Cavs recover to rout Hokies
By Jay Jenkins
Published: March 29, 2008

David Adams had a painful flashback.
A 12-run setback Wednesday night forced Virginia’s second baseman to think back to an ugly season-ending defeat against Evansville in the 2006 NCAA Tournament.
Luckily for the Cavaliers, their most recent loss did not linger long.
Virginia, riding a complete-game performance from starting pitcher Jacob Thompson, claimed the opening game of a weekend set against in-state rival Virginia Tech with ease,
10-1, at Davenport Field on Friday.
The 21st-ranked Cavaliers (21-5, 6-4 ACC) also pounded out 10 hits, including a solo homer from Adams in the bottom of the first, to help shake the memory of Wednesday’s 17-5 loss to George Washington.
“Against Evansville, we did not get a chance to come back,” Adams said. “This was just a great performance all around for us.”
Adams singled out Thompson, who pitched efficiently from the start and used just 28 of his 114 total pitches to retire the first nine Hokies (8-16, 0-10).
“He was sensational,” Adams said. “He did a great job of getting ahead of their hitters the entire game.”
Thompson (4-0) scattered seven hits, including a pair of triples from Virginia Tech left fielder Jose Cueto, to win his 25th career start. The right-handed junior fanned four batters without allowing a walk.
“I felt like he pitched the best game he has this season,” said Virginia coach Brian O’Connor. “We needed that after the defeat that we suffered [Wednesday].
“Jacob Thompson’s an All-American pitcher for a reason.”
Virginia gave Thompson ample run support in the middle innings, scoring two in the fourth and three more in the fifth to chase Virginia Tech starter Josh Wymer (2-4) from the contest.
UVa third baseman Tyler Cannon drove in the first run in the fourth with an RBI single, salvaging an at-bat that previously appeared to provide an extra-base hit into the corner in right field. Cannon’s first hit, however, was ruled foul.
Leading 4-1 in the fifth, Thompson stranded Cueto at third after a leadoff triple and Jeremy Farrell, David Coleman and Greg Miclat drove in runs for the Cavaliers to race ahead 7-1.
Virginia also added two runs in the seventh and one in the eighth as Thompson continued to shine on the mound as he allowed contact to the Hokies, who had scored 41 runs in their previous three games.
“These guys can hit,” Thompson said. “Virginia Tech hit a lot of balls tonight that could have been hits, but we had guys positioned right defensively.”
Virginia will look to claim the weekend series today at 1 p.m. as it sends senior LHP Pat McAnaney (2-1, 1.30 ERA) to the mound. The Hokies are expected to counter with David Cross (2-0, 10.38 ERA).

 

Cavaliers dismantle Hurricanes in straight sets
By Whitey Reid
Published: March 29, 2008

