Devvarman Reaches Third Consecutive NCAA Singles Final
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com

TULSA, Okla. – Top-seeded Somdev Devvarman (Chennai, India) advanced to the final of the 2008 NCAA Singles Championship with a 6-4, 7-6 (3) victory over Stanford’s Alex Clayton at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center. He will look to win the NCAA Singles Championship for the second consecutive year on Monday.

Devvarman, the 2007 champion and 2006 runner-up, becomes the first player since Northwestern’s Marty Riessen (1962-64) to reach three consecutive NCAA singles finals. The win was Devvarman’s 17th career NCAA Singles Championship victory, extending his tournament record (since the singles tournament split from the team tournament in 1977). He improves to 43-1 this season in singles and has won his last 35 consecutive matches.

“Every time I step on the court I don’t think about my streak, I don’t think about what record is on the line, I just think about who I am playing and how I can find a way to beat them,” said Devvarman. “I think that is why I have done pretty well this season, and I have my last college match tomorrow. I am going to come out with the same attitude and leave it all on the court.”

In the opening set, Clayton, the ITA National Freshman of the Year, went up an early break to take a 3-1 lead. Devvarman broke back in the ensuing game to get back on serve and after holding his serve, he broke Clayton again to take a 4-3 lead. Devvarman held that one-break advantage to win the opening set 6-4.

““He was serving 3-1, 40-15 if I recall right,” said Devvarman. “He made a couple of errors, I hit a couple of good shots and found a way to break back, and before I knew it I was serving for the first set. I found a way to win that set.”

Devvarman jumped out to an early lead in the second set, breaking Clayton’s serve in the opening game. However, Clayton broke to get back on serve at 2-2. With the set tied at 5-5, Devvarman had a pair of break points, but Clayton fought them off to hold serve. After Devvarman held in the ensuing game, the set came to a tiebreaker. In the breaker, Clayton went up an early mini-break and led 3-1. Devvarman got back the mini-break at 2-3 and followed with a pair of aces to take a 4-3 lead. He won both points on Clayton’s serve to take a 6-3 lead and followed with another ace to close out the breaker and the match.

“Last year I had a really tough three-set match in the semifinals against [Illinois’] Kevin Anderson,” said Devvarman. “It was also very hot, and I am glad to be done in two today. Other than that, I have always taken pretty much every match the same way, big or small. I try to hydrate, keep myself calm and relaxed, and try to go out and perform at my best level at every single match. That isn’t going to change from last year, and hopefully I’ll do the same thing tomorrow.”

Devvarman will play J.P. Smith of Tennessee in the final. Smith, who is unseeded, topped Andre Begemann of Pepperdine 6-2, 6-4 in the other semifinals. The final will begin at 4 p.m. CT (5 p.m. ET) and will be televised by the Tennis Channel on a tape-delay basis. There has been no announcement yet on when the match will air on the network.








Devvarman keeps marching, headed for final
By Ed Burton Daily Progress correspondent
Published: May 26, 2008

Somdev Devvarman reached the NCAA Championship finals for the third year in a row by defeating Stanford freshman Alex Clayton, 6-5, 7-6 (3) on Sunday.
“Last year I had a really tough three-set match in the semifinals against [Illinois’] Kevin Anderson,” said Devvarman in a press release. “It was also very hot, and I am glad to be done in two today.
The final between Devvarman and Tennessee freshman J.P. Smith will be held at 5 p.m. Monday at the University of Tulsa. Smith, a 6-foot-3 Australian lefty, has made his way unseeded through the singles draw. Smith’s advancement creates an interesting matchup with Devvarman because Smith is a serve-and-volley specialist — one of the few in the college ranks.
Devvarman’s win over Clayton didn’t come easy. Devvarman’s serve continues to be the talk of the tournament. Known primarily as a baseliner, Devvarman delivered 18 aces en route to his victory over Clayton. He served 34 times in the second set and Clayton only managed to return 17 of them.
In the first set, Devvarman and Clayton traded service breaks to reach 3-3. Devvarman pulled off a lob winner from deep behind his own baseline to reach break point. Devvarman won the breaker and served out the set 6-4. In the second set, Devvarman broke Clayton’s serve in the opening game, but Clayton rallied back to break Devvarman in game four to even the set at 2-2.
The two players traded serves until they reached 6-6. Devvarman weathered the pressure of the tiebreaker, producing three aces in his last three serves including the point that won the match.
The victory over Clayton was Devvarman’s 35th win in a row with a season record of 43-1. The win also set an NCAA record of 17 for wins in an NCAA Singles title competition.
“Every time I step on the court I don’t think about my streak, I don’t think about what record is on the line, I just think about who I am playing and how I can find a way to beat them,” Devvarman said. “I think that is why I have done pretty well this season, and I have my last college match tomorrow. I am going to come out with the same attitude and leave it all on the court.”
Amanda McDowell of Georgia Tech will play Zuzana Zemenova of Baylor at 3 p.m. Monday for the NCAA Womens individual title.






