No. 1 Cavaliers Set to Battle Marshall at 5 p.m. Tuesday
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/22/2010

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The top-ranked Virginia baseball team continues its nine-game homestand at 5 p.m. Tuesday when it plays host to Marshall at Davenport Field. The Thundering Herd-Cavaliers contest can be heard live online with a V Pass subscription at VirginiaSports.com. Live statistics also will available at VirginiaSports.com.

Tuesday is a $2 Tuesday at the park. Fans can purchase $2 hot dogs and $2 sodas all game long.

Virginia (17-3), ranked No. 1 nationally this week in the Baseball America, NCBWA and Rivals.com polls, has won five straight games after a weekend series sweep against Boston College. Phil Gosselin (Jr., West Chester, Pa.) reached base in 19 of his 23 plate appearances last week, good for an .826 on base percentage. Dan Grovatt (Jr., Tabernacle, N.J.) continued his strong season at the plate by going 7-for-17 (.412) last week with three extra-base hits and nine RBI.

Tyler Cannon (Sr., Pigeon Forge, Tenn.) comes into the week as one of Virginia's hottest hitters, with a career-high 12-game hitting streak.

Virginia will look to continue its strong pitching from last week. In the five games, Virginia allowed just nine runs. Will Roberts (So., Richmond, Va.) is slated to get the starting nod Tuesday for the Wahoos. Marshall has yet to name a starter.

Marshall is 8-9 this season and already boasts one win over a Top-25 foe - a 17-1 victory over then-No. 17 Ohio State on March 13. Alfred Brito leads the team with a .421 batting average, while catcher Victor Gomez, a 2010 Johnny Bench Award Watch List honoree, has a .366 batting average and leads the team with six home runs and 22 RBI.

Virginia has won all nine of the previous meetings with Marshall. The teams met last season in Charlottesville, with the Cavaliers using a four-run seventh-inning rally to come back and defeat the Thundering Herd, 5-4.

Virginia returns to ACC play this weekend, batting Clemson in a three-game series at Davenport Field. The Tigers are ranked as high as No. 5 nationally this week. The series also pits the Atlantic and Coastal Division leaders in the ACC.

Fans planning to attend games this weekend are encouraged to purchase tickets ahead of time online at VirginiaSports.com. The ticket booth and gates to Davenport Field open two hours prior to first pitch each day.

General admission seating is available in the grandstand and left-field bleachers as well as on the grass hillside. Tickets are $7 for adults, youth (18 and under), seniors (60 and older) and faculty/staff (limit two per faculty/staff). Tickets can be ordered in person at the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office in Bryant Hall at Scott Stadium, by phone at (800) 542-8821 and online at VirginiaSports.com. Advance ticket sales online end four hours prior to the game.


 

Midweek game may provide momentum
Cavaliers will face Marshall at Davenport before preparing to take on No. 9 Clemson this weekend
Allen Kha, Cavalier Daily Staff Writer
Baseball / Sports
March 23, 2010 1

The top-ranked Virginia baseball team welcomes Marshall to Davenport Field this afternoon after sweeping Boston College in a three-game series during the weekend.

Virginia (17-3, 5-1 ACC) hopes to build on its impressive hitting and pitching performances from last weekend in an attempt to extend its five-game winning streak against Marshall. Moreover, building momentum during the week could prove beneficial as the Cavaliers prepare to face a weekend series against No. 9 Clemson.

Even with the Clemson match looming ahead, though, Virginia coach Brian O’Connor is determined to keep his players focused on today’s game against a hungry Thundering Herd squad. Two weekends ago, Marshall (7-9) managed impressive defeats of both Ohio State and Connecticut at the Arby’s Classic. The high-powered lineup scored 17 runs against Big Ten-leader Ohio State and 11 against Big East-contender Connecticut. Last weekend, however, Marshall only emerged victorious from one of its four games against Lemoyne.

“They always have a very scrappy ball club; they’re very well-coached,” he said. “They play in a great conference in Conference USA, so I know they’ll come here and be ready to play.”

