Cavs hope road woes are gone
By Jay Jenkins / jjenkins@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
September 17, 2007

Clint Sintim was in a euphoric state - and rightly so.

For the first time in his career, Virginia’s outside linebacker enjoyed an ACC road win against a team not named Duke.

On Saturday, Virginia did the improbable, staving off a late rally to upend North Carolina, 22-20, in Chapel Hill, N.C.

“This is one of the best feelings that I have had in a while,” Sintim said. “Historically, we haven’t been a great road team. We showed a lot of resilience.”

The road win, which was just the third since 2005 for Virginia, gave the Cavaliers (2-1, 2-0 ACC) a winning record for the first time since the end of the 2005 season.

Earning the victory took the ultimate group effort - UVa leaned on consistent running from tailback Cedric Peerman, negated a potential game-tying 2-point conversion and successfully won a replay challenge to ensure one of its five field goals.

“We bent, but we didn’t break,” Sintim said. “Everybody, really everybody, played a part. We won the game and that is the most important thing. We have a lot to be proud of.”

Virginia was far from perfect. After Peerman, who rushed for 186 yards, scored a rushing touchdown on Virginia’s first drive, the next four trips into the red zone led to field goals from Chris Gould.

“We left a lot of points on the field,” Virginia coach Al Groh said. “You’ve got to finish those drives, particularly on the road. You really need to get touchdowns on the road, but it’s a positive move forward for us.”

While Groh offered heavy praise for the performance from UNC quarterback T.J. Yates on Sunday, Virginia’s pass defense still struggled in the second half, allowing 240 of Yates’ 339 passing yards.

Virginia was also penalized 10 times for 85 yards, which Groh admitted was “very troubling.”

“We put a big emphasis on it. We had officials here almost every practice in training camp,” Groh said on Sunday. “[The players] are under constant surveillance. We want them to learn what the things are that officials call.

“In the last two games, [the penalties] have been a factor in reducing our point production,” he said.

Groh cited a pair of instances that came on offense that led to field goals instead of touchdowns on Saturday.

“Right there, just through player error, we’re looking at the possibility of quite a few more points and a lot more relaxed ending,” Groh pointed out.

The win was well-timed for Groh, who is now 11-24 on the road. After a lackluster loss in the season opener at Wyoming on Sept. 1, cries of displeasure were heard and painted from the fanbase.

Despite the added pressure, Groh remained as focused as ever, players said.

“Coach Groh is not worrying about what anybody else says,” UVa quarterback Jameel Sewell said. “It is only us right now - the Virginia Cavaliers. He has got to be that way … he is the head coach of the team.

“If we see something bothering him, how is that going to look to the team? His job is just to coach the team and he certainly did that.”

The celebration that started on the field inside Kenan Stadium and spilled into a boisterous locker room will be short lived.

The Cavaliers face Georgia Tech (2-1, 0-1 ACC) on Saturday.

A look at Virginia’s opponents

A glance back

The streak is over. Duke ended a 22-game losing skid with a 20-14 win at Northwestern. It marked the first win for the Blue Devils since Sept. 17, 2005 against VMI. … Virginia’s first opponent, Wyoming, lost for the first time this season. The Cowboys (2-1) struggled in the third quarter, falling behind by 21 en route to a 24-14 loss at Boise State. Wyoming lost its road opener for the fifth straight year.

A glance ahead

Virginia’s next three opponents all lost on Saturday. Georgia Tech fell at home to Boston College. Pittsburgh (2-1) failed to convert any of its 12 third-down opportunities on offense in a 17-13 loss at Michigan State. And Middle Tennessee State was blanked at No. 2 LSU, 44-0. … Connecticut, who will play at Scott Stadium on Oct. 13, remained undefeated with a 22-17 win over winless Temple. … N.C. State, Wake Forest, Miami and Virginia Tech also recorded wins. It was the first of the season for the Wolfpack and Demon Deacons.