Canes’ bats end Cavs’ magic
By Jay Jenkins
Published: May 26, 2008

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — They were 23 of the longest minutes in Pat McAnaney’s life.
Nothing that Virginia’s starting pitcher tried worked during a 40-plus pitch first inning against Miami in the championship game of the ACC baseball tournament.
That, in essence, doomed UVa’s title hopes before its offense ever strolled to the plate. That operation was not much better, however, hitting into four double plays and failing to score until the sixth in Miami’s relatively easy 8-4 win at The Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.
The top-seeded Hurricanes (47-8) won their first ACC title since joining the league as they completed an undefeated run through the four-game event. Virginia (38-21) closed out the event with its second straight loss, the first of which came at 1:10 a.m. Sunday morning against Wake Forest.
“It is obviously disappointing not to win the championship,” said Virginia coach Brian O’Connor. “Miami earned it; they have a great ballclub.”
In the lengthy top-half of the first inning, Miami scored four runs off McAnaney as it registered five hits and sent 10 batters to the plate. The biggest sign that the Cavaliers’ southpaw was struggling came after the second hitter, Jemile Weeks, walked after originally trying to sacrifice the lead runner over.
“Weeks was trying to bunt and we couldn’t throw him a strike,” O’Connor said, “and you just can’t make mistakes against a ball club like that. They will make you pay.”
Trailing 4-0, McAnaney ran into trouble again in third inning against a lineup that he mastered in April when he allowed just one run in eight innings. The senior gave up a leadoff walk to Miami’s Ryan Jackson, which set his career-worst mark with four, and a single to Dennis Raben.
After allowing a sacrifice bunt, O’Connor pulled McAnaney in favor of rookie reliever Robert Morey, who allowed both inherited runners to score and the surrended another on his own accord.
O’Connor said McAnaney’s downfall was miserable location and not a carryover from the knee injury he suffered in his first meeting with Miami on April 25.
“I thought the last couple weekends that [McAnaney] was close, but today it didn’t have anything to do with his health,” O’Connor said. “It had everything to do with his ball up in the zone, whether it was a fastball, change-up, slider. Everything was up.
“For him to go out there and give up six runs in the first three innings is not like him.”
Behind 7-0 in the sixth and long after McAnaney had been pulled, Virginia finally solved Miami starter David Gutierrez (five innings pitched, six hits, three earned runs, two strikeouts), scoring four runs on six hits.
“Just because they were up seven runs it didn’t mean we were going to let them walk away with the title,
especially after that four-run inning could have been five or six [runs],” said Virginia second baseman David Adams. “But a couple of things didn’t go our way and we didn’t pull through in the end.”
Virginia (38-21) finished with 10 hits in the contest and stranded seven runners, a number lowered by the four momentum-killing double plays.
Luckily for the Cavaliers, the two opening wins in the tourney over top-ranked North Carolina and fourth-ranked Florida State helped boost the program’s RPI and probability of making the NCAA tournament. Virginia will learn its fate today when the pairings are announced on ESPN at 12:30 p.m.
ACC leads field with 4 teams hosting regionals
Top-ranked North Carolina, the two-time College World Series runner-up, was one of four ACC schools selected Sunday as regional hosts for the NCAA tournament.
The Tar Heels, who lost to Oregon State in the championship game in Omaha the past two years, join conference champion Miami, Florida State and N.C. State as ACC hosts. Each of the 16 host schools are guaranteed berths in the 64-team tournament, which starts Friday. The rest of the field, including the top eight national seeds, will be announced Monday.
The Seminoles are hosting for the 27th time, while the Hurricanes, who could move to No. 1 in the national polls Monday after winning the ACC tournament, are hosting for the 22nd time.
The Big 12 was second among conferences with three schools hosting four-team regionals, including Nebraska, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M. The Big West (Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State), Pac-10 (Arizona State and Stanford) and Southeastern Conference (Georgia and LSU) each had two schools chosen as host sites.
The other regional hosts chosen from 41 bids are Coastal Carolina, Michigan and Rice.








Baseball Drops ACC Championship Game to Miami, 8-4
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Virginia saw its stay at the ACC Baseball Championship end Sunday with an 8-4 loss to second-ranked Miami in the championship game in front of 5,478 fans at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. The top-seeded Hurricanes claimed their first ACC Baseball Championship.

The loss ends a strong run in the tournament for the sixth-seeded Cavaliers (38-21), who upended top-ranked North Carolina, 8-7 in 11 innings, Wednesday and No. 3 Florida State, 5-3, Friday. Virginia was competing in its fourth ACC championship game and first since 2005.

After the game, Virginia’s David Coleman (Fr., Richmond, Va.) was named to the All-Tournament Team. Along with Miami second baseman Jemile Weeks, Coleman was one of two unanimous selections to the team.

