No. 1 Cavs set sights on national title
Veteran-heavy roster looks to make amends for last season’s loss to Syracuse in Final Four
Jack Bird, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
Published: Wednesday, February 11 2009

Senior attackman Danny Glading, Virginia’s returning leader in points from last season, said anything less than a championship this season would be seen as a disappointment. It is the evening of Feb. 3, 2008, and the New England Patriots just closed out a season of what could have been the most impressive season performance in NFL history with a loss in the most important game of that season, thus finishing 18-1, just one game shy of perfection. This past NFL season, The Patriots and Tom Brady were spared the pressure of trying to go 19-0 and winning the Super Bowl — the only way to make good on the previous season, in which they were almost good enough — by the season-ending injury Brady suffered during his very first game back in action.

For the Virginia men’s lacrosse team, however, this kind of pressure is real — and it does not yet have any injuries to blame. The dramatic end to its impressive 2007-2008 season came in the form of a sudden-death double overtime loss to perennial powerhouse Syracuse.

“We were actually a very young team last year,” Virginia coach Dom Starsia said. “I think among the four teams [in the final four] we were the youngest of those four teams. We only had a couple seniors who were playing an important role ... I was proud of what we were able to accomplish. I felt we played our best lacrosse at the very end, and that came against Syracuse in the semi-finals.”

After trailing the majority of the game, Syracuse was able to level the score, eventually defeating the Cavaliers and ruining Virginia’s chance at a national title. Virginia, though, will get no respite from the pressure to find the championship it lost last year. Already ranked No. 1 before the season has even started, according to the Nike/Inside Lacrosse media poll, the only place Virginia can go is down — or all the way to the winner’s circle.

“I think everybody understands — certainly everybody in this program understands — that everyone wants to be No. 1 in May,” Starsia said. “You don’t want to necessarily be No. 1 in February. But at the same time we are proud of the designation.”

The same young team from last year, using only a handful of seniors in the key places, is now a year older and more experienced. This year, the Cavaliers possess a roster packed with 22 upperclassmen. Though last year’s leading goal-scorer Ben Rubeor graduated, the team retains many of the tools that made it a national contender in 2008.

“If we are playing our best lacrosse we potentially should be winning the national championship,” sophomore midfielder Shamel Bratton said. “Hopefully, it will work out every Saturday.”

The Cavaliers look forward to the country’s 22nd hardest schedule, one which encompasses games against the other three teams in the ACC — each of which holds a top-10 preseason ranking. Before Virginia even makes it to the conference schedule portion of its season, however, the Cavaliers will also have to make it through No. 4 Johns Hopkins, No. 6 Cornell and Drexel Saturday, who defeated Virginia at home just two years ago. All of these potential hurdles come before postseason play and Virginia’s possible chance at a national title.

“I think that I’d be upset with anything less than a championship,” senior attackman Danny Glading said. “But a more realistic goal is to come to practice every day and work hard. I think that if you take care of that, then the bigger goals that are out there — the ones you have to reach a little further for — they take care of themselves.”

All in all, then, it seems many of the Cavaliers share the media’s sentiments that they will be the only team whose season does not end with a loss. The Cavaliers will have to put in the effort and commit themselves to building off of last season’s triumphs and pitfalls, though, to avoid the curse of being “almost good enough.”

“We are a team and a program that needs to learn to play from the front anyway,” Starsia said. “I don’t think we shy away from it ... It’s the beginning of the long journey. We haven’t accomplished anything yet. At the same time, I don’t fret the fact that we have to be No. 1 in most of the preseason polls. I think we fully understand that this is decided on the field, and that’s about to begin this weekend.”

 

Cavs stay close for most of the game but fade at the finish
FSU 68, U.Va. 57
Men's basketball U.Va.'s skid now at eight straight
STAFF REPORTS
Published: February 11, 2009

For the game's first 33 minutes, the University of Virginia stayed in step with No. 25 Florida State. Sometimes the Cavaliers led, sometimes they trailed, but the margin between these ACC men's basketball teams was never substantial

The final 6:30 was another matter. After reserve center Tunji Soroye's basket pulled U.Va. to 43-43, FSU ran off nine straight points.

From there, the Seminoles eased to a 68-57 victory at the Donald L. Tucker Center in Tallahassee, Fla., last night. Against Virginia, the Atlantic Coast Conference's worst defensive team, FSU (6-3 ACC, 19-5) shot 71 percent from the floor in the second half.