 

Cavs' schedule gets an upgrade
Perfect in division, Virginia now faces one of the favorites
Monday, Sep 17, 2007 - 12:06 AM
By JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The Virginia Cavaliers played better against Duke than they had against Wyoming a week earlier. And they were better against North Carolina than they'd been against Duke.

Neither the Blue Devils nor the Tar Heels, however, are considered title contenders in the ACC's Coastal Division. Georgia Tech's Yellow Jackets qualify as such. The Jackets won the Coastal last season and could be championship material again this fall.

"Obviously things are ratcheting up here," U.Va. coach Al Groh said last night.

Groh spoke with reporters about 26 hours after Virginia survived a frantic finish to beat UNC 22-20 in Chapel Hill. The Cavaliers (2-0, 2-1) lead the Coastal. U.Va., in fact, is the only team in the division to have won a conference game.

No. 15 Georgia Tech, 2-1 overall, is 0-1 in the ACC after losing 24-10 to No. 21 Boston College in Atlanta on Saturday night.

The Cavaliers host the Yellow Jackets, who haven't won at Scott Stadium since 1990, at noon Saturday. The game will showcase the ACC's top two rushers: Virginia junior Cedric Peerman (113.7 yards per game) and Georgia Tech senior Tashard Choice (112.3).

With Choice coming to town, Virginia probably won't have to play as much pass defense as it did at UNC. The Tar Heels' T.J. Yates completed 25 of 38 attempts for 339 yards and two touchdowns. Not since Drew Weatherford threw for 377 in visiting Florida's State 2005 loss had U.Va. surrendered so many yards passing.

In the game's final 35 minutes, Yates repeatedly torched Virginia's secondary. Groh wasn't happy with the yards after catch his defensive backs allowed -- or the two potentially game-changing interceptions they dropped -- but he expects many teams to struggle to contain Carolina this season. In Brandon Tate, Brooks Foster and Hakeem Nicks, the Heels have three of the conference's premier wideouts.

Of greater concern to Groh were his secondary's problems when the pass rush forced Yates out of the pocket.

"We've got to do a better job of finding those receivers and matching up with them," Groh said.

He wasn't pleased, either, with his players' infractions Saturday, especially in the red zone. Under Groh, U.Va. has traditionally ranked among the ACC's least-penalized teams. In Chapel Hill, the Cavaliers were penalized 10 times for 85 yards, and several of those flags derailed promising drives.

Fortunately for Virginia, it had Chris Gould, who tied a school record with five field goals. Gould, a senior, didn't miss against UNC. He connected from 51, 28, 37, 48 and 32 yards.

"When you get down there close to the goal line and you can't get a touchdown, it's very important that you come away with three points," Gould said. "I was just going out and trying my best to help the team."

 

Groh seeing red from more flags
Virginia was whistled for 10 infractions for 85 yards against North Carolina on Saturday.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Yellow flags have raised a red flag for Virginia football coach Al Groh.

As the least-penalized team in the ACC last year, the Cavaliers were whistled for fewer than 40 yards per game in penalties, which should be a standard that no team wants to rise above.

Virginia was penalized 10 times for 85 yards Saturday, which certainly complicated matters in a 22-20 victory at North Carolina.

One week earlier, UVa had been called for five holding penalties in a 24-13 win over Duke.

Virginia has been the least-penalized team in the ACC in two of the past four years and "we put a big emphasis on it," said Groh, whose Cavaliers (2-1, 2-0 ACC) return home Saturday for a noon kickoff with Georgia Tech (2-1, 0-1).

"We have officials at almost every practice in training camp," Groh said. "We have officials here every Tuesday, trying to make the point to the players that they're under constant surveillance.

"In the last two games, [penalties] certainly have been a factor in reducing our point production."

Two early drives stalled when the same wide receiver lined up illegally, and a holding call set the Cavaliers back when they were looking at second-and-goal at the Carolina 4.

"Right there, we were looking at a possibility for a quite a few more points and a lot more relaxed ending," Groh said.

The same could be said for the inability of UVa's defensive backs to come up with interceptions.

Defensive ends Jeffrey Fitzgerald and Chris Long have accounted for two of Virginia's three interceptions in its first three games, but defensive backs Chris Cook, Jamaal Jackson and Brandon Woods each had a chance Saturday.