Just a few minutes into Friday afternoon’s match between the top-ranked Virginia men’s tennis team and Miami, a boisterous fan sitting in the student section shouted, “Tennis and lacrosse — that’s what Virginia does!”
The comment was meant more as a comical reference to a famous line from the movie “Wedding Crashers” than any sort of psyche-up tactic.
However, after Friday’s festivities, the remark couldn’t have been more apropos.
Virginia, behind No. 1 player in the country Somdev Devvarman, obliterated No. 26 Miami. The Cavaliers won all nine matches and didn’t drop a set en route to a 7-0 win in front of a rowdy crowd of 637 at the Snyder Tennis Center.
With the victory, Virginia (20-0) kept its perfect season intact. It’s a season that is certainly becoming reminiscent of the one that the UVa men’s lacrosse team had in 2006 when it went undefeated on its way to an NCAA championship.
A smiling Devvarman agreed that this season is shaping up to be a special one.
“What has made it special is the intensity that everybody comes out with,” said the senior co-captain. “Nobody is ever slacking and everyone is always giving their best effort.”
The most jaw-dropping result of the day was Devvarman’s 6-0, 6-1 demolition of Miami’s Daniel Vallverdu, the No. 4 player in the country.
Devvarman never let Vallverdu up for air.
“When Somdev comes out like he did, with that extra level of energy, it carries over to the whole team,” said Virginia coach Brian Boland. “He had that extra edge and the team feeds off that.”
Vallverdu, who had lost just one match all season coming into Friday, looked hapless against Devvarman.
“Somdev was almost impossible to beat,” Vallverdu said. “He said it was the best he had ever played. I don’t know if that’s true, but if he keeps working he’s going to be really good in the pros.”
Devvarman, who improved his singles record to 17-0 this spring, said he was motivated by a loss to Miami at home two years ago.
“I definitely remembered that,” he said. “It wasn’t a good feeling. I think everyone came out very focused and very intense.”
According to Boland, a great week of practice led to his team’s fine performance.
“I believe we really improved throughout this week,” Boland said. “I was really impressed with our doubles. We had a lot of chemistry.”
That’s where Virginia set the tone for its dominance.
A lineup change by Boland paid off. He paired junior Dominic Inglot with freshman Michael Shabaz at No. 2 and teamed senior Ted Angelinos and freshman Sanam Singh at No. 3.
Inglot and Shabaz beat Miami’s Vallverdu and Keith Crowley, 8-1, while Angelinos and Singh downed Carl Sundberg and Hector Nieto, 8-4.
“It was the first time I had played with Dom,” Shabaz said. “There was a feel-out between us, but it definitely felt comfortable.”
The fans may have had something to do with the extra bounce to Virginia’s step. Boland gave props to the team’s supporters, who turned out in droves on an unseasonably warm March day.
“I was just thrilled that so many people could come out,” he said. “It makes a huge difference.
“From top to bottom, this is as well as we have played all year.”
At times, it seemed as if Miami players may have been overwhelmed by the atmosphere. On several occasions, the chair umpire had to tell Wahoo fans to tone it down.
Shabaz said the crowd definitely fired him up.
“That’s the beauty of playing matches outside,” he said. “A lot more students can come out.”
Aces
Virginia hosts 10th-ranked Florida State at the Snyder Tennis Center - weather permitting - on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Seminoles defeated Virginia Tech, 4-3, on Friday.

 

Cavs help give lacrosse more prime exposure
Saturday, Mar 29, 2008 - 12:07 AM

Cavs help give lacrosse more prime exposure
Coach Dom Starsia's team will be featured in another showcase for the fast-growing sport of lacrosse.

In its ACC opener, top-ranked Virginia (9-0) meets No. 4 Maryland (1-0, 6-2) today at noon in College Park. This will be the first regular-season college lacrosse game shown on ESPN2 since the Maryland-Johns Hopkins clash in 1995.

On March 8, Virginia won at Princeton in the first regular-season lacrosse game ever televised by ESPN.

The Cavaliers are coming off an overtime win over defending NCAA champion Hopkins before a record crowd at Kl?ckner Stadium.

"It's a marathon, and it's still only the month of March," Starsia said after that game. "And so we take it in small doses, and we don't get too far ahead of ourselves. What people take away from these lacrosse seasons is what happens in the month of May, but finding a way to win, having a young goalie develop confidence winning a game like this, these are the kind of things that are going to carry you in the month of May."

First open practice for football is tomorrow
The first of the U.Va. football team's two open practices is tomorrow, starting at 2:45 p.m. Spectators will note that several players are participating on a limited basis.

Those on the mend include offensive tackle Eugene Monroe (shoulder), offensive guard Patrick Slebonick (shoulder), tight end Mark Ambrose (shoulder), linebacker John Bivens (knee) and linebacker J'Courtney Williams (shoulder).

Also, reserve tailback Keith Payne is being held out of spring drills to concentrate on his schoolwork. Payne rushed 58 times for 219 yards and two touchdowns as a redshirt freshman last season.

U.Va. practices on the fields behind University Hall and the McCue Center. A player to watch is offensive guard B.J. Cabbell. The 6-6, 304-pound rising sophomore from Nelson County High is likely to fill one of the starting jobs vacated by Branden Albert and Ian-Yates Cunningham.

Cabbell is "a big, rugged player," Virginia coach Al Groh said. "Strong and tough. Nice combination."

U.Va., Southern Miss agree on football series
U.Va. and Southern Mississippi, which never have met in football, have agreed on a two-game series.

The Cavaliers will play in Hattiesburg, Miss., on Sept. 19, 2009. The Golden Eagles will visit Scott Stadium on Sept. 24, 2011. Southern Miss, Brett Favre's alma mater, finished 7-6 last season.

