Cavaliers Travel to Southern Miss Saturday in Road Opener
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 09/16/2009

Game 3 • Sept. 19 • 3:30 p.m. ET
M.M. Roberts Stadium
Game Details
Playing Surface: FieldTurf
Series vs. USM: First Meeting
Television: CBS College Sports (Ch. 732 on Comcast in Charlottesville)
P-b-P: Jason Knapp
Analyst: Akbar Gbaja-Biamila
Radio: Virginia Sports Network (affiliates)
P-b-P: Dave Koehn
Analyst: Frank Quayle
Sidelines: Chris Slade
Satellite Radio: XM Radio 191, Sirius 219
Live Stats: Click here for the link to the LiveStats page. Note: Link available 30 minutes before kickoff. Allow 1-2 minutes for it to load at the start.
Rosters: Virginia Southern Miss
Game Notes: Virginia Southern Miss
Five Things You Need to Know
• Virginia is playing its first game ever in the state of Mississippi.
• UVa's defense has allowed just six third-down conversions in 31 attempts (19.35%). That is tied for eighth-best in the FBS.
• Jameel Sewell had 21 rushes last Saturday - third most in school history for a QB and most since 1942.
• T Will Barker will make his 40th career start this week.
• Freshmen Javaris Brown and Tim Smith became UVa's first frosh combo to score TDs in the same game since 2006 last week vs. TCU.
Virginia, Southern Miss Play for First Time
• Virginia and Southern Miss are meeting for the first time in football.
• The game is the first of a home-and-home series; Southern Miss is slated to make the return trip to Charlottesville in 2011.
• Virginia will be making its first-ever trip to the state of Mississippi.
Cavaliers Have Limited History with C-USA
• Virginia has played just two games against teams from Conference USA - both against East Carolina.
• UVa split those games with ECU, falling in Greenville in 2006 and winning in Charlottesville last season.
• C-USA also consists of Houston, Marshall, Memphis, Rice, SMU, Tulane, Tulsa, UAB, UCF and UTEP.
Noting Openers on the Road
• Virginia is 42-72-3 all-time in road openers.
• UVa is 2-6 in road openers under Al Groh.
• UVa last won its first road game in 2005, a 27-24 victory at Syracuse.
• The Cavaliers were 1-4 on the road in 2008.
On the Road Against Non-Conference Opponents
• This is the only road non-conference game the Cavaliers will play this season.
• It marks the 12th year in a row they have played at least one non-league road game.
• Under Al Groh Virginia is 3-8 in non-conference road games since 2001 (regular-season games).
• UVa's last non-conference road win was a 23-21 win at Middle Tennessee in 2007.
A Sign of Things to Come?
• This is third time since 1987 that Virginia has started a season 0-2.
• In the last two instances, Virginia bounced back and earned a bowl berth.
• In 2002, UVa lost its first two games (Colorado State, Florida State) but went 9-3 the rest of the way and won the Continental Tire Bowl.
• In 1987, UVa dropped its first two (Georgia, Maryland) but went 8-2 to conclude the year and downed BYU in the All-American Bowl.
Seventeen Cavaliers Get First Playing Time
• Perry Jones saw his first career game action last week vs. TCU, becoming the 14th Cavalier freshman to see the field this year.
• He is the fifth true freshman to play for UVa this season.
• Here is a list of the 17 players:
• True freshmen (5): Will Hill, Quintin Hunter, Perry Jones, Tim Smith and Dominique Wallace
• Redshirt freshmen (9): Landon Bradley, Javaris Brown, Steve Greer, Torrey Mack, Matt Mihalik, Aaron Van Kuiken, Colter Phillips, Ausar Walcott, Devin Wallace.
• Others (3): sophomore Matt Snyder, juniors Patch Duda and Daniel Childress.
True Freshmen Get Chance to Shine
• Al Groh is not afraid to use true freshman, as evidenced by the five he already has played this year.
• Since Groh started as UVa's head coach in 2001, 58 true freshmen have seen playing time for the Cavaliers.
Youth Is Served
• Fifty-six players have seen game action this year - 30 are underclassmen (five true freshmen, nine redshirt freshmen, 12 sophomores).
• Eleven of the 30 underclassmen have made at least one start this season.
Six Cavaliers Make First Starts
• Six Cavaliers made the first start of their careers vs. William & Mary:
• ILB Steve Greer, WR Kris Burd, OT Landon Bradley, S Rodney McLeod, WR Javaris Brown and WR Matt Snyder.
Cain Breaks Into Starting Lineup
• Guard Isaac Cain made his first career start last Saturday vs. TCU.