So Virginia (1-8, 7-13) finds itself tied for last in the ACC with Georgia Tech (1-8, 10-12). The loss was the eighth straight for the Cavaliers, whose skid is their longest since the 1997-98 season.

U.Va. must upset No. 12 Clemson at John Paul Jones Arena on Sunday afternoon to avoid losing nine of its first 10 ACC games for the second straight year.

Midway last night, the Cavaliers were ahead 22-20 -- only the second time this season they've led an ACC opponent at the break. The first was in the Wahoos' conference opener, which they won in overtime Dec. 28 at Georgia Tech.

Back-to-back 3-pointers by all-ACC guard Toney Douglas gave Florida State a 40-35 lead with 10 minutes to play, but U.Va. battled back. A 3-pointer by redshirt freshman guard Sammy Zeglinski made it 40-38, and then sophomore forward Mike Scott's second trey of the season put Virginia back up 41-40. That was the Cavaliers' final lead.

Virginia had little to show for an inspired effort on the backboards. U.Va. grabbed 21 offensive boards and outrebounded FSU 42-30 overall. But the offensively challenged Wahoos scored only 13 second-chance points and shot 34 percent overall.

They were 7 for 27 from beyond the 3-point arc. Moreover, Virginia came in as the ACC's second-best team from the line but made only 4 of 8 free throws.

"Against good defensive teams, when you get open, you gotta make shots, and unfortunately we didn't," fourth-year coach Dave Leitao said in his postgame remarks to radio analyst Cory Alexander.

Freshman swingman Sylven Landesberg led U.Va. with 14 points but shot 6 for 19 from the floor. Scott finished with eight points and nine rebounds.

For FSU, Douglas scored 19 points, and senior forward Uche Echefu added 17. Solomon Alabi, a 7-1 redshirt freshman who chose Florida State over U.Va., scored 13 points on 6-for-8 shooting and grabbed six rebounds.

"He's become in this league very quickly a force that has to be reckoned with," Leitao said.

Before the game, Leitao said his team needed to stay competitive "from TV timeout to TV timeout." There are eight such breaks in an ACC game, and at each of the first seven last night, no more than three points separated the teams.

At the eighth, however, U.Va. trudged to the bench trailing 54-45. Only 3:30 remained, and no late-game drama followed.

Virginia has dropped 10 consecutive games in Florida. The Cavaliers haven't won in Tallahassee since Feb. 17, 2001, when their coach was Pete Gillen and their stars included guard Roger Mason Jr.

Staff writer Jeff White contributed to this report.
 

Cavaliers lose 8th straight
Florida State scores on 14-of-15 final possessions to close out Virginia.
Doug Doughty

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Dave Leitao's preachings about defense were even more prophetic than usual Tuesday night.

Virginia was tied with 25th-ranked Florida State with under seven minutes remaining but let its guard down and dropped its eighth straight game, 68-57, at Tucker Center.

UVa hasn't lost more than eight games in a row since it had a nine-game losing streak in 1962. Since then, the Cavaliers have had eight-game losing streaks in 1965, 1974, 1998 and 2008.

"We continue to try and find a way to get us back on track," Leitao said. "We're playing some of the best teams in the country and the margin of error is razor thin."

Virginia (7-13 overall, 1-8 ACC) led 41-40 after a 3-pointer by sophomore Mike Scott with 8:19 left but Florida State (19-5, 6-3) scored on 14 of its next 15 possessions to finish out the game.

"I think you have to go back and see how much of it was us and how much of it was [Florida State]," said Leitao in a post-game radio interview. "I think if you go back and look historically at Toney Douglas, he's had tremendous second halves all year long.

"They played off of his enthusiasm, played off of his leadership and played off of his skill. I don't know if it was 100 percent him, but he had a whole lot to do with it."

The Seminoles, who shot 26.1 percent from the field in falling behind 22-20 at the half, connected on 17-of-24 shots (70.8 percent) from the field in the second half.

Douglas, a fifth-year senior, had 15 of his team-high 19 points in the second half and the Seminoles got 17 points from forward Uche Echefu. Solomon Alabi, a 7-foot-1 redshirt freshman, had 13 points, six rebounds and two blocks.

"He's become very quickly a force in this league that needs to be reckoned with," Leitao said.