Southern Miss is the only non-conference opponent on Virginia's 2009 schedule so far.

Landesberg was flat in all-star game
U.Va. basketball recruit Sylven Landesberg has had an exceptional senior season, but he struggled on a big stage Wednesday night in Milwaukee.

In the McDonald's All-American game, the 6-5 guard from Holy Cross High in Queens, N.Y., went 1 for 5 from the floor and committed four turnovers for the East, which beat the West 107-102. Landesberg finished with two points and two rebounds.

Holy Cross plays for the New York state Federation Class AA title tomorrow.

Athletic department extends deal with Nike
U.Va.'s athletic department has extended its contract with Nike through June 2016. Under the new deal, U.Va. will receive $11.8 million in "product and compensation" from Nike over the next eight years, starting July 1. Virginia could also earn bonuses from Nike if certain teams attain specified performance level, the school said.

Under its previous deal with Nike, which began in the summer of 2001, the athletic department received an average of about $500,000 each year in merchandise and cash, a U.Va. spokesman said.

-- Jeff White

 

Cavaliers Face Maryland on ESPN2
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/28/2008

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA-The Virginia men’s lacrosse team didn’t have much time to savor its overtime win over Johns Hopkins last Saturday. Brian Carroll notched the game winner with 7.7 seconds remaining to extend the nation’s longest winning streak to nine games.

While the victory was nice, the season’s next phase commences Saturday as the Cavaliers begin their ACC schedule with a noon match-up against Maryland (6-2 overall/1-1 ACC) at Byrd Stadium in College Park. The game is notable since it’s the first regular season match-up ever aired on ESPN2.

“These three (ACC) games are most always our toughest and most physical games of the year, so we need to be ready,” said Virginia head coach Dom Starsia.

The Terrapins have won four of their last five outings and are coming off an impressive 13-8 win at North Carolina last week.

“They clearly are well prepared for their games. I was very impressed watching them in the game this past weekend against North Carolina,” notes Starsia.

Maryland coach Dave Cottle has taken the unusual approach of starting three freshmen on attack—Grant Catalino, Travis Reed and Ryan Young. Reed leads the way with 15 goals, while Catalino (6-5, 240) is close behind with 13. Young is the team’s top assist man with 14 to go along with six goals.

“I would say it looks to be a team that Dave Cottle is probably really enjoying coaching,” said Starsia. “With three freshmen attackmen like that, that’s a pretty bold stroke for the Terps.

“(Playing) three freshmen in a key role like that, you’re likely to suffer some ups and downs, but I am sure that Maryland is pleased where they are right now in the overall scheme of things.”

Starsia counters with a plethora of youngsters as well, Shamel and Rhamel Bratton in the midfield, Adam Ghitelman in goal and Bray Malphrus and Chris Clements on the defensive end.

“Our young guys are coming along,” he said, “The Brattons certainly showed evidence of that this past weekend against (Johns) Hopkins. I think Adam (Ghitelman) continues to settle in in the goal. He’s another one that is seeing things for the first time. (Bray) Malphrus and (Chris) Clements and a bunch of (other) young guys are playing important minutes for us and I think they are getting better.”

A good start in conference play will also benefit the Cavaliers for their preparations and seeding for the ACC Tournament in late April.

“I continue to characterize us as a team whose best lacrosse is still out there,” the head coach said. “We may have played our best game to date against Hopkins, but as we get healthier and get more experienced, we’ve also got a lot of room to improve.”



 

Top-Five Teams Clash in Durham
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/28/2008

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The No. 4 Cavaliers travel to Durham, N.C. for a pivotal ACC match-up Saturday afternoon against No. 5 Duke. Both squads have already dropped a conference contest, as the Blue Devils most recently fell to North Carolina, and the Cavaliers lost at Maryland. Duke, though, brings a 19-game home winning streak into the contest. The game will be shown live and on-demand at www.ACCSelect.com.

Thanks to winning the first eight meetings of the series (1996-2000), Virginia holds the all-time record of 15-6 over Duke. The Blue Devils won their first contest over the Cavaliers in 2001, with a 14-10 win in Charlottesville, but Virginia responded with a 18-6 win in Durham the following year.