Cook was required to battle for the ball, but Jackson and Woods had a chance for uncontested pickoffs.

"They probably were directly part of 14 points," Groh said. "The play before the touchdown at the end of the half, we have an excellent opportunity [by Jackson] to intercept the ball. It goes from an incomplete pass to, on the next play, a touchdown.

"Then, on the last [Carolina] drive of the game, we have the same opportunity to intercept the ball and get off the field and maybe run the clock out. When we get the opportunity, we need to step up and make those plays."

There were some unusual statistics in the game, most notably Carolina's 399-350 advantage in total yardage despite possessing the ball for only 20:46, compared to the Cavaliers' 39:14.

UVa had 13 rushing first downs, compared to three for the Tar Heels, which explains part of the disparity in time of possession. Junior tailback Cedric Peerman had a career-high 30 carries for 186 yards.

"It looked like he had some more left in him," Groh said. "His last two carries were just as full speed and just as physical as he was earlier. It gave us a good read on what his upper limit [for carries] is. Based on yesterday, it might be a little bit higher than that."

In the end, a third-quarter field goal that put the Cavaliers ahead 19-7 was critical. In the ACC, coaches are awarded one challenge per game and Groh asked for a review of Chris Gould's 48-yard kick, which was originally ruled no-good.

Groh said student manager Michelle Quiroga was the first person to tell him that the call on the field was incorrect.

"What's really intriguing, to some degree, is why we had to initiate the challenge from the field," Groh said, "and why, with all the high-priced, technical replay equipment we have, that the people watching that didn't see the same thing."

ACC supervisor of football officials Doug Rhoads said that the back judge turned his back when it appeared the ball might hit him, "but I'd be surprised if there weren't more than two eyes watching the ball," said Groh, referring to the official under the opposite upright.

Rhoads said, in 30 years as an on-field official, he had seen kicks that were difficult to signal because they were over the uprights but never because it was unclear if they had cleared the crossbar.

"Three years ago, Carolina would have won that game," said Rhoads, referring to the absence of replay before 2005. "There were coaches' challenges last year that affected the outcome of 15 games, so you've got to say it's a good thing."
 

A challenge awaits Cavaliers
BY MELINDA WALDROP | 247-4634
11:16 PM EDT, September 16, 2007 

The improvements were real. But work remains.

Virginia's 22-20 victory at North Carolina on Saturday was a result of an offense that scored the necessary points and a defense that dominated early, then rallied when called upon late. But while the win showcased the progress the Cavaliers (2-1, 2-0 ACC) have made since opening the season with a 23-3 loss at Wyoming, it also highlighted the areas that still need polishing before Georgia Tech comes to Charlottesville at noon Saturday.

The Cavs scored on their first four possessions to jump out to a 16-0 lead against the Tar Heels. But three of those scores were field goals, one of which came after a penalty pushed U.Va. back from the UNC 11. That trend continued in the second half, when the Cavs took their opening third-quarter drive to the Heels' 9-yard line before settling for another field goal after quarterback Jameel Sewell was sacked on back-to-back plays for a total loss of 16 yards.

"We left a lot of points on the field," Virginia coach Al Groh said. "We've got to finish those drives, particularly on the road."

Points also will be at a premium against the Yellow Jackets, who are coming off a 24-10 loss to Boston College but still bring a potent attack to Scott Stadium.

Georgia Tech boasts the ACC's best rushing game, with 237 yards per contest as part of its 382-yard offensive average, and its 37 points per game are tops in the conference.

"We've got a big test coming up -- clearly the most talented team yet that we've played," Groh said.

The Cavs will need a better performance from their quarterback tandem of Sewell, a sophomore, and freshman Peter Lalich.

Though neither threw an interception against UNC, neither managed a touchdown pass or a deep downfield completion, either. Lalich was 7-of-10 for 57 yards, while Sewell was 11-of-17 for 96 yards and was sacked four times, sometimes after ample time to get rid of the ball.