UVa's only double-figure scorer was freshman Sylven Landesberg, who finished with 14 points but connected on only 6-of-19 shots from the field. Landesberg also had six rebounds, three assists and two steals.

The Cavaliers failed to capitalize on a stout defensive performance in the first half, when they shot 27.8 percent from the field and made only 1-of-13 3-point attempts.

UVa, which had dropped a 73-62 decision to the Seminoles on Jan. 24 in Charlottesville, outrebounded Florida State 42-30. The Cavaliers had 21 offensive rebounds, compared to five for FSU, and had a 14-1 margin in that category in the first half.

"We had opportunities to convert," Leitao said, "but you've got to make shots and we didn't."

Virginia's 34.3-percent shooting from the field marked the third time in six games that the Cavaliers have been under 35 percent and they shot 35.4 percent in a fourth game. Jeff Jones and Sammy Zeglinski were each 1-for-7 on 3-pointers and Landesberg was 0-for-4.

UVa returns home Sunday for a 1 p.m. game with Clemson. UVa will retire the number of three-time All-ACC selection Sean Singletary during ceremonies at that game.

 

Another poor shooting night for U.Va. in Tallahassee, Fla.
In Virginia's 68-57 loss to No. 25 Florida State tonight, the Cavaliers shot 34 percent from the floor. Of course, another pitiful shooting outing isn't all that surprising if you've kept up with U.Va. this season - especially in the last two weeks.

Here's a bold statement, but maybe not too far-fetched. If U.Va.'s shooting doesn't improve, it may not win another game this entire season. Seriously.

U.Va. (7-13 overall, 1-8 ACC) has shot 36.5 percent or less from the floor in five of its last seven games. It has shot under that mark in six games total this season. Last season, the Cavaliers shot 36.5 percent or worse in just three games. U.Va. has failed to come out with a win in any of the nine aforementioned games where it shot 36.5 or less.

Despite all of its shooting woes tonight, U.Va. still managed to carve out a 41-40 lead after Mike Scott nailed a 3-pointer (only the sixth of his career and second of the season) with 8:26 remaining. After Scott's shot, FSU ended U.Va.'s upset threat with a 12-2 run to give the Seminoles a 52-43 advantage with 4:28 left. U.Va. missed five of six shots during the run. FSU's lead never got under six points the rest of the way. Toney Douglas paced FSU with 19 points.

The Cavaliers are in the midst of an eight-game losing streak, which is the longest of coach Dave Leitao's four-year tenure. For the second straight game, and for just the second time this season, Leitao went with a starting lineup that included Solomon Tat and Jeff Jones.

Neither player helped U.Va. a great deal against FSU. Tat missed both of his field goal attempts and didn't score in 13 minutes. Jones, who scored 19 points (his personal ACC game high) Saturday against North Carolina, went two of 10 from the floor against FSU and finished with six points and four rebounds in 31 minutes.

Even U.Va. offensive catalyst Sylven Landesberg couldn't get it together Tuesday night shooting from the floor. He shot 6 of 18 and scored 14 points.

Posted by Norman Wood

 

Big second half vs. Virginia puts Florida State at 6-3 in ACC
By Corey Clark
Democrat Staff Writer

They keep finding a way.

For the third straight game, the Florida State Seminoles trailed at halftime. For the third straight game, they scored 25 points or less in the first half. And for the third straight game, they walked off the court with an ACC win.

After scoring just 20 points in the first 20 minutes against Virginia on Tuesday night, FSU erupted for 48 in the second half on its way to a 68-57 win over the Cavaliers (7-13, 1-8 in the ACC) at the Civic Center.

"Once again, I thought it was a team effort," Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton said. "Just about everybody that played contributed in some way."

With the victory, the Seminoles are now 19-5 overall and 6-3 in the conference — which ties the 1992-1993 squad for the best ACC record after nine games in program history.

"It's a big win because it was the next game," said star guard Toney Douglas, who had a game-high 19 points and seven assists. "In the ACC, any team can beat you on any given night if you don't bring it. So it's a 'W' in the win column. So we're 6-3. And we need more 'Ws' than Ls.'"

For much of Tuesday night, it seemed like an 'L' might be on its way.

Florida State gave up 14 offensive rebounds in the first half alone, shot just 26 percent from the floor and scored just 20 points as a team.

But because of Virginia's own shooting difficulties — much of that due to FSU's swarming defense — the Seminoles trailed just 22-20 heading into the locker room.