• The junior was playing in his fourth career game. He was a reserve in the William & Mary game and appeared in one game in each of the past two seasons.
Sewell Back in the Starting Slot
• UVa QB Jameel Sewell made his first start since 2007 last week vs. TCU. He now has made 23 career starts.
• He returned to the field against William & Mary after not playing last season.
• Sewell's second-quarter rushing TD against William & Mary was his first scoring run since he rushed for a pair of scores against Virginia Tech during the 2007 season.
Three Options at QB
• Virginia played three quarterbacks vs. William & Mary.
• Vic Hall started and was the QB for five series (2-for-5, 7 yards; 54 rushing yards, TD). He missed all but one play of the TCU game because of an injury.
• Jameel Sewell was the second QB in and played nine series (9-for-17, 80 yards; 40 rushing yards, TD). He played the entire game vs. TCU.
• Marc Verica entered in the fourth quarter vs. W&M and led the Cavaliers in three series (7-for-11, 50 yards).
Sewell Racks Up Rushes
• Jameel Sewell had 21 rushing attempts Saturday - most by a UVa QB since Bill Dudley had 22 vs. Lehigh on Nov. 15, 1941. (167 yards)
• It also was the third most by a UVa QB in a game.
• Dudley owns the single-game rushing
attempts mark by a UVa QB with 25 vs. Virginia Tech in 1941 (132 yards).
• The last time a UVa QB rushed 20 times in a game was Shawn Moore vs. Maryland on Nov. 19, 1988 (20 attempts for 34 yards.)
Most QB Rushes in UVa History
1. Bill Dudley (11/1/41 vs. VT) 24
2. Bill Dudley (11/15/41 vs. Lehigh) 22
3. Jameel Sewell (9/12/09 vs. TCU) 21
4. Shawn Moore (11/19/88 vs. MD) 20
Freshmen Combine for Scores
• Freshman WRs Javaris Brown and Tim Smith each scored TDs Saturday vs. TCU.
• It marked the first time two UVa freshmen scored touchdowns in a game since Sept. 30, 2006, when Mikell Simpson and Jeffrey Fitzgerald each scored in a 31-0 win at Duke.
• Simpson scored on a 2-yard run and Fitzgerald on a 23-yard fumble recovery.
• Smith's touchdown came as part of his first career reception.
Sewell-Brown Combine for Longest Pass Play Since 2005
• Jameel Sewell's 56-yard touchdown pass to Javaris Brown Saturday was Virginia's longest pass play and passing touchdown since 2005.
• Deyon Williams had a 90-yard touchdown recpetion against Miami on Nov. 26, 2005.
Youth at Wide Receiver
• Youth is the buzzword for Virginia's receivers this year.
• Last week, UVa started three freshmen at wide receiver (Matt Snyder, Tim Smith, Javaris Brown).
• All four Cavalier receivers on the two-deep are underclassmen, with Snyder and Brown joined by sophomores Jared Green and Kris Burd.
• Five Cavalier freshmen have recorded catches this year.
• UVa had to replace its three leading wide receivers-Maurice Covington, Cary Koch and Kevin Ogletree-who were 1-4-5 in receptions last season while catching 121 passes among them.
Burd Makes Big Impact
• Kris Burd has started the year strong, with six receptions for 54 yards.
• He led UVa's receivers with five receptions for 46 yards vs. William & Mary.
• Both totals were career highs.
• Coming into the season, Burd had seven catches for 65 yards in his career.
First Two-Pt. Conversion Since ‘03
• UVa registered its first successful two-point conversion since 2003 when Colter Phillips rushed for the score in the fourth quarter vs. TCU.
• UVa's last two-point conversion came on Sept. 27, 2003, vs. Wake Forest when Matt Schaub ran in for two.
• It was UVa's first two-point attempt since Oct. 20, 2007, at Maryland.
Buckling Down on Third Down
• Virginia's defense has been tough on third down opportunities this year.
• UVa opponents have converted on just six of 31 attempts on third down.
• TCU was 1-for-11 on third down.
Defense Learns on the Job
• Six Virginia defensive starters have eight or fewer career starts, with two making their first starts this year.
• Steve Greer and Rodney McLeod each have made their first career starts this year.
• Nate Collins and Nate Jenkins each have eight career starts.
• Seniors Darren Childs (four starts) and Aaron Clark (three) each have worked their way into the starting lineup this year.
Greer Wastes No Time at LB
• Redshirt freshman ILB Steve Greer posted 10 tackles in his first playing time at Virginia against William & Mary.
• Greer is the first UVa freshman to record 10 tackles since Antonio Appleby did so in the 2005 Music City Bowl.
• Greer followed up that effort with an eight-tackle day against TCU.
 