Groh called the QB play streaky but said of Sewell, "He made some big plays for us," including a QB scramble for a first down.

"I feel like I'm playing a little bit better day by day. Even in practice I get better every day," Sewell said. "The big thing for me was converting on a couple of those third downs. That just gave me confidence, because that was something I couldn't do last year at all."

U.Va. converted 11 of 20 third-down attempts, most of them with Sewell behind center. But the Cavs' main weapon, on third down and all day, was junior tailback Cedric Peerman, who rushed for a career-high 186 yards and a touchdown on 30 carries.

"Our confidence is building somewhat," Peerman said. "... We just felt like we can be better than what we showed that first week."

Saturday's performance enabled Peerman to pass Georgia Tech's Tashard Choice atop the ACC individual standings. Peerman, now averaging 114 yards per game, will need another strong performance to win his head-to-head matchup against Choice, averaging 112.

"Both players seem to be, at this early stage, the player through whom each team runs its offense," Groh said during his weekly Sunday teleconference. "The schemes and the plays are somewhat different and the skills of the players are quite a bit different, but the intent seems to be somewhat similar."

Defensively, U.Va. pressured UNC quarterback T.J. Yates for most of the first half and came up with a crucial stop when Nate Collins batted down a 2-point conversion attempt in the game's final two minutes. But Yates threw for 240 of his 339 passing yards in the final two quarters, picking apart Virginia's secondary and throwing for two second-half touchdowns. UNC's Brooks Foster finished with 139 receiving yards, while Hakeem Nicks had 113.

"Credit that quarterback. He really was able to get rid of it," senior defensive end Chris Long said. "I said to somebody in the locker room, he's the best quarterback we've played in a while. He was able to make plays, and they had some great wide receivers they were able to get it to."

As the Cavs head into the heart of ACC play, things aren't likely to get any easier.

"I think our team is getting better," Groh said. "It's gaining more confidence. We've got bigger challenges coming up in front of us. But this ought to give us a little bit of a boost for those."

 

Injury makes Choice a question mark
By MIKE KNOBLER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/17/07

Fresh off getting dominated in their ACC opener Saturday night, Georgia Tech's Yellow Jackets got more bad news on Sunday.

Defending ACC rushing champion Tashard Choice is questionable for Tech's first intra-divisional game Saturday at Virginia, coach Chan Gailey said.

Choice strained a hamstring late in the third quarter of Tech's 24-10 loss to Boston College.

He was having a rough night even before he got hurt. The Eagles held him to 31 yards rushing, his lowest total as a starter, and he averaged barely more than 2 yards per carry. That was one of many eye-popping statistics on a night when Boston College's Matt Ryan passed for 435 yards and the Eagles almost doubled the Yellow Jackets in total offense.

The loss dropped the Jackets (2-1, 0-1 ACC) from No. 15 to unranked and lifted the Eagles (3-0, 3-0) from No. 21 to No. 14. The one thing Boston College apparently didn't conquer was Taylor Bennett's sense of confidence.

The two teams will meet again in the ACC championship game, Tech's quarterback said shortly after midnight Saturday. And he all but called Boston College's victory a fluke.

"They got lucky one night," Bennett said. "We played our worst game on that same night."

Bennett rejected the 3 hours, 44 minutes of blocking and tackling and throwing and catching that had just taken place and held on to the impressions created through a month and a half of practice and the season's first two games.

"That's not us in the rushing game," Bennett said of Tech's 63 yards on 28 carries. "We just could not run the ball very well, didn't pass it very well. Things were not going our way."

Redshirt freshman receiver Demaryius Thomas saw a couple of reasons for that. One was Boston College's choice of pass coverages. The other?

"We're going to have to do a better job with play-calling," Thomas said.

"I'll have to talk with him about that," Gailey said on Sunday.

For the record, Gailey didn't place the blame on new offensive coordinator John Bond.

"No, I don't think we lost the game because of play-calling," Gailey said.