Florida State then came out and shot an astounding 71 percent from the floor in the second half en route to its 48-point outburst.

The Seminoles have averaged just 22.3 first-half points in their last three games, but have still managed to win them all thanks to stellar second halves.

"I think in the second half, when we see we have to win the game, I think everybody really steps up — including the underclassmen," said senior forward Uche Echefu, who scored a season-high 17 points and pulled down six rebounds on Tuesday night. "I think they realize what it is to play in the ACC. So everybody has to step up."

Of course, it wouldn't be a Florida State basketball game if Douglas wasn't stepping up himself.

After scoring four points in the first half, the ACC Player of the Year candidate ripped off 15 in the second, including a 90-second barrage in which he hit three straight long-range jumpers — two were from beyond the arc and one he had his foot on the line.

When Douglas buried the third one, Virginia head coach Dave Leitao called a timeout as the 7,921 in attendance at the Civic Center let out one of the biggest cheers of the season.

"You have guys that you can prepare for all you want," Leitao said. "But he's going to do what he's going to do. He's a fifth-year guy. He has confidence, he's got strength, he has worked on his game. He is in another place than most players."

After Douglas' scoring spree gave the Seminoles a five-point lead with 10 minutes remaining, Virginia actually answered back with two straight 3's of its own to take a 41-40 lead.

That's where the Cavaliers' run ended though.

Florida State scored baskets on seven straight possessions — a Deividas Dulkys 3-pointer, a Solomon Alabi jumper, an Echefu jumper, a layup by Douglas (off a great block by Jordan DeMercy), another 3 by Dulkys, another short jumper by Alabi and then a follow-up dunk by Alabi.

When the spurt was over, so was the game basically.

The Seminoles made enough free throws down the stretch and Echefu had two emphatic dunks in the final minute to put the finishing touches on yet another FSU victory.

Alabi finished with 13 points, six rebounds, three assists and two blocks for the Seminoles, who play again on Saturday at No. 7 Wake Forest.

"We're pleased with where we are," Hamilton said. "But we realize that in order to go into Winston-Salem on Saturday and come away with a victory, we're going to have to play better than we did tonight."

 

Seminoles come back to best Cavaliers
Published: Wednesday, February 11 2009

Sophomore forward Mike Scott had eight points and nine rebounds against Florida State last night, but it was not enough as the Cavaliers were handed their eighth straight loss. For the first time since Jan. 6 in a 74-50 win against Brown, the Virginia men’s basketball team won the first half against Florida State yesterday. For the first time since a Nov. 28 loss against Syracuse, however, the Cavaliers lost the second half by a double-digit margin, as the slumping squad turned a two-point halftime lead into a 68-57 defeat to the No. 25 Seminoles in Tallahassee for Virginia’s eighth straight loss.

The Cavaliers (7-13, 1-8 ACC) took a 41-40 lead following a three-point jumper by Mike Scott with 8:26 remaining in regulation. This would be the last deficit the Seminoles (19-5, 6-3 ACC) would face, however, as they went on a 14-4 run to take a nine-point lead. A deep three by Calvin Baker cut the margin to six with barely three minutes remaining, but Florida State freshman center Solomon Alabi’s dunk on the ensuing possession took the air out of any would-be Virginia surge.

Though Virginia got off to another sluggish start offensively, shooting 10-36 from the field and 1-13 from beyond the arc, Florida State experienced similar early struggles, making just six first-half field goals. The Cavaliers also outrebounded the Seminoles 29-14 in the first half, staking an even more commanding 13-1 advantage in terms of second chances off the offensive glass. Taken together, these defense-dominated statistics added up to a bland 22-20 first half score in Virginia’s favor.

The Seminoles responded, though, by shooting 70.8 percent from the field in the second half, with 11 assists on 17 field goals. Virginia hit 6-of-14 from beyond the three-point arc in the second half but could not keep up with Toney Douglas and company in the closing minutes.

Senior and leading scorer Douglas had a quiet opening period, hitting just 2-of-5 field goals and two free throws for four points, but he responded with a more characteristic second half that led the Seminoles’ charge. Douglas hit 5-of-8 field goals in the second, including eight straight points to give the Seminoles a five-point lead with 10:02 remaining, its largest lead to that point.

Florida State senior Uche Echefu also had an efficient night, hitting 6-of-9 field goals for 17 points and adding six rebounds. Freshman Sylven Landesberg led all Virginia scorers with 14 points on 6-of-19 shooting, while sophomore Mike Scott had a near double-double with eight points and nine rebounds.

