Cavs’ Sewell back in saddle
By Jay Jenkins
Published: April 14, 2009

It happens after every workout. After every practice. And even after every random visit to Virginia’s football facility.
Jameel Sewell, having watched the spot he plays taken away for a calendar year, glances down at Scott Stadium as he passes.
Goosebumps emerge.
Scott Stadium is Sewell’s home away from home.
On Saturday at Virginia’s annual spring game at 2 p.m., Sewell will trot out onto the luscious grass at the venue donning his No. 10 jersey for the first time in 17 months.
Finally, the senior southpaw will be back.
What will that moment be like for a player that was sacked by a university-issued academic suspension?
“I don’t know how to explain that one. I really don’t,” Sewell said Monday with a light-hearted chuckle. “To get home from the McCue Center every day where we practice, I have to pass to the stadium and I look right down into the stadium. Every time I pass it I get a chill.
“I don’t know how I am going to handle myself being back inside that stadium or being back in the locker room or being able to have people out there cheering for the team.”
Initially, Virginia’s starting quarterback for most of 2006 and all of 2007 may let his emotions take over.
“I don’t know how I am going to handle the first couple of plays,” he said. “It is amazing.”
Away from his teammates for a year, Sewell was invited and jumped at the chance to join the coaching staff at Charlottesville High.
It was through the tutelage of Charlottesville quarterback Kevin Leatherwood that Sewell attempted to remain sharp.
“When I would put a quarterback through a drill, I would do the drill with him,” he recounted. “I would try to stay sharp on certain things. I wouldn’t throw it as much as I would in practice at [Virginia], but I was throwing a decent amount.”
Understanding that the opportunity presented itself for his return for his final season in 2009, Sewell followed 2008’s 5-7 campaign closely last year.
In fact, it was Sewell that told Marc Verica before the season that he would finish the campaign as the starter. That happened, of course, after Pete Lalich was dismissed from the team and later transferred to Oregon State.
Sewell even lived last year with members of Virginia’s team (former linebacker Antonio Appleby, senior linebacker Darren Childs and newly-slotted quarterback Vic Hall) and tried to remain positive despite the roller coaster that unfolded.
All the while, Sewell knew things could have been more promising had he been under center.
“Not to take anything away from the team or from Marc Verica, because he did a good job, I feel like things could have been different just having an experienced quarterback back there — it makes a big difference,” said Sewell, who has passed for 17 touchdowns and rushed in another eight in his career. “Experience is a big attribute for a quarterback.”
Sewell longs, however, to leave 2008 as a distant memory.
“That’s in the past and we are not dwelling on that,” he said. “We are just trying to move forward and use that as a stepping stone.”
While fighting with Hall and Verica — for now — to become the No. 1 quarterback on the roster, Sewell received a blessing when former offensive coordinator Mike Groh was replaced by Gregg Brandon and brought in wide-open offense that employs the shotgun.
In essence, all three signal callers went in on a level playing field.
“It is a competition,” Sewell said. “Marc Verica did a pretty decent job last year. He needed some help; he couldn’t do everything by himself. He’s out here competing … he’s doing a great job so far.
“And you have Vic Hall, who has all the state records as a quarterback in high school, who seems like coming back to offense he hasn’t missed a beat. He is competitive on everything.”
And then there is Sewell, back near his playing weight of 227 pounds after losing 15 pounds while away.
“Just me, I’m just trying to keep up,” he said. “I have been gone for a while and I’m trying to keep up with these guys who have been here.
“I am not at a disadvantage at all. This is a new offense and things are different now. Some people say that I am at a disadvantage, but I don’t see it at all.”
While accuracy has been a problem for Sewell at times in the past — he has thrown 15 career interceptions — the Richmond native should provide heart and passion.
And if this spring is any indication, Sewell will cherish every step of the way.
“When I got out there, I didn’t want to leave my first practice,” he said. “When I first worked out, I didn’t want to leave my workout. I didn’t want it to end even though I knew it was going to happen the next day.
“It is just a great feeling to be back out here with my brothers and my coaches.”

 

Pieces in place?
Jeff White
Apr 13, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE – Two weeks ago today, Tony Bennett was hired as men’s basketball coach at U.Va. In his introductory press conference two days later, Bennett said that assembling a staff was among his top priorities, and it appears that task may be complete.

Virginia’s assistants will be Ritchie McKay (whose official title is associate head coach), Jason Williford and Ron Sanchez, from what I hear. The director of basketball operations is likely to be Brad Soucie, who was on McKay’s staffs at Portland State, Colorado State, Oregon State, New Mexico and, most recently, Liberty.

After McKay left Liberty to join Bennett’s new staff at U.Va. early this month, Soucie took over as interim head coach. He was a candidate to replace McKay on a full-time basis, but Liberty hired Dale Layer last week.