The play-calling, the offense and the defense looked fabulous in the 33-3 victory at Notre Dame and the 69-14 romp over Samford. Things went so well in so many areas during Tech's first two games they might have provided a false sense of the team's overall strength. But Gailey rejected the idea that overconfidence hurt the Jackets on Saturday night. He instead gave the credit to Boston College.

Aside from Choice, Tech's injury news was positive. Cornerback Jahi Word-Daniels is listed as probable after leaving the Boston College game because, a Tech spokesman said, he was feeling unwell. Strong safety Joe Gaston (hamstring) and special teams player Osahon Tongo (unknown injury) are expected back this week, Gailey said.

Tech still controls its destiny in the ACC race because the loss came outside of the Coastal Division. But its margins have tightened. It has taken a 7-1 conference record to win the Coastal in both years since the ACC adopted divisional play.

So Gailey stopped short of echoing Bennett's assertion Georgia Tech will play Boston College again in the ACC title game.

"I'm glad he's got confidence in what he believes," Gailey said. "You don't know that. You hope that."

 

Texans' wise investment
By Jason Cole, Yahoo! Sports
September 16, 2007

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub may not have a lot behind what he says, dodging the slightest hint of controversy with one bland answer after another.

But as Schaub worked his way through three postgame radio shows, a TV appearance and a news conference, and even agreed to follow a Houston television reporter back to the station after the 2-0 Texans flew home, he demonstrated one important quality.

Schaub can make the connection again and again. He did that in the most important sense Sunday, completing 20-of-28 passes for 227 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-21 win over Carolina. Through two games, Schaub is a scorching 42-of-54, displaying the kind of skills Houston spent five years hoping to get from David Carr.

In a more general sense, Schaub has been making the connection since the moment he arrived in an offseason trade. He called each member of the offense to introduce himself, developing a bond Carr never had.

As a result, the Texans are in a position they've never been in. Next Sunday, they host the defending champion Colts for the early lead in the AFC South. It may be only Week 3, but after five years of listless play, Houston will take it.

"You just knew from the beginning he was going to be different," said Houston wide receiver Andre Johnson, who helped his team rebound from a 14-0 deficit with two touchdowns. Unfortunately, Johnson limped away from his seven-catch, 120-yard performance with a strained right posterior cruciate ligament.

"Matt is real calm, and you can tell he wants to be here," Johnson said, making an obvious parallel to Carr, who stood on the Carolina sideline Sunday as a backup. "With David, he wasn't around the team as much as Matt. He wasn't with the guys like Matt is."

Or as tight end Owen Daniels put it: "I knew he was the right guy before I even met him."

After Schaub was acquired in a March trade, signing a six-year, $48 million contract extension in the process, he started dialing more numbers than a teenage girl with a new cell phone. The conversations weren't long – maybe a one-minute message or a five-minute chat – but the calls made an impression.

"It was kind of shocking that he'd take the time to do that with everybody," Johnson said.

Said Daniels: "I was like, wow, we needed that kind of leadership, especially at that position."

Schaub showed leadership in another way, deflecting any notion of self-importance when asked if he felt like "the man" yet.

"We have a lot of good players on this team," Schaub said.

Of course, leadership is only as good as one's on-field performance, and Schaub's has been exemplary. Moreover, he's not completing meaningless dump passes like Joey Harrington, his replacement in Atlanta. Given everything that's happened, the Falcons may rue the Schaub trade for a long time.

Schaub also performed under difficult circumstances, as the first 10 minutes of this game had the makings of a Carolina blowout. Wide receiver Steve Smith was toying with Houston cornerback Demarcus Faggins, scoring twice with ease. Houston also contributed a Daniels fumble.

That's when Schaub went to the defense and apologized for the poor start. It wasn't the deepest conversation, but it played to the spirit of the moment.

"When he said that, it made everybody hang together," Texans cornerback Dunta Robinson said. "When you have a guy like that, stepping up like a leader, you want to play hard for him."

Said Schaub: "It's a team game, and there are no divisions between the defense and the offense. I wanted those guys to know that. We put them in a bad situation with the turnover, and I wanted them to know, 'I got your back and you're going to have mine at some point.' "

Schaub responded by hitting Johnson on two of three plays during a 65-yard drive, including a 32-yard score as Johnson ran untouched through Carolina's suspect secondary.