Virginia coach Dave Leitao went with the same starting lineup he used Saturday against North Carolina, using Baker, Landesberg, sophomore guard Jeff Jones, junior guard Solomon Tat and freshman center Assane Sene. Senior forward Mamadi Diane did not appear for the second consecutive game; prior to the game against North Carolina, he had played in every game during his Virginia career.

The Cavaliers will look for their elusive second conference win Sunday against No. 12 Clemson. 2008 Virginia graduate Sean Singletary will have his number retired at halftime.

 

Seminoles explode past Cavs
By Whitey Reid
Published: February 11, 2009

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Just after the first television timeout of Tuesday night’s Virginia-Florida State game, UVa coach Dave Leitao — not a guy known for giving positive reinforcement — came bounding onto the court and slapped hands with each of his players as they were heading toward the bench.

Clearly, Leitao was pleased with the way his team had come out of the gates. Virginia looked sharp on defense and was playing with an intensity that had been virtually non-existent during the team’s seven-game losing streak.

Unfortunately for Leitao, those two traits dissipated as the game wore on.

FSU, behind 19 points from star Toney Douglas, 17 points from Uche Echefu and 13 points from Solomon Alabi, used a 12-2 run in the second half to hand Virginia its eighth straight defeat, a 68-57 setback in front of a crowd of 7,921 at the Tucker Center.

“I’m obviously disappointed with the outcome,” said Leitao, whose team has matched the program’s longest losing streak since former coach Jeff Jones’ last season. “I continue to try and find a way to get us back on track and win basketball games.

“You’ve got to be able to look at this game both on film and overall, and have our guys stay the course, understanding that there are certain things we have to continue to do — some a lot better than others in order to get wins.”

Unlike the last couple of games, Virginia players didn’t seem completely discouraged by the loss — even though they did allow FSU to shoot a whopping 71 percent from the field in the second half.

“We came out with more intensity than we’ve ever had,” said Virginia sophomore Mike Scott, who has eight points and nine rebounds. “We had a lot of energy. That’s basically how we got stops.”

Added Sylven Landesberg, who scored a team-high 14 points, but only shot 6 of 19 from the field: “I think in the last few games our defense has been progressing and getting better. We just need to keep working and hopefully getting better.”

For the second straight game, Leitao opened with the undersized but energetic starting lineup of Calvin Baker, Jeff Jones, Solomon Tat, Assane Sene and Landesberg. The unit quickly fell behind, 8-2, and it seemed like it was going to be another one of those games.

However, Virginia (7-13, 1-8) — behind an unlikely contributor in Tunji Soroye — rallied to take a 12-10 lead. Then, after a six-minute stretch in which both teams struggled to make any kind of shot, UVa was able to open up a 19-15 lead on a short Sammy Zeglinski jumper.

FSU (19-5, 6-3) tied the game on a pair of Douglas free throws, but Jeff Jones’ long jumper from the wing as he was being fouled by Douglas with just over a minute left, put Virginia back up by three. The Cavaliers, who led 22-20 at the break, played mostly man-to-man defense, a change from the last few games when Leitao used a 3-2 zone to moderate success.

“We were prepared to do both,” Leitao said. “We played heavy man because man was giving us, especially early, what we ultimately wanted, which is stops.”

The first half was almost an inverse of the first 20 minutes at John Paul Jones Arena last month when FSU held UVa to just three field goals. Virginia held the Seminoles to six field goals and 26 percent shooting.

If UVa could have shot a little better themselves (they shot just 28 percent) and limited its turnovers (they had 10), they might have had a bigger cushion when the second half started.

Nevertheless, there was a good vibe in the locker room.

“We were feeling confident,” Landesberg said. “We kept saying, ‘We’ve got to keep this intensity up.’ We thought we had the game in our hands.”

Virginia started the second half strong, showing some rare resiliency. After a pair of Douglas 3-pointers had put FSU up 40-35, UVa countered with two of its own – the first from Sammy Zeglinski, the second from Scott to reclaim a 41-40 advantage.

However, a Virginia drought — the kind that has become all too common during the losing streak — ensued. After Scott’s trey, UVa scored just one hoop (a Soroye layup) as FSU, behind Douglas, went on a 12-2 run to take a 52-43 lead.