It's Not The Heat, It's The Humidity
Sept. 16, 2009
12:58 p.m.

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- UVa didn't have to contend with extreme humidity in either of its first two football games this season.

That won't be the case for the Cavaliers in their third game. Virginia (0-2) plays Saturday at Southern Mississippi (2-0), and the forecast calls for a high of 88 degrees, with a 40-percent chance of scattered thunderstorms.

Conditions in Charlottesville during UVa's training camp last month, Al Groh noted Wednesday afternoon, were "generally pretty cool," and he added that this is turning into "an especially cool week."

Given that, how does a team prepare for the suffocating heat that awaits the 'Hoos in the Deep South?

"Pretty difficult to do," Groh said. "If we had an appropriate place, we would probably go inside and turn the heat up, but we don't have that available to us. So we have to let Mother Nature do that for us, and Mother Nature's not cooperating with us this week. So we'll just have to deal with it and adjust to it when we do get there."

The team is scheduled to arrive in Hattiesburg on Friday afternoon. Asked on the ACC coaches' teleconference if Virginia planned to combat the effects of the heat by substituting more than usual, Groh said, "We certainly do see the advantage of doing that, and we've stressed that here in our preparation.

"Some guys are going to have to elevate their game to the point that we don't decrease our productivity by making some substitutions. That would be very helpful if we could do that."

Also on the teleconference, Groh was asked about sophomore wide receiver Jared Green's absence from the two-deep released Tuesday for the Southern Miss game. Green, the team's top returning wideout from 2008, has yet to start this season, but he was listed with the first team before each of the first two games.

The son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Darrell Green has three catches for 28 yards this season.


"It's probably pretty much an ongoing situation [at wideout] until we find some guys who can step up and give us continuous separation and better passing options," Groh said.

"We're hoping that it would look the same to you every week, because if it looks the same to you, it looks the same to us. But for right now it'll probably be somewhat of a fluid situation till some guys really step up and grab hold of the positions."

It's worth nothing that the depth chart doesn't reflect the offense that UVa typically runs. The two-deep includes two running backs (tailback and fullback) and two receivers. Virginia has used three wideouts and no fullback on most plays this season.

-- Jeff White

 

For Groh, timing key with motivational tactics
By Michael Phillips
Published: September 17, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE Dig around in Al Groh's garage, and you'll find a shovel.

The shovel was returned there after the 1994 season, when it was made famous by Groh, then the New England Patriots' defensive coordinator.

"It never got a big ego over being on television," Groh said with a laugh.

Love him or hate him, there are a couple of things about Groh that have been established over the years. One is that he's a scholar of football. The other is that he knows how to motivate.

The shovel was part of a speech to a 3-6 New England team about how it was going to have to dig itself out after a slow start. The Patriots did -- not losing a game the rest of the way in the regular season.

Now as he handles a Virginia squad that stumbled out of the gate, he'll have to decide when it's time to push the buttons with this group. It's not something he takes lightly.

"If it's always about a gimmick, then it just kind of becomes like Vaudeville -- when's the next show going to be? What's the next act?" he said. "So I think there has to be a special occasion for it, and sometimes they work out really well."

Motivation is part of football, certainly more so than many other sports. In baseball, a team has to pace itself over 162 games, and a basketball season lasts several months. But in college football, there are 12 Saturdays -- each a huge event with thousands in attendance.

That pressure also magnifies losses, and especially in a year where he could be coaching for his job, each game is analyzed that much more closely.

The Wahoos have gotten off to rough starts under Groh before -- the other time they started 0-2, they finished in the 2002 Continental Tire Bowl -- but that doesn't make losing easier for the coach, something the players have seen over the past two weeks.

"He's one of the most competitive people I've ever met in football," defensive end Matt Conrath said. "He takes losing pretty hard. And it's tough when you look at the tape and see the simple things we've done in practice every day, then we screw it up in the game."

Other coaches around the country have noticed, too.

Southern Miss coach Larry Fedora has cautioned his team not to expect the Cavs team from the tape to show up this Saturday.