On Houston's next drive, Schaub evened the game by leading a 16-play, 80-yard drive. Schaub overcame his worst play of the day – a pass that appeared to be intercepted before it was overturned on review – and eventually hit Johnson for a 9-yard score.

After a field goal gave Houston the lead just before half, Schaub helped put the game away with a critical run to open the second half.

Carolina went three-and-out to open the second half and then Houston drove 56 yards in five plays, running back Ahman Green basically walking into the end zone on a 13-yard run for a 24-14 lead. Schaub was 3-for-3 for 39 yards on the drive and showed his patience with one subtly terrific play.

With Johnson wide left and running a deep out, Daniels ran a delayed pattern underneath. Schaub looked at Johnson, forcing Panthers safety Deke Cooper to cheat to Johnson's side.

Most quarterbacks, particularly young ones with something to prove, might have forced the ball to Johnson. Schaub went the other way, flipping a 12-yard completion to Daniels.

"I was just trying to hit the open guy," said Schaub with an answer that would have made Joe Montana proud.

Then again, that's the message Schaub had from the beginning.

"That's exactly what he said he was going to do when we first talked," Johnson said. "Matt doesn't act like a young guy who hasn't played. He acts like a guy who has been around, and he said he's going to involve everybody. He told me that, and when you do that, it's a lot more fun for everybody."

And right now, every Texan seems to be having plenty of fun.


 

LaBauex delivers OT game-winner
By Whitelaw Reid / wreid@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
September 17, 2007

During halftime of Sunday night’s game between Virginia and St. John’s, Cavman ran onto the field and joined the single-file line of UVa players that were taking shooting practice at the goal.

The Virginia mascot, to the crowd’s delight, took a pass from an assistant coach and rifled a shot into the low left corner of the goal.

In the second half, it seemed like Virginia could have used Cavman. UVa had a few quality chances, but just couldn’t put the ball into the net.

But in the 7th minute of overtime, Chris Tierney made a pass across the Red Storm box that Ross LaBauex headed in.

A crowd of 2,751 went bonkers as Virginia’s bench emptied onto the field to celebrate a 1-0 victory.

“Before the overtime, we talked about getting more crosses,” said Virginia coach George Gelnovatch. “Chris, instead of running at the guy and trying to get deeper, put an early cross in, and Ross was fresh. He got himself in the box and got on the end of it.”

LaBauex, a sophomore from Chicago who had never started, picked a good time to score his first career goal.

“I just try and come off the bench and give it all I’ve got,” LaBauex said. “I was right there. We made eye contact. He played a great ball in there. I headed it. It hit the ground and somehow [bounced] over the goalie.”

The play was actually initiated by Neil Barlow, who stripped the ball from St. John’s forward Jara Habib.

“Neil managed to poke it out toward me,” Tierney explained. “I was just thinking, ‘Overtime, you have to get the ball in the box and try and make something happen.’ I played the ball and Ross was able to step inside his guy.”

Tierney, who missed a golden scoring opportunity in the 88th minute when he rifled a shot high, said the team never lost faith.

“We had our chances all game,” he said. “I really feel like we had the better of the play, so it was good to finally finish it.

“I think we all knew we were going to score. It was just a matter of time. Luckily it eventually came.”

After the goal, Habib slumped over in despair as images of Virginia students jumping up and down were shown on the Klockner Stadium video board.

The victory was an important one for ninth-ranked Virginia (4-1), which was coming off a 1-1 Texas road trip that included an embarrassing 5-1 loss to SMU.

“We came out flat and they punished us,” said LaBauex, referring to the defeat. “Now we see today that if we put in the hard work and dedication during practice, it pays off.”

An unsung hero of the victory was a Cavaliers’ defense that held St. John’s (2-3-1) to just three shots. The unit of Matt Williams, Zola Short, Matt Poole and Barlow was, at times, suffocating.