“There was definitely fight in us, but there was fight in them, too,” Landesberg said. “Toney Douglas just made a couple of big-time shots. I thought our defense was in good position. We had a hand in his face. He just knocked them down.”

Leitao, not known for finding silver linings, seemed encouraged by some facets of his team’s play.

“I thought our rotations early on were really good,” he said. “I thought our aggression was really good. I don’t think that our aggression waned very much in the second half, but I thought they executed a whole better and made a whole lot more open shots, and Douglas really took the game over.”

Virginia will hope to build off its performance come Sunday when it hosts Clemson.

“The difficult thing now, or even before, is that you’re facing some of the best teams in the country,” Leitao said. “Your margin of error is razor thin.”

 

Healthy shoulder helps Inglot to dominant start
After playing through rotator cuff injury, Inglot takes on leadership, No. 1 position during senior season
Andrew Seidman, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
Published: Wednesday, February 11 2009

Senior Dominic Inglot won ACC Player of the Week for the second time this season Tuesday after he won both his matches over the weekend, including a victory against No. 4 Bruno Agostinelli of Kentucky on Friday. Inglot is unbeaten in both singles and doubles in the spring season. “It’s a vicious cycle.”

That’s how Virginia men’s tennis player senior Dominic Inglot described his struggle of overcoming a torn rotator cuff injury.

Although the injury was officially diagnosed last spring, Inglot said the initial problems surfaced when he was a freshman playing in the NCAA tournament. In the fall of 2007, Inglot said he took four painkillers before each match, but by spring, four was not enough.

“I took 12 painkillers against Illinois [last year],” Inglot said. “I came through, but I had to see the doctors afterward, and they found a tear in [my shoulder].”

Inglot had trouble grasping the prospect of surgery, not only because of the obvious setback it would mean for his level his play, but also because of the effect it would have on his teammates.

“With me playing in the No. 3 spot, the rest of the guys could play lower down against easier opponents,” Inglot said. “So I decided to tough it out.”

The pain, however, only intensified from then on, and Inglot was forced to take a cortisone shot before the ACC tournament.

“By the ACCs, all my confidence was gone,” Inglot said. “I had lost so many matches ­— it was difficult to get back to form.”

Inglot added that if his shoulder had been healthy last spring, his match with Georgia’s Luis Flores in the third round of the NCAA tournament “definitely would have been closer.” He lost the singles match, 6-2, 6-1, and the previously undefeated Virginia squad was knocked out of the tournament by the Bulldogs 4-3.

Two days after the NCAAs, Inglot underwent surgery. After locating the tear in the rotator cuff, doctors carved it out. Rehabilitation ensued after the surgery, and Inglot said he focused on strengthening his shoulder.

“The serve and forehand were problems for me,” Inglot said. “Accuracy on the serve is vital for me. Knowing when you’re down, you need to believe in your serve. When you lose that [ability], your confidence goes.”

This fluctuating trajectory of confidence proved troubling for Inglot. In addition to the physical uphill climb he faced, he said the mental roadblock was intransigent.

“Coach [Brian] Boland even showed me DVDs of all the great points I made to remind me of how I could play,” Inglot said.

Slowly but surely, Inglot came back to full form. He is now playing at the No. 1 singles spot on the team and was named the ACC Player of the Week Tuesday for the second time this season after winning two matches during the weekend, including a 3-6, 6-4, 10-8 victory against Kentucky’s No. 4 Bruno Agostinelli . Inglot is undefeated this season in both singles and doubles, leading No. 5 Virginia to a perfect 8-0 start.

Boland confirmed Inglot’s physical improvement.

“This is the healthiest Dom has ever been,” Boland said.

Inglot said his new position on the team has reminded him of the big shoes he has to fill and has pressured him into improving his game.

“There was pressure at the beginning versus Illinois,” Inglot said. “Replacing [2008 graduate] Somdev [Devvarman] as No. 1 is a big place to fill ... You would look up to Somdev, he would lead us into battle.”

Although Inglot said he recognized the need to emulate the former No. 1 player, he added that the emerging leadership capabilities of other players also has helped.

“It really helps to have [sophomore] Michael [Shabaz] and [sophomore] Sanam [Singh] and [junior] Houston [Barrick],” Inglot said. “The younger guys are looking up to them, too.”

And so the cycle continues; for Inglot and Virginia, however, it is now on a more favorable upward trajectory.