"I really believe they're a well-coached football team," he said. "We believe they'll come in here firing on all cylinders and be ready to get a win."

If that attitude happens, it will first trickle down from the coach himself.

The suit-and-tie man who shows up at the office each day ate a live worm while coaching at Wake Forest. The result? An upset victory against North Carolina.

The Hoos don't face the Tar Heels for another two weeks, but they will go into that game as big underdogs.

But to Groh, football is more than just the talent assembled -- it's also a matter of winning the psychological game and getting his players prepared for a hectic game-day atmosphere.

"We have to focus on what we have to do to get ready physically, mentally, and tactically," he said. "Then you have to go out there and play the other guy on every play. That's how competition goes."
 

Dowling aims to be leader on U.Va. defense
Michael Phillips
Sep 16, 2009

Virginia cornerback Ras-I Dowling enters his junior year already celebrated by conference analysts. His quick rise has been interrupted, though, in the first two games of 2009.

“My play could be better,” he said last night, adding that even if he was playing well, the goal is wins, and the team hasn’t been getting those. “We’re practicing harder and working on our assignments more, trying to get it back on track.”

Dowling said that he’s trying to be more of a leader in his third season, setting an example for younger players and being more vocal on the field – including the job of relaying plays to his teammates.

“Just making plays, making calls and having people follow me as an example on the field,” he said.

Dowling and Co. will have a tough test this weekend against Southern Miss and sophomore receiver DeAndre Brown, whose 6-6, 231 size presents matchup problems for most cornerbacks.

Coach Al Groh said that he has confidence in the cornerback.

“There have been some plays up the field that, you know, I’m sure he would like to change,” he said. “We’re working with him to try to do that.”
 

A few notes about U.Va.’s record
Michael Phillips
Sep 16, 2009

The Hoos are trying to avoid their first winless September since 1982, when a first-year coach by the name of George Welsh took over.

Here are a couple other tidbits regarding this weekend’s game against Southern Miss:

-Virginia is 1-1 against Conference USA, with both games coming against East Carolina.
-The team is 2-6 in road openers under Al Groh.
-This is the first time Virginia has played a game in the state of Mississippi.
 

Patience pays off for USM
By Jay Jenkins
Published: September 17, 2009

The proof was in the production.

As Virginia coach Al Groh has recently discussed the slow-moving process incorporated with implementing new systems, he can quickly offer Southern Mississippi’s football program as an example of how remaining patient can pay off.

Eight games into the season last year, the Golden Eagles were 2-6 overall and in a tailspin.

The offense was clicking at times, averaging 29 points and almost 450 yards of total offense. But the results were lacking in the win column.

Magically, something clicked for the Golden Eagles. In fact, Virginia’s opponent on Saturday in Hattiesburg Miss., has won seven straight games dating back to the first day November of last year.

Oddly enough, the production has been similar — Southern Miss (2-0) has averaged 34.9 points and 446.6 yards of total offense during the winning streak.

How did it happen?

“Just continuity,” Groh explained. “[Coach] Larry Fedora is in there and has put in a new system in all three phases. We can kind of relate to him a little bit.

“We are dealing with that in two out of three phases. They put in a new system in all three phases and just as the season went on in … watching their season in different time frames what it looked like early, in the middle and the end and now this year, you can just see increased execution in all the different schemes.”

The victories to close out the 2008 season came over UAB, Central Florida, East Carolina and SMU, paving the way for the Golden Eagles to upend Troy 30-27 in overtime to win the New Orleans Bowl.

This year, Southern Miss drilled Alcorn State 52-0 and held on for a 26-19 win at home last week against Central Florida, moving to 1-0 in Conference USA.

The Golden Eagles’ offense has been balanced to date — they have thrown for 243 yards per game and added 265 on the ground.

The defense, which ranked 58th against the run and 85th against the pass last year, has also improved, albeit with one game against a Division 1-AA opponent. They enter the Virginia game tied for 10th in turnover margin, a position the Cavaliers have little chance at following the turnover-riddled loss to William & Mary.

“They played two pretty good games in every respect,” Groh said. “They are 15th in the country rushing the ball. They haven’t given up a 100-yard rusher in seven games. The quarterback is performing very well. And they are off to a good start. As I say, they have won seven in a row so clearly they are playing good ball on all phases.

Groh can only hope that the transition at Virginia is nearly as smooth in the coming weeks.

He has at least one supporter leading up to Saturday’s non-conference road game.