“[St. John’s] didn’t have any good looks on us today,” Tierney said. “Those four guys were unbelievable. They really deserve the credit for the win.”

Gelnovatch was proud of the way his team responded to a tough challenge.

“We knew we would have a battle on our hands,” he said, “and [we] stepped up.”

Throw-ins

Virginia sophomore Matt Mitchell started at forward and freshman defender T.J. Cyrus came off the bench. … UVa outshot St. John’s, 15-3, and held a 5-0 edge in corner kicks. … Virginia hosts Campbell on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

 

Boland's squad opens with strong showing
By Sean McLernon / smclernon@dailyprogress.com | 978-7247
September 17, 2007

The three elite singles flights of the UVa Fall Invitational were labeled Red, Blue and Yellow by tournament organizers. Considering Virginia’s three-flight sweep Sunday morning, Orange, Navy and White would have been more appropriate titles.

Defending NCAA singles champion Somdev Devvarman and No. 13 Treat Huey, both top seeds in their flights, won easily and No. 65 Dominic Inglot joined the party with a straight-set upset of the 12th-ranked player in the country, Denver’s Adam Holmstrom.

The three singles wins wrapped up the season-opening tournament with was expanded this season. The event, which Virginia coach Brain Boland said is the biggest fall college tournament in the country, featured 144 players from 27 schools in nine singles and four doubles flights.

“So many teams want to come and have this opportunity,” said Boland, who started the tournament his second year at Virginia in 2002. “We had a number of teams on a waiting list and we had to stop at 144 players.”

Singles and doubles matches were played at sites all around Charlottesville throughout the weekend, including Charlottesville High School and Pen Park, but Sunday’s three most anticipated matches were simultaneously showcased on the first three courts at the Snyder Tennis Center on Emmet Street in front of several dozen fans and community members.

Inglot and Holmstrom stayed on serve for the first 11 games of the opening set before Inglot earned a break point with an inside-out forehand approach and a punch forehand volley that Holmstrom couldn’t return. The Denver standout double faulted to give Inglot the first set, 7-5.

“I was just trying to pressure [Holmstrom],” said Inglot, who needed a third-set tiebreaker to win Saturday’s semifinal match against Virginia Tech’s Adam Larregola. “I came in and hit the drive volley and it wasn’t the hardest shot for him to make. But the thing is, when you’re in a tight spot, 30-all, and you have a chance of getting broken and losing the match, that’s when you start getting a little tight. That’s why I tried to come to the net.”

With the entire UVa coaching staff watching his upset bid, Inglot utilized his powerful serve and sharp net game to close out Holmstrom with a 6-4 victory in the second set and clinch his flight title.

Devvarman beat Inglot off the court by about five minutes, winning eight of his match’s last nine games to cruise to a 6-3, 6-1 straight set victory over No. 35 Michael James of Penn State. Devvarman has not lost a college singles match since an April 6 defeat at the hands of Miami’s Luigi D’Accord.

“I’m never 100 percent sure I’m going to win,” Devvarman said. “There’s always a little question that maybe this is going to be the day that I’m going to lose. I think that really keeps me going, though. That kind of makes me prepare the way I want to prepare every single night. During matches, I feel the only reason I can focus so well is that slight doubt in my mind that maybe this is going to be the day.

“That’s the kind of thing you have to expect when everyone is gunning for you. I actually like that.”

Huey was the last of the three to finish, but still won in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4, over

No. 26 Martin Sayer of Radford.

“I’m really pleased with our leaders in Somdev and Treat,” Boland said. “There’s a lot of pressure on them this year as two of the best players in the country. They come out every day with the same attitude ready to play and they work hard each match and control the things that they can while having fun with it all. They’re a great example for the rest of the guys.”

Devvarman and Huey, who make up the top-ranked doubles team in the country, defeated Penn State’s team of James and Adam Slagter, 8-2, to win one of the top two doubles flights. It was a decisive victory to cap off a successful all-round performance for Virginia that surely made a strong statement to UVa’s competition.

“This year, our team is really going to have a strong chance of winning NCAAs,” Inglot said between signing autographs for young fans after his match. “We wanted to go out there and show all of these players that we can come out and win all of these tournaments.