The two squads have faced each other at least twice every year since then, with Virginia dropping the regular-season meeting each of those years, but winning the post-season battles. The Blue Devils and Cavaliers faced three times in 2005, with Duke winning the regular-season and ACC Tournament contests, before Virginia knocked the Blue Devils out of the NCAA Tournament.

Last year, Virginia set an NCAA record for the largest comeback in the NCAA Championships history, scoring the final 10 goals of the semi-final game, en route to a 14-13 victory over Duke. Then-sophomores Blair Weymouth and Ashley McCulloch led the Cavaliers in the contest with five points each. Weymouth had four goals and an assist, while McCulloch had a goal and four assists.

Leading the Blue Devils this season is Carolyn Davis. Davis has 28 goals and 10 assists, and earned ACC player of the Week honors on both Feb. 18 and March 4. In goal, Kim Imbesi has posted a 10.38 goals against average and a .426 save percentage.

For the Cavaliers, McCulloch paces the offense, tallying 31 points on 11 goals and 20 assists, and leads the league in assists per game. Sophomore Brittany Kalkstein leads the attack with 18 goals and 26 draw controls, while in goal, senior Kendall McBrearty is allowing a league-best 7.67 goals per game and stopping .496 percent of shots faced.

Duke will mark Virginia’s fifth top-10 opponent this season, with the Cavaliers holding an even 2-2 mark against those previous four opponents. Virginia won its battles over No. 4 Syracuse and No. 7 North Carolina at home, but fell to two top-five contenders on the road; No. 5 Maryland, 5-8, and No. 4 Princeton, 7-8.

Following this game, Virginia will return home to play host to four of its final five regular-season games. Old Dominion will visit Charlottesville on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. game and Boston College will come to town for the Cavaliers’ final ACC match-up on Saturday and 1 p.m.

 

CBI's cost to Cavs could be $150,000
Saturday, Mar 29, 2008 - 12:07 AM

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Is it a price the University of Virginia would pay again? Maybe not. But U.Va. entered the inaugural College Basketball Invitational knowing the 16-team tournament would be a money-losing proposition for the school.

Had U.Va. won its semifinal Wednesday and then played in a best-of-three championship series that lasted through the final game, the university might have lost as much as $300,000, said Jon Oliver, the Cavaliers' executive associate athletic director.

Virginia ended up playing three games in the CBI, all at John Paul Jones Arena. For each CBI game, the host school had to pay the tournament $60,000.

U.Va. is likely to lose about $150,000, Oliver said. The athletic department's annual budget is about $52 million.

"We knew what the financial risk was going in, and ultimately it was decided to play in the tournament," Oliver said. "It was a chance for Sean [Singletary] and the other seniors to keep playing."

For each CBI game at the JPJ, tickets were $10 for reserved seats and $5 for U.Va. students. The official attendance for U.Va.'s first-round game against Richmond was 4,022; for the quarterfinal against Old Dominion, 6,460; and for the semifinal against Bradley, 5,852. Parking and concessions provided some additional revenue for U.Va.

The CBI may have trouble filling its field if tourney officials continue to require a $60,000 guarantee for each home game, Oliver said.

Several schools, citing financial concerns, turned down opportunities to participate in the new tourney. - Jeff White

 

ODU got better CBI deal
By Rich Radford
The (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot

NORFOLK -- While the University of Virginia estimates its participation in the College Basketball Invitational could cost $150,000 or more, Old Dominion's role as host of a first-round game didn't cost the Monarchs anything.

According to documents released by ODU on Friday, the school will send $5,784.21 in net proceeds from its March 18 game against Rider to the Gazelle Group, the organizer for the first-year tournament.

The Gazelle Group was left scrambling late into the night on Selection Sunday, March 16, as it looked for participants for its 16-team field, particularly those who would host a first-round game. ODU, knowing it would have fewer than 48 hours to promote the Tuesday night game, was able to negotiate a deal waiving the tournament's gate guarantee of $60,000.

ODU included a 10-page contract from the Gazelle Group in documents it released to the Virginian-Pilot, a contract that stipulates the $60,000 guarantee. However, neither party signed it.

Meanwhile, UVa ended up hosting three CBI games, with the standard guarantee to the Gazelle Group of $60,000 per game applying in each case.