“[Virginia] had a lot of staff changes over this past year,” Fedora said. “They went to a totally new philosophy on offense. I’m not sure how well the personnel fits with what they are trying to do. I know it’s the same defense they’ve been playing and they have always been a good defensive team. They’re big and pretty consistent on what they do.

“One thing I know is that they have started out rough before and then bounced back to win four or five in a row. I don’t doubt that [Groh] will have them ready to play.”

Extra points

Virginia’s newest depth chart offers changes at several positions. Sophomore linebacker Cam Johnson has leapfrogged senior Aaron Clark, sophomore Kris Burd has moved into a starting spot and rookie Perry Jones is listed as a starting kick returner. Oddly, sophomore Jared Green is not listed on the depth chart at wideout, having been replaced by rookie Tim Smith, who caught a TD pass last week. … Despite the distance traveled, Groh said he would not take the team to Mississippi today. There was limited meeting space at the team hotel and missing an extra day of class was not ideal.
 

Is FCS closing the gap?
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: September 17, 2009

Scattershooting around the ACC, while wondering if the gap between the former Division I-A (now FBS) and I-AA (now FCS) football programs is narrowing ...

Three coaches agreed that they believed the gap has narrowed in recent years when the topic came up during Wednesday’s ACC coaches teleconference.

“Those I-AAs are getting some good players,” voiced legendary Florida State coach Bobby Bowden. “The big I-As are still getting their choice (of recruits), but there’s getting to be more players who can play at the I-A level. Yes, I believe they’re closing the gap.”

Bowden found out just how much last Saturday when the heavily favored Seminoles were nearly stunned by FCS Jacksonville State. Florida State scored 12 points in the final 35 seconds to survive the upset attempt, 19-9.

Asked if his players missed the message about how dangerous FCS teams can be, Bowden said apparently that was the case.

“Well, don’t they always?” Bowden said. “Kids don’t listen. They see that I-AA written by [the other team’s] name, and they’re playing at home. Attitude is so important.”

Two other ACC teams were upset the opening weekend when William & Mary knocked off Virginia and Richmond beat Duke. James Madison nearly pulled off the upset over Maryland about the same time that FSU rallied to avoid the upset.

UVa coach Al Groh pointed out how the state of Virginia has at least four quality FCS teams — the three aforementioned and Liberty — creating more opportunity for more quality players.

Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said that when he came to Blacksburg from Murray State several years ago, he felt that some of his former players could have played at Tech. Since then, he said, there have been more and more good players developing.

“I think probably the talent level has gotten a little tighter (between the two divisions),” Beamer said. “It’s hard to determine [the quality] of a lot of players. We’re not involved [in recruiting] with many of those players, although we probably should be, because some develop. There’s a lot of kids playing on those teams that are capable of playing at a higher level.”

ACC matters most

In years past, we’ve heard Al Groh refer to three stages of a football season, the early stage comprised mostly of nonconference games, then a middle stretch followed by the big games in November.

Rightly or wrongly, Groh has treated the early season mostly nonconference games as contests where he could learn more about his team and then adjust for the conference race.

“Very much so,” Groh said. “The prime goal of every season is to win our division, then win the championship game. With the transition we’re dealing with, the game action, getting the young players into games, we’re trying to polish it all up. Hopefully, this week shows considerable advancement so that we can polish that up and look forward to conference play.”

Golden Eagles

Unless you live in a cave, you know by now that UVa plays at Southern Miss this Saturday.

Here are a few things that might interest you about the Golden Eagles:

Southern Miss has 15 consecutive winning seasons, fourth-longest in the country behind only Florida State (32), Florida (21), Virginia Tech (16). The Eagles are averaging 507.5 yards of total offense in their first two games and allowing a mere 182.5.

Southern Miss has beaten Alcorn State (52-0) and Central Florida (26-19) to open at 2-0, and has a seven-game winning streak dating back to the last five games of last season.

Among the most celebrated of Southern Miss alumni are Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre and entertainer Jimmy Buffett.

Quote of the week

North Carolina coach Butch Davis in describing defensive lineman Robert Quinn, whose strong pass rush at the end of the Tar Heels’ game at UConn last Saturday forced Huskies lineman Dan Ryan to hold Quinn in the end zone, resulting in a game-winning safety for UNC.

“There’s a category called, ‘beast,’” Davis said. “Robert is clearly on the cusp of being a special, unique player.”

Stat of the week

N.C. State quarterback Russell Wilson owns the second-longest streak of passes without an interception in NCAA history. Wilson has now thrown 293 straight passes without being picked off, which is a new ACC record.