For success this afternoon, the Cavaliers will have to continue its dominance from last weekend against the Eagles, after scoring 22 runs and giving up only five runs. The team saw superb hitting performances from juniors Phil Gosselin, Dan Grovatt and Jarrett Parker and superb pitching performances from all three starters: juniors Cody Winiarski and Robert Morey and sophomore Danny Hultzen.

Gosselin hit an impressive 7-for-10 with four RBIs, Grovatt 4-for-11 with one home run and six RBIs, and Parker 4-for-12 with four RBIs. The starting pitchers combined to give up two earned runs in 21 innings — a 0.81 ERA — while striking out 23 and allowing just 10 hits and three walks.

O’Connor was quick to praise the consistency of leadoff hitter Gosselin and three-hole hitter Grovatt in a lineup that has seen some movement.

“Phil Gosselin and Danny Grovatt have performed for us all year,” he said. “They’ve performed in their first two years in the program. They’re both very talented hitters; they get big hits in clutch situations, and that’s why they’re at where they are in the lineup. They’re going to need to continue to do good things for us.”

This season, Gosselin has assumed the leadoff role Parker filled most of last year, shifting Parker to the fifth spot in the lineup. Parker, one of the Cavaliers’ best players, has struggled adjusting to the new lineup spot. He hit a modest .303 with one home run and 14 RBIs going into the Boston College series.

Though Parker’s statistics are more than respectable, the five-tool player expects more from himself after hitting 0.355, 16 home runs and 65 RBIs last season, with the two last categories good for team-highs.

“I’ve been getting a lot of off speed, lot of junk pitches — not many pitches in the zone which I can hit — which at times can be tough, but I’m getting used to it,” Parker said.

Parker will have the opportunity to continue his hitting surge today at 5 p.m.

Virginia basketball reserve to transfer
Tristan Spurlock is leaving after only one season.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

Tristan Spurlock, whose popularity exceeded his playing time as a reserve for the University of Virginia men's basketball team, has elected to transfer after one season.

Spurlock, a 6-foot-8 forward from Springfield, was named Mr. Basketball in Virginia by The Roanoke Times after his senior year at Word of Life Christian.

"Our basement is orange, blue and white, with UVa stuff everywhere," Spurlock's father, Rodney, said. "He loved UVa. He wanted to be a Virginia kid who went to Virginia to turn the program around. That's not going to happen and that hurts."

Spurlock and his parents met Sunday with first-year UVa coach Tony Bennett.

"After a long discussion with Tristan and his family we have mutually agreed that it is best for him to leave the Virginia basketball program," Bennett said in a statement distributed through UVa's sports-information office.

"I appreciate what he's done for UVa basketball and understand his desire for a different playing situation. I fully support his pursuit of his goals and he has my best wishes for the future."

Bennett and his staff envisioned Spurlock as a power forward. Spurlock said he had come to Virginia to play on a wing.

Actually, the Cavaliers might be in the market for a wing, with an announcement expected shortly on the status of sophomore Sylven Landesberg, the Cavaliers' leading scorer in each of his first two seasons.

Landesberg, who had been delinquent in his class attendance, was suspended prior to UVa's final regular-season game March 6. Tristan Spurlock said that he had spoken Monday with Landesberg, who was in New York.

"They never said anything about Sylven leaving and there being minutes available on the wing," Spurlock said. "That might have been a different way to approach it. They saw me as a power forward. I never had any aspirations to play that position."

Yet, Spurlock didn't feel as if he had been pushed.

"Coach Bennett is a great guy," said Spurlock, who will finish out the semester in Charlottesville. "I'll say that no matter where I'm at. Did I feel like I was run off? No, but when you're bringing in your own six kids, that's something to look at. That's writing on the wall."

Spurlock played in 13 of 31 games for the Cavaliers, scoring 2.8 points per game. Speculation about a possible transfer started early in the season.