Virginia starting pitcher Pat McAnaney (Sr., Syracuse, N.Y.) pitched 2.1 innings, allowing six earned runs, six hits and a career-high four walks while striking out one. He falls to 4-5 on the season.

Miami starter David Gutierrez (4-0) earned the win and pitched five innings, allowing three earned runs, six hits and two walks while striking out two. Kyle Bellamy notched his third save.

David Adams (Jr., Margate, Fla.) and Phil Gosselin (Fr., West Chester, Pa.) each had two hits for Virginia, which finished with 10 hits but hit into four double plays. Mark Sobolewski and Jason Hagerty each had three hits for Miami (47-8).

Miami started strong with a four-run first inning, as the Hurricanes racked up four singles and took advantage of some uncharacteristic wildness (two walks, one hit by pitch) from McAnaney. Sobolewski, Ryan Jackson and Dennis Raben had consecutive RBI singles and Dave DiNatale followed with a sacrifice fly.

The Hurricanes stretched their lead to 7-0 in the third. McAnaney was replaced after three batters with Robert Morey (Fr., Virginia Beach, Va.), who surrendered an RBI single to Hagerty, a run-scoring groundout to Yasmani Grandal and an RBI double to Blake Tekotte.

Virginia batted around and scored four runs in the sixth to cut a big chunk out of the lead. The Cavaliers put up six hits in the frame, including four straight to open the inning, with David Coleman (Fr., Richmond, Va.) and Adams each posting RBI singles to knock Gutierrez from the game. After a double play, Dan Grovatt (Fr., Tabernacle, N.J.) singled to drive in a run and Gosselin doubled to drive in Grovatt and trim the lead to three, 7-4.

Miami got a run back in the eighth inning, as Sobolewski hit a two-out single to score Jemile Weeks.

Virginia will now await its postseason fate. The NCAA tournament selection show will be held at 12:30 p.m. Monday on ESPN.

2008 All-Tournament Team

C: Buster Posey, Florida State

1B: Yonder Alonso, Miami

2B: Jemile Weeks, Miami*

3B: Drew Martin, NC State

SS: Tommy Foschi, NC State

OF: David Coleman, Virginia*

OF: Dave DiNatale, Miami

OF: Blake Tekotte, Miami

DH/UT: Allan Dykstra, Wake Forest

P: Chris Hernandez, Miami

P: Matt Harvey, North Carolina

Tournament MVP: Dave DiNatale, Miami










Bordley, McBrearty and O’Malley Voted LaxPower’s Fan Award Winners

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Three Cavalier seniors and head coach Julie Myers have been voted winners of LaxPower.com’s second annual Fan Awards. Senior Megan O’Malley was voted the Best Senior Attacker, while classmate Claire Bordley was honored as the Best Senior Defender. Goalkeeper Kendall McBrearty was selected as the Best Senior Goalkeeper and Myers was voted the Coach of the Year.

LaxPower.com designed the awards to acknowledge excellence and achievement in the world of Division I men’s and women’s lacrosse. The Senior of the Year award was designed to recognize the best senior player at each position, with three seniors nominated for each. Three freshmen were nominated for Rookie of the Year and three coaches for the Coach of the Year award.

Bordley was the anchor of Virginia’s defense this season and recently earned all-region honors. The senior was named All-ACC and to the ACC’s All-Tournament Team after helping shut down Duke and Maryland’s attack in the second half of the semifinals and finals of the conference tournament. Bordley is the Cavaliers’ top match-up defender and helped lead Virginia to a third-place national ranking in scoring defense.

McBrearty has been honored as the top goalie in the region and the ACC this season. The two-time MVP of the ACC Tournament led the league in GAA and save percentage all season, in addition to being ranked third and sixth nationally in the categories, respectively. She was an All-ACC selection this season and was voted the team’s MVP.

O’Malley, Virginia’s top offensive midfielder, scored the game-winning goal in the Cavaliers’ 10-9 win over Duke in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament, en route to a third-straight ACC Championship for Virginia. She was also named to the 2008 ACC All-Tournament Team for her accomplishments.

Myers had a milestone year this season. She led Virginia to its 400th program victory and its first undefeated regular season at home since 1996. She also collected her 100th win in Charlottesville, in just 124 tries, and became just the fourth coach to reach the 200-win plateau. Myers is currently among the top-three winningest coaches in Division I.

The Cavaliers closed out the 2008 campaign with a 14-4 overall record and their third-straight ACC Championship.

2008 LaxPower Women’s Fan Awards Winners
Best Senior Attack
Megan O’Malley - Virginia

Best Senior Midfield
Kelly Kasper – Maryland

Best Senior Defense
Claire Bordley – Virginia

Best Senior Goalie
Kendall McBrearty – Virginia

Best Senior Draw Controls
Dana Dobbie – Maryland

Rookie of the Year
Meg Decker – Navy

Coach of the Year
Julie Myers - Virginia