“If our top three can win like this and our next three guys are right up there, people are going to start wondering where exactly the weaknesses are on this team.”

 

Virginia rolls past Arizona in Classic finale
By Whitelaw Reid / wreid@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
September 17, 2007

Bottle it. Put it in a time capsule. Maybe give the footage to that Tom Emanski guy for some sort of instructional video.

That’s how good the Virginia women’s soccer team’s offensive performance was on Sunday afternoon against Arizona.

UVa put on a clinic. For much of the contest, it seemed like the Cavaliers were playing a man up - a perpetual power play of sorts that culminated in a 4-0 victory and a Virginia Soccer Classic championship.

UVa won its annual tournament for the first time since 2004.

“Our team came ready to play,” said Virginia senior Shannon Foley. “We hadn’t won our tournament in a while, so that was one of our big goals this year. I thought we came out and really wanted it, and it showed.”

For the second game in a row Foley helped pick up the slack created by the injury to star forward Jess Rostedt. The California native, who missed all of last season herself with an injured knee, had a goal and an assist. The assist, the 30th of her career, moved her into a first-place tie on the school’s all-time list.

“It’s definitely a great honor,” Foley said. “It’s nice to know that I really accomplished something here. I wanted to go to a school and really make a difference. It’s nice to have something to show for it.”

In the 4th minute, Foley sent a picture-perfect cross to freshman Sinead Farrelly, who headed the ball into the net.

“It was a great cross and a great finish,” said Virginia coach Steve Swanson. “That wasn’t as easy as it looked.”

Just over three minutes later, Foley blasted home a goal off of a flick by Farrelly. Freshman Meghan Lenczyk scored in the 27th minute to give Virginia a commanding 3-0 lead going into the break.

Really, the game was even more lopsided than the final score would indicate. Eighth-ranked Virginia (4-1-1) outshot Arizona, 19-4. The 25th-ranked Wildcats (4-2) rarely crossed into UVa’s side of the field.

“Virginia is an extremely good team - a good passing team, very well organized,” said Arizona coach Dan Tobias. “I thought they scored some great goals today. Anytime you score three goals on your first five shots of the game - I’d say that’s pretty efficient finishing.”

Tobias said his team, which beat No. 4 Texas last Sunday, may have played “a little scared.”

“Our effort wasn’t very good today at all,” Tobias said. “After the game, I told Steve [Swanson], ‘Great game, but sorry we didn’t put in a better effort to give you a better game.’”

Swanson was extremely pleased with his team’s win, which came on the heels of a dominating 4-0 win over No. 18 Colorado on Friday night. He believes things are really starting to click.

“We worked a lot on our attack in the spring and I think that’s paid off,” he said. “I think our players are more comfortable in our system and are linking up a lot better.”

Tobias certainly came away impressed. How would he compare Virginia to Texas?

“I would say that Virginia - at least in their 90 minutes - was more threatening,” he said, “but they’re both good teams.

“We aspire to be what Virginia is - a team that is regularly within the top 10 in the country.”

Throw-ins

Foley was named tournament MVP and was joined by fellow Cavaliers Nikki Krzysik, Becky Sauerbrunn and Farrelly on the all-tournament team.

… Virginia hosts Liberty on Friday at 7 p.m.

… Swanson on Foley breaking the assists record: “You get excited by the goals, but I’m always excited about good assists and throughout her career she’s provided us with a lot of quality assists.” … No decisions have been made on Rostedt’s status for the rest of the season. Rostedt recently had arthroscopic surgery on her knee. “It’s coming along and getting better every day, but it’s too early to make a decision,” Swanson said.

… Kelly Quinn continues to wear uniform No. 9 instead of the usual No. 10 that she shares with brother Brady, the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback. “We just got new uniforms and I’m waiting for a size change,” said Quinn, laughing. “They can’t find any.” Is big bro mad that his sister isn’t wearing No. 10? “A little bit,” Quinn joked. “I think he’s wondering what’s going on!”