"Having people come up to me was rough, particularly when I had no answer to give them," he said. "That was probably one of the most difficult things I've ever had to deal with basketball-wise. You're pretty much on the outside looking in. It was like watching a shipwreck."

Spurlock played a total of 60 minutes but scored 31 points, a rate of 20.7 points per 40 minutes that was second only to Landesberg's 21.5 for an offensively challenged 15-16 UVa team.

"He didn't get a chance to show all of his skill set," Rodney Spurlock said. "That was definitely the case. He was frustrated. Especially when they were on their [10-game] losing streak, many a night he told me, 'Dad, I just know I can go out there and help the team win.'

"The coaches just didn't see it that way."

Spurlock displayed a flamboyant game marked by dunks and 3-pointers and there was a noticeable buzz whenever he trotted to the scorer's table.

At a February game where retiring UVa president John Casteen was recognized at halftime, it was Spurlock's late-game introduction that elicited a warmer reception.

Spurlock originally signed with former coach Dave Leitao in the fall of 2008, choosing to honor his commitment after Leitao was fired and replaced by Bennett in the spring of 2009.

Spurlock joins a list of marquee recruits who have left UVa's program, including Derrick Byars in 2004 and Gary Forbes in 2005.

Byars transferred to Vanderbilt and was named Southeastern Conference player of the year in 2007. Forbes transferred to Massachusetts and was the 2008 Atlantic-10 player of the year.

"Maybe that's a sign that good days are ahead," Spurlock's father said.

UVa’s Spurlock to transfer
By Whitey Reid
Published: March 22, 2010
Updated: March 22, 2010
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When Tristan Spurlock arrived at Virginia last summer, he was expected to be one of the pillars of first-year coach Tony Bennett’s program.
It never happened.
As a freshman, Spurlock — a top-100 recruit coming out of Word of Life Christian Academy — hardly played. The Woodbridge native never quite meshed with Bennett.
On Monday, Spurlock announced that he is transferring from Virginia.
Speaking to The Daily Progress, Spurlock said the
decision was a “mutual” one between him and Bennett.
“The crazy part is I really wanted to stay,” Spurlock said, “but there were things we couldn’t agree on…
“The character thing was never an issue. I still like coach Bennett as a person, even though I’m leaving. I can never question his character. He’s a great guy, and he said the same thing about me, which I really appreciated because I’ve tried to represent the school well no matter what the situation.”
The 6-foot-8 Spurlock played in just 13 games for the Cavaliers this past season. Spurlock, to his credit, never let the scant playing time affect his support of teammates.
On Sunday night, Spurlock met with Bennett. One of the sticking points between the two was how Spurlock would fit in next season.
Spurlock said that Bennett — who has six new recruits coming in — didn’t see him as a wing player and wanted him to play more inside. He said the two agreed fairly quickly that it would be best for Spurlock to move on.
In a press release issued by the school, Bennett also called Spurlock’s decision to leave “mutual.”
“After a long discussion with Tristan and his family we have mutually agreed that it is best for him to leave the Virginia basketball program,” Bennett said. “I appreciate what he’s done for UVa basketball and understand his desire for a different playing situation. I fully support his pursuit of his goals and he has my best wishes for the future.”
Spurlock said he would miss his teammates, especially fellow freshman Jontel “Bub” Evans, his best friend. Shortly after announcing his decision, Spurlock received a phone call from former teammate Sylven Landesberg, who has been training in New York.
“He was making sure I was OK,” Spurlock said. “He was like my big brother.”
Spurlock hasn’t thought about where he might transfer. Coming out of high school, he strongly considered Georgetown.
“I would take a look at [Georgetown],” he said. “But any school that looks at me, I’ll take a look at it.
“I want to get this one right.”
Spurlock made sure to thank Virginia fans.
“Sitting on the bench was something I never had to deal with, and having people come up to me and support me just meant so much,” he said. “It was so genuine.
“Growing up, I hadn’t had a lot of support like that from just random people. The D.C., Northern Virginia area wasn’t full of supporters, so this was really great. It was like a family.”
Spurlock added: “It’s sad to leave your brothers behind, but you have to do what is best for you. In this situation, I just feel like this was what was best for me. A lot of people wanted me to stay, but it’s a business and you have to treat it like that.”
 