Cool stuff

N.C. State coach Tom O’Brien will send out longtime equipment manager Eddie Gardner to do the coin toss for the Wolfpack at this weekend’s home game against Gardner-Webb (no, he’s not related to the school’s founder).

“He’s the flipper,” O’Brien said of Gardner’s role.

Gardner has been with State for more than 20 years and is retiring at the end of the season. Nice gesture.

Another test

Beamer’s Hokies will face a strong Nebraska team at Lane Stadium this weekend.

“I think Nebraska is back,” Beamer said of the Cornhuskers, who have been a little down on their luck in recent years. “I think they’re going to be competing very strongly in the Big 12. I think they’re going to be a factor.”

However, FSU’s Bobby Bowden, who has been bringing teams to Blacksburg since he coached at West Virginia in the 1970s, knows that playing in Lane Stadium in current times is not a stroll in the park.

Asked by a writer in Nebraska what the Huskers can expect in Blacksburg, Bowden said:

“It’s been like Virginia Tech playing in Nebraska’s stadium,” said Bowden, who has coached games at both venues. “It will be a real loud, avid crowd. Tell [Nebraska] to get ready for the crowd noise. Virginia Tech will fight you like mad up there in Blacksburg.”

Short yardage

If you’re wondering why Maryland is ranked 113th in the nation in scoring defense, 114th in rushing defense and 117th (out of 120 teams) in pass efficiency defense, look at the Terps’ recent injuries. They lost one of the league’s top corners in the JMU game when Nolan Carroll suffered a broken tibia and is gone for the season. That came on top of losing strong safety Jamari McCollough with an ankle injury at Cal. McCollough should be out for yet another week. ... UVa’s Groh said his team, which has been practicing in the cool 70-something degree weather all week, will have to adjust to the heat and humidity of Hattiesburg once they get there. He hopes to use as many players as he can to keep them fresh in the heat. “Some guys are going to have to elevate their level of play for the game,” Groh said. “That would be very helpful if we can do that.”

The picks

Last week: 9-1 (almost got the Upset Special call of JMU over Maryland). To date: 17-4.

Tonight: Georgia Tech 27, Miami 21. This week: Clemson 19, Boston College 13; Kansas 36, Duke 14; North Carolina 27, East Carolina 17; Virginia Tech 30, Nebraska 21; Middle Tennessee State 21, Maryland 17; N.C. State 40, Gardner-Webb 13; Wake Forest 44, Elon 10; BYU 38, Florida State 27;

UPSET ALERT: Virginia 27, Southern Miss 24.

Virginia an interesting opponent
September 15, 2009

THE BIG QUESTION, with all college football teams this time of year, is not how good they are, but how good can they be.

Take the case of the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. They are 2-0, and you certainly can’t beat that.
They dominated Alcorn State 52-0 in the season opener, and looked great doing it, even though the Eagles were vastly superior than the Braves talent-wise.

Then they won their first Conference USA game, against Central Florida, 26-19, in the second of three straight home games to open the season. It was a win, but it was not a dominating win.

So the question now is how much better can Southern Miss get. It is every coach’s goal to get better every week, and USM head coach Larry Fedora on Monday pointed out things his club needs to work on. Punt returns and red zone offense were a couple of those key points.

Keep improving, and the sky’s the limit.
Home again
This Saturday, at 2:30 p.m., Southern Miss will play its third straight home game (and they won’t be home again until Oct. 17, when Memphis comes to town for another Conference USA contest). Virginia, which has never before played Southern Miss, will visit M.M. Roberts Stadium for the non-conference game Saturday afternoon.
This season, Virginia has dropped both its games, 24-16 to William & Mary and 30-14 to TCU.

Losing to TCU is understandable; falling to William & Mary is not. And that’s why Virginia coach Al Groh is already on the hot seat. Some Virginia fans want his head. It doesn’t matter that he has been a coach on a couple of NFL teams; he had better start winning.

Whether the Cavaliers start winning is anybody’s guess, but know this. Last season, the Cavaliers ran a standard type of offense. This year, they’ve gone to the spread. If you know football, you know that it takes a little time when changing an offense to iron out the wrinkles. In other words, the Virginia offense will be better this week than it was last week.
New team in town
Saturday’s game should be interesting because Virginia has never been to Roberts Stadium. Sometimes it seems that opponents are about the same from one year to another. But with a team we haven’t seen, like Virginia, it will be a new experience.