Soucie played basketball at Eastern Michigan for two seasons before transferring to Christian Heritage College, now known as San Diego Christian, in California. According to his bio on Liberty’s Web site, Soucie made eight three-pointers in Eastern Michigan’s game against Pittsburgh in the first round of the 1986 NCAA tournament.

Sanchez was on Bennett’s staff at Washington State. So was Ronnie Wideman, whose title there was men’s basketball operations assistant. Wideman is expected to fill an administrative position at U.Va.

 

Struggles against Blue Devils continue in first blemish of season for Virginia
Team cites lack of toughness for duration of game as reason for first defeat of 2009 campaign
Jack Bird, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
Published: Tuesday, April 14 2009

Danny Glading spearheaded the Virginia offense in the 15-10 loss to Duke Saturday, scoring four goals, including two in the midst of a three-goal run to cut the Cavalier deficit to 9-6. Durham, N.C. — The Virginia men’s lacrosse came across a road block in its undefeated season in Durham, as Duke defeated the Cavaliers 15-10 Saturday. The Blue Devils have won their last six meetings against the Cavaliers.

Duke is “a good lacrosse team. They have been very good the last few years; they are very good again this year,” Virginia coach Dom Starsia said. “We’ve lost some close games to them; we’ve lost some games that haven’t been so close.”

The key of the game, senior defenseman Matt Kelly said, came down to speed and hustle.

“To be honest, they out-hustled us to the ball — the loose balls,” Kelly said. “We got mixed up on a couple things defensively.”

Though the Cavaliers (11-1, 2-1 ACC) recovered 35 ground balls to 31 by the Blue Devils (9-3, 2-1 ACC), Starsia said he felt it was a level of effort and toughness that his team lacked that cost them the game.

“The only piece I’m really disappointed in is that Duke made most of the tough plays,” Starsia said.

The game stayed within Virginia’s reach for the first half of the game, as the Cavaliers faced only a 6-3 deficit at halftime. As the third quarter started, though, Duke began to pile on.

“We came out in the second half on the back of our heels,” Kelly said.

The Blue Devils won three face-offs to start the second half and converted the possessions to three straight goals, bringing the score to 9-3.

Virginia got its first possession of the game with 10 minutes left in the third quarter and managed to make it interesting. The Cavaliers scored three consecutive times, two from senior attackman Danny Glading.

“I thought we had some chances to get back into it,” Starsia said. “I thought we showed some glimmers. But we just weren’t tough enough [Saturday] to sustain that for 60 minutes — too many mistakes.”

Though Glading notched four goals, it was not enough to dig the Cavaliers out of the hole they fell into during the third quarter. After Virginia’s three-goal run, Duke once again usurped control of the game, scoring five times in a row.

“You have to be tough the whole game; you have to be willing to take that extra step,” Glading said. “I think we continue to rush things the way we have been rushing things the past couple weeks.”

One of the indications of this rushed play came in the form of poor shots from Virginia compared to efficient shot selection by Duke. The Cavaliers outshot the Blue Devils 43-28 but still found themselves behind the Blue Devils by five when the final whistle blew.

“I give credit first and foremost to Duke,” Starsia said. “I thought they were flying around really on top of the game.”

Duke will face Army on senior night Saturday. Virginia will get another chance to face Duke, however; with the loss, the Cavaliers are now the three-seed in the ACC Tournament and will play the two-seed Blue Devils in the first round.

“I have to look at this one again to kind of pull this one apart, to see if there are things we want to fix and see whether or not there are things in terms determining the pace of play we want to adjust a little bit,” Starsia said. “I would just say in general, though, that we can play better.”

 

Cavs end season, seniors end career at Snyder with wins
After overcoming ‘team things’ in days leading up to matches, seniors set example in victories against Wake Forest, N.C. State on senior day
Paul Montana, Cavalier Daily Senior Associate Editor
Published: Tuesday, April 14 2009

Senior Amanda Rales won both of her singles matches against Wake Forest and N.C. State during the weekend, including an emotional 7-5, 7-6 (7-2) victory on senior day. Overcoming adversity has been a theme for the Virginia women’s tennis team. Last week was no different.

After going through what senior Amanda Rales described as “some team things” in the days leading up to the weekend, the Cavaliers put their problems behind them to play some of their best tennis in the last two regular season matches. Seniors Maggie Yahner and Rales set the example in their final matches at Snyder Tennis Center, going 4-0 each in singles and teaming to go 2-0 in doubles on the weekend. The two helped No. 29 Virginia defeat No. 37 Wake Forest Saturday and unranked N.C. State Sunday, both by a 5-2 margin.