More on Tristan Spurlock's departure from Virginia basketball

Virginia forward Tristan Spurlock met with Coach Tony Bennett on Sunday night in what Spurlock said was the final individual meeting the coach conducted with players. At the meeting, Spurlock said that he and Bennett spoke about Bennett's vision of Spurlock and the future and they mutually agreed he should leave the Cavaliers' program.

"I didn't like his vision for me," Spurlock said, "and we came to the agreement that what's best for me might not be staying at the University of Virginia."

When asked specifically what vision he did not like, Spurlock said Bennett wanted him to become a "4" -- a power forward. Spurlock believes he's a wing.

Spurlock insisted that no decision was made during the season. He said he "did not put anything out there" when asked if he and his family looked into other opportunities during the season. Spurlock said he thought about returning to Virginia throughout the year, and never entered a game expecting that game's playing time to determine his future.

"A lot of people speculated, a lot of people thought I was transferring," Spurlock said. "Jontel is my best friend on the team, and we talked all the time about next year and how things are going to be different. So I never, ever speculated or wanted to speculate."

Spurlock said he has no ill will toward Bennett, and still believes Bennett is a "good man." The same respect he had for Bennett when the coach visited Spurlock's family last spring upon accepting the job remains. The issue was entirely a basketball decision.

"Things do change when you get to the school," Spurlock said, "and I don't think I fully understood what kind of coach he was and his philosophies and his schemes and how I fit into those schemes."

Spurlock spoke with other players on the team at study hall on Monday. He received a call from Sylven Landesberg in the afternoon.

He does not have any potential schools, emphasizing the decision to leave came last night. He plans to visit other schools.

"After the meeting, that's when I really knew," Spurlock said, "this is not the right place for me."

By Zach Berman

Tristan Spurlock Transfers From Virginia Basketball Team
Ben Gibson
Written on March 22, 2010

Freshman forward Tristan Spurlock is transferring from the University of Virginia after a year of much ado about nothing.

Spurlock was one of the top recruits former coach Dave Leitao was able to nab and, after his dismissal, rumors floated as to whether or not the big man would honor his commitment. Reports that Georgetown was courting Spurlock had everyone desperately hoping to hold on to the promising prospect.

Well, coach Tony Bennett did beat the odds and hold on to Spurlock. However, the reward was not exactly what Virginia fans expected.

Despite the pre-season hype, Spurlock's offensive ability was hindered by defensive deficiencies, a cardinal sin in the Bennett system. As a result, the highly touted recruit played in only 13 of 31 games, totaling 60 minutes for the entire season.

That's right, in an offense completely devoid of scorers and big men, perhaps the best offensive threat in the front court played over 400 fewer minutes than walk-on Will Sherrill. Fellow freshman Jontel Evans had 512 minutes by comparison.

Now, this is not necessarily a condemnation on coach Bennett for making the moral stand, but it also makes this move by Spurlock less than surprising. After all, did he really have any other choice than to leave once he saw the pecking order?

Coach Bennett made it clear at the end of this season, there will be changes. Currently he is evaluating what is left on a team that held such promise as late as early February, but a long losing streak crushed the Cavaliers as they finished 15-16. Every player will meet with the coach and he will give them an honest and frank evaluation of what their role on this team will be.

In other words, Spurlock may not be alone in his journey out of Charlottesville. This is just the nature of a regime change. Bennett knows that he will be held accountable for this team and that means he needs to create the kind of team that he can be successful with.

Still, it is a shame to see such a promising prospect on the way out. Spurlock will land on his feet and he will probably be rather successful. You cannot teach the athleticism and the attitude of this young man.

All college programs experience transfers, but the road to Charlottesville has been full of hard knocks. Whether it be Keith Jenifer, Derrick Byars, Gary Forbes, Nick Vanderlaan, Jamil Tucker, Will Harris, John Brandenburg, Sam Warren, Lars Mikalauskas, and now Spurlock, Virginia's tumultuous coaching changes and suspensions has hurt continuity and increased transfers.