Of course, Southern Miss is 2-0. You can’t do better than that. The Eagles’ win streak, dating back to last season, is seven. Not many teams can say that.

It’s an afternoon game. More time to tailgate after the game. And it’s getting cooler, and maybe it won’t rain.

Fedora didn’t dwell too much Monday on Virginia. “We try to focus on ourselves,” he said.

But he added one more thing:

“It’s another opportunity for us to play the game we love.”

And for the rest of us to watch.
 

Fedora challenges Southern Miss fans
By PATRICK MAGEE • pmagee@hattiesburgamerican.com • September 16, 2009

Southern Miss football coach Larry Fedora has a challenge for Golden Eagle fans for the 2:30 p.m. game against Virginia this Saturday.

Before the season, he made a demand that every game be sold out this season. But Saturday’s game against Central Florida fell far short of that goal, drawing 27,456 to Roberts Stadium.

The threat of rain kept many fans away, but there were many fans still hanging around in the District – the place where USM fans tailgate on game weekends.

“I want the District empty during the game,” Fedora said. “It’s an afternoon game and there is plenty of time to go out after the game and have a good time. Come and be in the stadium and be loud and have fun, enjoy watching the Golden Eagles. To me, that’s what’s great about college football, having a team to pull for. There are only 119 of these in the world and we’ve got one here.”

The season-opener against Alcorn State drew a stadium record of 36,232.

Fedora pointed directly at the student body to show up in full force on Saturday.

“Our fans, especially our students, have done an awesome job for a whole year and two games,” Fedora said. “We need each and every one of them to be here and I need them to be loud when our defense is on the field.

“I need fans to be going crazy. I want a team that has never come here to the Rock to understand what it’s all about.”
Pope plays well
Sophomore defensive tackle Terrance Pope has started both games for the Golden Eagles this season, moving ahead of last season’s primary starter, Rolando Barragan.

In the former South Panola star’s two games this year, he has five tackles with one for lost yardage.

“Terrance was a true freshman last year that played on the d-line, but we moved him inside,” Fedora said. “He can play defensive tackle or defensive end. He knows it all. He’s a very intelligent kid that plays hard and makes plays. We couldn’t be more pleased with what he’s doing.”

While redshirt freshman Willie Packer has to sit out this season because of academics, Pope has made a good impression on a defense that held UCF to 194 total yards on Saturday.

“He can really excel at defensive tackle,” Fedora said. “There are not a lot of guys that can play inside like that and be tough enough to do it. He came in here as a defensive end and has grown into that position, but he can still play defensive end for us.”


 

White: Behind the Scenes with ... Kyle Riley
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 09/16/2009
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- VirginiaSports.com regularly checks in with members of the UVa athletics department who, unlike student-athletes and coaches, generally operate outside of the public eye.
Today's guest is Kyle Riley. UVa's football team plays its first road game of the season Saturday, at Southern Mississippi, and that means an especially eventful week for Riley.
Title: Football equipment manager
Age: 27
Hometown: New Bern, N.C.
Education: Bachelor's degree in communications from East Carolina University, 2005. Served as a manager in baseball and then football at ECU.
UVa tenure: After a three-month stint as equipment manager in the athletic department at St. Christopher's School in Richmond, an experience he compared to working at a small Division III college, Riley was hired in October 2005 as an assistant in the University Hall equipment room. He moved to the football operation in January 2006 and spent that fall as an assistant equipment manager. Served an interim football equipment manager during the 2007 season, after which he got the permanent job. "I really didn't think I'd be where I'm at this quick," Riley says. "It just kind of fell into place. I got real lucky with the way things worked out."
On the job: Riley can usually be found in the equipment room at the McCue Center. It adjoins the locker room, and its shelves and cabinets and cubbyholes are stocked with helmets, shoulder pads, jerseys, sweats, pants, cleats, socks, jockstraps, balls, gloves, caps, rain gear, etc.
Group effort: He works closely with Matt Althoff, UVa's director of equipment room operations, as well as assistant equipment manager Brad Gaskill and 10 student managers. "We really wouldn't be able to operate without the students," Riley said. The equipment crew is responsible for ordering, fitting, distributing, repairing, cleaning and maintaining the gear used by football players and coaches, the athletic-training staff and the strength-and-conditioning staff. The equipment managers also stock and maintain the locker room and sideline area at Scott Stadium. They are integral parts of practice, too. Each position coach has a student equipment manager who assists with drills. During games, the equipment staff oversees the communication system that connects coaches on the sideline by headset with those in the press box.
On the clock: Riley, who is single, works 12 to 14 hours most days during the season. In the spring, he says, he's able to cut back to closer to 40 hours a week. This time of year, he works at least part of every day.
On the road: The 'Hoos play at Southern Mississippi on Saturday. A truck -- packed with player bags, trunks and misting fans, among other things -- will transport the team's equipment to Southern Miss' stadium. It's about a 15-hour drive to Hattiesburg, Miss., and Riley and two volunteer drivers will leave Charlottesville after practice Thursday night. Althoff, Gaskill and about 10 student managers will travel on the team plane to Hattiesburg. The equipment truck is due back at UVa on Sunday.
Keeping it clean: In the equipment room are three industrial-strength washing machines -- two for 100-pound loads and one that can handle 85 pounds. There are also three dryers. In a typical day during the season, Riley says, his staff will do 12 to 15 loads of laundry.
Jack of all trades: Riley is mechanically inclined, and that's a requirement in his job. So are good organizational skills and the ability to multi-task. He had no formal training but says it's "kind of one of those jobs you learn as you go." What he likes most about the gig, Riley says, is "that you come to work and it's not the same thing every day. There's always new challenges to overcome." The down side? "For six months, you're in a high-stress environment, and that takes a toll," he says.
There's no place like home: Riley and his staff are responsible for ensuring that many, many items arrive safely at whichever stadium the Cavaliers are playing. "At least at home you have the luxury of coming back to this equipment room if you forget something," he says outside the McCue Center. "If you're on the road and you forget something, it's forgot."
-- Jeff White