Virginia coach Mark Guilbeau altered the bottom of the singles lineup during Virginia’s final two matches of the regular season. After playing freshmen Claire Bartlett and Karoline Steiro at the bottom two singles slots the previous three matches, Guilbeau slid Yahner and sophomore Neela Vaez into those positions. Guilbeau also bumped Bartlett out of the doubles lineup for the first time since Feb. 21 against Richmond.

“Without sounding like a parent or mom or something like that, I’m really, really proud of the six people who were out there,” Rales said. “You could say that maybe it wasn’t the strongest lineup that we’ve had, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”

When asked about where the lineup stands moving forward, Guilbeau said, “The team sometimes comes to the coach and shares the important decisions. As a coach, I’m going to do what the team tells me if it’s unanimous.”

The modifications appeared to benefit Virginia; Yahner and Vaez responded by going 3-1 in singles, and Virginia won all six doubles matches during the weekend. Guilbeau would not comment on whether the team came to him specifically about the lineup change for the two matches but did offer the following explanation.

“We’re always basing things on what’s best for the team and what the team wants,” Guilbeau said. “The thing I want to state is that this team is showing the greatest level of determination that it’s shown all year.”

That determination was encapsulated by Rales and Yahner, who were honored in a senior day ceremony before Sunday’s match. After handily winning her singles match Saturday 6-4, 6-3 at No. 3 singles, Rales finished her career at Snyder with an emotional, comeback victory in straight sets. Down a break at 5-3 in the first and 4-3 in the second to N.C. State junior Daria Petrovic, Rales battled back in both sets to win the final match of the afternoon 7-5, 7-6 (7-2).

“That sums up everything — her career, what she’s meant to the team,” Guilbeau said. “For Amanda’s [win] to be so hard-fought and so well-earned is exactly what this is all about.”

Yahner also had a comeback in her own right. For most of the season, Guilbeau had limited Yahner — formerly a staple in the singles lineup — to doubles play as she recovered from arthroscopic knee surgery that she underwent last spring. The past weekend, however, Guilbeau penciled Yahner into the singles slate for the first time since Virginia’s match against TCU Jan. 24, and she responded with two straight-set victories, including a dominant 6-1, 6-0 victory Sunday against N.C. State and a more tightly contested 7-5, 6-1 win Saturday.

“Mark [Guilbeau] was like, ‘I’m really happy for you that you pulled [Saturday’s] match out,’ and I was like, ‘You know what? I’m really happy for me, too,’” Yahner said. “I didn’t even think I was going to play singles again and I’m glad I got the opportunity and was able to pull through.”

Freshman Emily Fraser also had a successful weekend, first with a convincing upset of Wake Forest No. 55 junior Sasha Kulikova 6-3, 6-1 Saturday. Fraser then lost her Sunday match to N.C. State No. 104 sophomore Lenka Hojckova 6-1, 7-5. Down 5-1 in the second, Fraser rallied to win four consecutive games to even the score at five-all before running out of gas.

“Emily has shown some serious toughness, especially for a first-year kid,” Guilbeau said. “Even the matches that she hasn’t won, it does seem like wins. I hope she keeps believing that, because she’s doing enough good things in there that it basically is as good as a win.”

At No. 4 singles, freshman Lindsey Hardenbergh, a Cavalier Daily staff writer, also managed to pull out a win but dropped her match Saturday. Vaez and junior No. 88 Jennifer Stevens each went 1-1 in singles; Vaez dropped her Saturday match at No. 5 singles 6-2, 6-3 before she was swapped with Yahner to No. 6 singles Sunday, where she took an easy 6-0, 6-2 victory. Stevens won a three-setter Saturday 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 before dropping a 10-point tiebreak and thus the match Sunday, 7-5, 4-6, 10-4.

Virginia resumes play as the seven-seed at the ACC Tournament in Cary, N.C. The Cavaliers’ first-round opponent will be No. 10-seed Boston College.

 

Cavaliers visit Patriots for final road battle
Virginia looks to bolster struggling defense, continue dynamic offense against slumping George Mason
Ben Gomez, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
Published: Tuesday, April 14 2009

Senior midfielder Blair Weymouth has 40 goals and 12 assists this season, marking her fourth straight year recording at least 30 goals and 10 assists. The No. 9 Virginia women’s lacrosse team will play its final road game of the season tonight as the Cavaliers travel to Fairfax, Va. to take on non-conference foe George Mason.

The Cavaliers (9-5, 2-3 ACC) have won two straight games after dropping three of their previous four contests and have played several tough in-state opponents this season. Virginia won in overtime against William & Mary but lost to Old Dominion two weeks ago.

Against George Mason, the Cavaliers will look to not make the same mistake they made before their defeat against the Monarchs.

“I think we have learned our lesson that we can’t take games for granted, regardless of what their record is or what we have done in the past,” senior midfielder Ashley McCulloch said.