Spurlock should be a cautionary tale that the solution to Virginia's woes will not be solved overnight. Bennett needs time and Cavalier fans need to display patience, otherwise Spurlock's story will be one we hear over and over again in Charlottesville.

Cavalier quarterback Smalls to transfer
By Jay Jenkins
Published: March 22, 2010
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Among all the pressing questions surrounding what Virginia’s football program will look like in 2010, the most common surrounds the quarterback position.
One more potential option was erased from that equation Monday — through a released statement, UVa announced that sophomore quarterback Riko Smalls would transfer to another program following the current semester.
It was not a major surprise as Smalls, a native of Plano, Texas, had not been practicing with the Cavaliers during the spring practice period.
“Riko and I have decided that it is in his best interests to seek an opportunity that will allow him greater success in college,” Virginia coach Mike London said.
Smalls did not get on the field for the Cavaliers in 2009, although he was moved to wide
receiver early in training camp, and was redshirted in 2008 by former coach Al Groh.
After Marc Verica suffered a concussion at Miami on Nov. 7, however, Smalls was switched back to quarterback and was listed second on the depth chart behind former starting signal-caller Jameel Sewell.
Smalls picked Virginia over Wake Forest after being told that he would have a chance to play quarterback. The Demon Deacons’ coaches were interested in slotting Smalls in the secondary.
Sewell said he thought that Smalls could still be productive at quarterback in a new system.
“Riko is definitely a pure athlete. The reason that he will be successful is because he has something that a lot of guys don’t have and need to work on and that’s the extra work that comes with football,” Sewell said. “After every practice, he would still be out there for another hour throwing balls and working on his footwork. Just seeing that and seeing his drive, you can tell that he is working.
“I really think he will be successful as long as he keeps his head on straight and stays positive. There shouldn’t be anything that stops that kid.”
Smalls’ expected departure leaves Verica, a rising senior, as the clear favorite to start at quarterback in the season
opener at home against Richmond, but competition for the nod could eventually emerge from redshirt freshman Ross Metheny, true freshman Michael Strauss or sophomore Quintin Hunter, who was a star at Orange County High School, or from the incoming class of recruits.
As was the case with Smalls, Hunter was moved by Groh to wide receiver last year in training camp and essentially wasted a year of eligibility — he caught one pass for 13 yards in nine appearances.
For now, London has allowed Hunter to return to quarterback.
“He’s looking OK,” London said. “All these guys have room to improve. The system Quintin has been used to — spread, read, run — we’re asking him to throw the ball to spots and read coverage.
“So there’s a little bit of an adjustment he has to make.”
The Payne Train
Initially, there was a special bond between running back Keith Payne and Groh.
The former head coach, now the defensive coordinator at Georgia Tech, raved on numerous occasions about the production that Payne would provide at some point.
It never came and the honeymoon soured for numerous reasons, including those pertaining to academic obligations.
Payne, who was even listed at fullback for a brief period, was ultimately given the choice by Groh last year to buy into the system as a reserve or to walk away from the sport.
He walked.
After meeting with London, the 6-foot-3, 255-pounder was welcomed back to the Virginia family.
Well, kind of.
Payne’s academic success is being monitored closely as he nears graduation.
“I tell you what, Keith, so far, has done everything I have asked him to do in terms of class expectations and attending class,” London said. “He’s a guy going into his last year and that means this is the last opportunity for him. I wanted to make it clear to Keith that his talent alone, although it’s impressive, it wasn’t going to be the thing that’s going to put him on the field.
“It’s what he does off the field and how he handles his obligations in the classroom that’s going to be more important to me. Then I can trust him and put him in the game.”
Payne’s presence would certainly help the Cavaliers in short-yardage situations, London said.
“Keith is a big back that can run and get you five yards or get you 50 yards and he’s shown that a couple of times during the last couple of practices,” the first-year coach said. “How high, how far Keith goes is going to depend on Keith. He and I are in agreement that [there are] certain things that he has got to get done and as long he’s doing those things, then he’s going to be here. So far, he’s doing everything we’ve asked of him.”
 