According to a Global Spectrum spreadsheet from ODU's home game with Rider, ODU took in $14,884 in ticket sales. The attendance of 2,036.

Minus taxes, game-night expenditures and tournament incidentals, the net proceeds were $5,784.21, all of which are to be paid to Gazelle Group.

ODU men's basketball coach Blaine Taylor declined to comment on the financial aspects of his squad's participation in the tournament.

ODU AD Jim Jarrett declined comment and referred all further inquiries to Rick Giles of the Gazelle Group.

Contacted Friday morning, before ODU released the details of its agreement with the CBI, Giles said, "Our deal and contract template is the same for everyone. We didn't cut any special deals."

Calls Friday afternoon to Giles' office in Princeton, N.J., seeking comment on the ODU documents were not returned.
 

Singletary, Cavs face rebuilding
By Andy Bitter
Published: March 28, 2008

CHARLOTTESVILLE — When Sean Singletary decided last June to return to Virginia for his senior season, Cavaliers fans exhaled in unison, thankful that the program didn’t have to plunge into what would surely have been a rebuilding phase.
Seventeen wins and a disappointing 16 losses later, that time has come.
The Cavaliers’ loss to Bradley in the College Basketball Invitational semifinals on Wednesday not only wrapped up a disappointing season that began with NCAA Tournament aspirations but marked the end of Singletary’s magnificent career.
That begs the question: if Virginia finished 10th in the ACC and was relegated to a third-tier postseason tournament with one of the school’s all-time greats on its roster, what is it going to do without him?
It’s the biggest offseason question facing Dave Leitao, who didn’t go through the typical coaching transition in his first three years at UVa thanks to a pair of Pete Gillen recruits, Singletary and J.R. Reynolds.
“What I decided to do was ride that as far and as long as I could,” Leitao said. “And somewhere in the early stages of the season, you realize this is the part in which you take over a program that you have to start building it.
“You couldn’t call it a rebuilding project with Sean Singletary or J.R. Reynolds or guys like that around.”
There is no other way to label the 2008-09 team.
In addition to Singletary’s departure, Virginia loses forward Adrian Joseph, a streaky shooter, and forward Ryan Pettinella, an energy player in the post. Center Tunji Soroye, who missed all but two games because of injury, might seek a medical redshirt.
In their wake are a host of question marks. Guard/forward Mamadi Diane (11.8 ppg) and forward Lars Mikalauskas (7.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg) are the only holdovers from the Gillen era.
Diane lost his starting job halfway through the season with his inconsistent play but re-emerged in the final weeks, with double-digit scoring efforts in the final seven games. Mikalauskas missed 13 games in the middle of the season with a shoulder injury but gave UVa a jolt of energy upon his return, averaging almost 10 points a game in the final 11 contests.
Beyond that, the onus of rebuilding will be on Leitao’s recruiting classes, which have produced very little to date.
Three underclassmen who got significant playing time this season — guard Jeff Jones and forwards Jamil Tucker and Mike Scott — will be asked to play much larger roles.
Jones (4.2 ppg) finished the season strong, scoring a career-best 26 points against Bradley. Tucker (5.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg) and Scott (5.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg) both showed promising signs but had their growing pains, particularly on defense, a Leitao trademark that was severely lacking this season and will be priority No. 1 in the offseason.
“Those were Coach Leitao’s last words out of the locker room: ‘We’re going to play defense,’” Jones said.
William & Mary transfer Calvin Baker (8.8 ppg) returns in the backcourt, as does Sammy Zeglinski, who missed almost all of his freshman season with an ankle injury. UVa also hopes to get more out of rising junior swingman Will Harris, who played in just four games after the new year because of nagging injuries.
Help is on the way, with three signees in the fold — 6-foot-6 McDonald’s All-American guard Sylven Landesberg and a pair of post players, 6-foot-10 John Brandenburg and 6-foot-11 Assane Sene.
Noticeably absent in next season’s outlook is any kind of star power. It reminded Singletary of his sophomore year, when the Cavaliers overachieved in Leitao’s first season, winning 15 games and making it to the NIT.
“We didn’t have any go-to players,” Singletary said. “We were just seven guys out there just working hard and fighting for everything we got.
“I’m sure they’re going to be successful (next season). It might not be pretty every night, but they’ll get the job done.”