mixing in smart shot selection and placement to keep the Tigers on their heels. It was his fourth straight completed singles win, continuing a strong late-season run.
At Line 6, Dahlberg leveled the match with another consistent performance, defeating his opponent 6-3, 6-3. Dahlberg’s ability to control the rallies and limit unforced errors proved crucial again, as he picked up his fourth straight singles win.
With the match tied 2-2, Hopper and his presence took over. At Line 3, he overcame a slow start. After dropping the first set 4-6, he adjusted his rhythm and began dictating play, taking the second set 6-3. In the third, Hopper broke twice to seal the match 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 and give Virginia its first lead of the day.
The deciding point came down to Dietrich on Court 1. Dietrich dropped the opening set 5-7 but dug deep in the second, breaking 3-3 and riding that momentum to a 6-4 win. With everything on the line in the third, Dietrich earned an early break and locked in on his strong serve to close out a clutch 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 victory and clinch the match for the Cavaliers.
Rice was still battling at Line 2, having forced a third set after dropping the first. But the match was called unfinished once Virginia secured the fourth point.
The Cavaliers have now won five matches in a row, perhaps rediscovering their mojo after a 1-3 start to conference play. Virginia’s final regular-season match is Friday at 4 p.m. at home against Virginia Tech.
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