Smalls never really fit into plans at U.Va.

After two-plus seasons of trying to find a role that would allow him to get on the field in Charlottesville, Riko Smalls has decided to give football a shot elsewhere.

Coming out of Plano East High in Plano, Texas in 2008, Smalls was an unheralded recruit with offers from U.Va., Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Air Force, Tulsa, Colorado State and Louisiana Tech. He got the offer from U.Va. late in the recruiting period, as former Cavaliers coach Al Groh frantically searched for a quarterback to fill out his recruiting class.

Perhaps there should've been early indications Smalls would find Charlottesville to be less comfortable than his Texas stomping grounds, because he never visited U.Va. before committing. He visited shortly after committing to Groh, and Smalls seemed to love the campus, but it's bold to leap into a situation without even seeing it first.

When Jameel Sewell returned to U.Va. prior to last season, joining a quarterback race that already included Marc Verica and Vic Hall, Smalls moved to wide receiver. Though Smalls certainly had the athleticism to play the new position, it had to be a difficult transition for a guy that passed for 2,985 yards and 33 touchdowns as a senior in high school.

Smalls was supposed to jump back into the open quarterback race this spring under new coach Mike London, but Smalls never suited up for any of London's practices. Smalls, who redshirted in '08, was a 6-foot-0, 200-pound rising sophomore, so he'll have plenty of time to make something happen at another school. Of course, if he moves on to another Bowl Subdivision program, he'll have to sit out a season under NCAA transfer rules.

At this point, Smalls may be kicking himself for not originally choosing to head to one of the handful of other schools that offered him a scholarship. Then again, he probably never figured he'd be entering his third year of college football still looking to get on the field for the first time. Nothing is guaranteed for these kids, especially for a guy that entered without much fanfare like Smalls.

Posted by Norman Wood

Hoo zone
Eric Strow, Cavalier Daily Columnist
Sports
March 23, 2010 0

There are clearly defined student sections at Virginia football and basketball games, and it’s understood that the Wahooligans make camp in the far section of bleachers at Klöckner Stadium for soccer games. But this is not the case for spring sports, necessarily. With those fall and winter sports behind us, it’s time for University students to take initiative and establish new traditions of student sections at the spring sports’ fields and turfs. For this column, I want to focus on a sport that could have a great student section but doesn’t yet: baseball.

The Cavaliers play at beautiful Davenport Field, and sometime during the past few years, the stadium received an upgrade when the Hoo Zone was built behind the left field fence. The green wooden bleachers would be a perfect student section for Virginia baseball games; it would allow students to have their own space and not bother families sitting on the grassy hill or between dugouts. Though admittedly students can be heard from anywhere at Davenport, they wouldn’t be yelling directly into anyone’s ears. Additionally, students out there can converse with the visiting leftfielder and make new friends from a host of other ACC schools, as evidenced by this weekend’s games. (Special thanks to Boston College’s Saturday leftfielder Andrew Lawrence, who courteously replaced a divot in the grass left from his diving catch that ended the previous inning).

Some people may oppose creating a student section in the Hoo Zone, however — most likely because they oppose fun. Ladies and gentlemen, please remember this: Baseball games at the University are part of college sports. Nobody complains about loud student sections at football or basketball games. In fact, they are encouraged, and rightfully so. Thus, I don’t understand naysayers who think students shouldn’t be allowed to yell every now and then at baseball games. I’ve been a lifelong baseball fan, and between playing, attending and watching baseball games, I’ve seen thousands of games one way or another. I know it’s not typical baseball etiquette to be rowdy for all nine innings, but there’s nothing wrong with a little cheering, jeering or heckling, as long as the language isn’t foul and the comments not too personal. Reminding an opposing player he struck out twice is not cause for concern; making fun of his sister is a different story.