The Cavaliers boast a dynamic offensive attack with four players notching 20 or more goals and 10 or more assists on the season. Senior midfielder Blair Weymouth recently recorded her fourth consecutive season with at least 30 goals and 10 assists.

Although producing offensively has not been a problem against most opponents this season, the Cavalier defense has struggled since the team’s early season upset against then-No. 3 Syracuse. Now heading into postseason, Virginia coach Julie Myers has been forced to make some adjustments on the defensive end of the field.

During the team’s last game against Harvard, Myers started senior Sara Hairfield in goal for her second appearance this season. Hairfield recorded a career-high 11 saves en route to the 13-9 Cavalier victory.

With the defense looking like it is getting back on track, the Cavaliers are showing signs of their early season form.

“I think we have started to take steps forward and we are starting to play how I know we can play,” Weymouth said. “I think everyone’s heads are in that place right now.”

The Patriots (5-7, 1-3 CAA) have not posted the same impressive offensive numbers as the Cavaliers this season. Sophomore attack Madalyn Jamison leads George Mason with 26 goals and 21 assists. She is third in the Colonial Athletic Conference in assists per game and fourth in points per game. George Mason enters tonight’s matchup after losing its past three games against CAA opponents Hofstra, Old Dominion and William & Mary.

Given that the Cavaliers split their games against Old Dominion and William & Mary, they cannot count on a victory against George Mason. They only have two more games to iron out the kinks before postseason play, and Virginia will need to use tonight’s game as a tune-up for its regular season finale against four-time national champion No. 1 Northwestern Sunday at home.

“We need to play at a high level of execution with a lot of intensity, fire and emotion,” Myers said. “Those are the things that have been missing from time to time. We have had spurts of it in each game but we haven’t been able to maintain it for 60 minutes.”

Although the Cavaliers have had somewhat of a disappointing season thus far, losing five games in the regular season — something Virginia has not done since 2001 — the team remains confident that it can make a deep run in the postseason and potentially be one of the two teams remaining the day of the national championship.

“I can’t really tell you what is going to happen on May 24 — whether we will be there or not — but I can guarantee that we are going to work as hard as we can to try and be there,” Weymouth said.

 

Thrilling series with Jackets ends in 1-1-1 stalemate
Published: Tuesday, April 14 2009

Sophomore right fielder Dan Grovatt went 6-for-12 with six RBIs in a weekend series at Georgia Tech. Grovatt is now second on Virginia in batting average (.399) and third in RBIs (36). The Virginia baseball team came out of a highly-contested series — in which each game was determined in the final inning — against Georgia Tech this weekend with a 1-1-1 deadlock.

The Cavaliers lost 7-6 on a walk-off single in game one and then rallied during a six-run ninth for an 11-10 victory in game two. In the series finale, which was restricted by a time limit, Virginia knotted the score in the bottom of the ninth, resulting in a 4-4 tie.

Georgia Tech (21-8-1, 10-5-1 ACC) led the bizarre game three Sunday 4-3 to begin the ninth inning before Virginia junior catcher Franco Valdes knocked in the tying run with an RBI-single. With runners on first and second and no outs, however, Virginia (28-7-1, 9-6-1 ACC) could not push the winning run across. After sophomore pitcher Kevin Arico retired the side in the bottom of the ninth, the 4-4 score became final because of Virginia’s travel arrangements in accordance with ACC policy. This is the second time the Cavaliers have been affected by a time limit this season; the team played an eight-inning game because of time constraints in the series finale against Miami March 22, a 7-5 loss.

In game two, the Cavaliers faced a 10-5 deficit going into the ninth inning. Yellow Jackets freshman closer Mark Pope recorded just two outs to start the ninth while giving up five hits and walking two though, and Georgia Tech committed an error as Virginia scored six runs to take the 11-10 advantage. Arico then threw a scoreless ninth to earn his third save of the season.

The series opener started Friday but was suspended to Saturday after 3 1/3 innings because of inclement weather. Freshman pitcher Danny Hultzen threw for the duration of Friday. After the delay, Virginia coach Brian O’Connor had sophomore pitcher Tyler Wilson toe the mound as the game resumed Saturday with the score 3-2 in Virginia’s favor. Wilson gave up two runs in 3 2/3 innings, but the Cavaliers rallied for three runs to take a 6-4 lead going into the bottom of the eighth.

Junior closer Matt Packer, though, could not seal the win, allowing three runs on sixth hits in 1 1/3 innings. The loss dropped the 2008 ERA title winner to 1-3 on the season and inflated his ERA to 4.24.

The Cavaliers’ scheduled Tuesday game against Coastal Carolina was canceled because of forecast inclement weather and will not be rescheduled. Virginia will take the field Wednesday against Radford at home; in the teams’ previous matchup March 31, the Cavaliers beat the Highlanders 12-2 in Salem, Va.

—compiled by Paul Montana