Like I said, we’re talking about college sports here, which are played by college students that happen to be classmates and friends of non-athlete students. University athletics are big business, and I understand that, but at the center of it all are the tuition-paying, home field advantage-creating students that truly make college sports distinct. To the doubters, loosen up a little. We can share a welcoming environment for fans of all ages and backgrounds, just as we do at basketball or football games. We as students want the stadium to be packed, so come one, come all, but please realize that we still should be allowed to have a little fun and make some noise to support the Cavaliers. If that involves yelling to get the leftfielder’s attention and asking him if he can hit a home run over the monstrous centerfield wall — the whole wall is in play, for those who were wondering — then so be it.

Fellow students, I am asking you to try out my theory and sit in the Hoo Zone for this weekend’s baseball series against Clemson. The Tigers are ranked No. 7 in the nation. Bring friends and be loud. After all, you’re supporting the No. 1 team in the country! Chat it up with the Tigers’ junior leftfielder, 2009 first-team All ACC selection Jeff Schaus. Cheer loudly when the Cavaliers score, clap loudly when Virginia is about to win the game with two down in the ninth and see what having a student section can do for the atmosphere at Davenport.

Sophomore shines among Cavaliers
Fairfax native balances time on tennis courts with two majors, ministry group
William Van Wazer, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
Sports / Women's Tennis
March 23, 2010 0

Even among the strong players that comprise the No. 27 Virginia women’s tennis team — which holds a 10-3 record and is undefeated in the ACC — sophomore Lindsey Hardenbergh is able to stand out.

Currently ranked No. 41 in the nation, Hardenbergh playing tennis as a way to spend time with her family, including some friendly competition with her brother. Her father, who played at Maryland, began serving as her coach when she became more serious about the sport when she was 13 years old.

“With the dynamic growing up with having my dad as my coach — that’s pretty unique. I went to regular school the whole way through, and I was on the court a decent amount,” Hardenbergh said. “I didn’t go to an academy. I didn’t go to group clinics.”

The native of Fairfax Station, Va. played in her first national tournament when she was 14 years old. At that time, she decided that she wanted to play tennis at the collegiate level.

Ranked as high as No. 42 and with four national doubles titles in junior tennis, Hardenbergh had multiple college recruit options.

“It actually came down to here and Harvard. I’m really glad I did not go to Harvard,” Hardenbergh said. “My whole life I’ve just tried to be a little more balanced … academically and athletically.”

Once at Virginia, Hardenbergh started off her college career with a successful freshman season, going 23-15 in singles and 18-8 in doubles and adding a win at the USTA Futures Circuit event in St. Louis, Miss.

This season, the sophomore only has added to her established success. Apart from her high singles ranking at No. 41, her doubles pair with teammate Erin Vierra is ranked No. 50.

Even with dedicating so much time to the courts, however, this Spanish and English double major still identifies with most University students on Grounds by being active in several other extracurricular organizations. As a member of Athletes in Action, a Christian sports ministry group, and a sorority, she struggles with time management and finding sleep, just like non-athletes at the University do.

“I really like to take naps. I’m infamous — I will take a seven-minute nap if I have time,” Hardenbergh said. “But that doesn’t mean there aren’t challenges involved in being both a Division I athlete and a student at a top-25 university.”

Sometimes, Hardenbergh said, it is this combination that proves most difficult for a student-athlete, adding that she does not want tennis to be the only experience she takes away from her college years.

“Something I’ve been aware of is how easy it can be to get sucked in to just playing tennis and having that be your sole experience at U.Va.,” Hardenbergh said. “There’s so many things to get involved in … You have to plan your days around [tennis] so I think just having the time constraints really limits identifying with the student body.”

And though it is possible her future could include a round or two on the professional tour, for now, her focus is on being a student, a teammate and a tennis player.

“Ideally, I would love to play the tour when I graduate,” she said. “[But] just keeping it in perspective, not playing it for the career but for the experience, and seeing how good I can get.”