 

Tchani makes his way to ACC fame
By Whitey Reid
Published: September 17, 2009

Tony Tchani hardly knows his father — he’s only met him a couple of times. The Virginia sophomore’s formative years were spent almost entirely with his mother in Cameroon.

So when Marceline Gargom, seeking political asylum, unexpectedly left for the United States about six years ago, Tchani’s emotions ran the gamut.

The 12-year-old was confused. Sad. A little bit scared.

“She never told me why she had to go,” explained Tchani. “I’ve never known why.”

Tchani, who was left to live with extended family, didn’t see his mother again until about four years later when she was finally able to bring him to Maryland where she was living.

“The first time I saw her, I jumped on her because I was so happy,” Tchani said.

That’s sort of how Virginia coach George Gelnovatch must have felt after he discovered Tchani.

Last year, the Cameroonian scored a team-leading nine goals and three assists as a freshman, despite missing the final eight games with a knee injury.

Believe it or not, UVa was unaware of Tchani — who played for two years at Maury High in Norfolk — until fairly late in the recruiting process. Gelnovatch and staff found out about him through a coach from Virginia Beach that had worked at one of their summer camps.

“He basically said, ‘Have you seen this Cameroonian kid play?’” Gelnovatch said. “I said, ‘No.’”

The next week, Gelnovatch went to watch Tchani. Shortly after, he offered him a scholarship.

Tchani said picking UVa over roughly a dozen other schools was a fairly easy decision for him.

“When I first came here for my visit, I was like, ‘This is the place to be. I’m coming here,’” Tchani recalled.

Although the stats belie it, Tchani says his transition to the college game was challenging at first. “I learned that college soccer is tough,” Tchani said. “It’s physical, and you just have to work really hard if you want to do well.”

Tchani first took up the sport in Cameroon when he was 5. “I would just kick the ball around with friends and stuff,” Tchani said. “That’s how I learned — and I’ve always enjoyed it.”

Tchani’s teammates knew fairly quickly after he arrived on Grounds that he was something special.

“We look at him as some kind of iron man kind of guy because he’s just thick and it’s hard to knock him off the ball,” said Virginia forward Brian Ownby, “and his touch is just pretty great — his finishing has really improved.”

Tchani says his most memorable game from last year was the team’s 1-0 victory over North Carolina. In that contest, Tchani scored the game-winner. “They were No. 12 in the nation,” Tchani said. “That was a big win.”

Unfortunately, the Cavaliers lost Tchani when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee against Longwood on Oct. 21.

This season, Tchani has come back strong from his injury. In Virginia’s season-opening victory over Portland, he scored two goals. Tchani followed with a good performance in the team’s win over Washington.

Not bad for a guy who says he’s only about 90 percent recovered.

Tchani, last season’s ACC freshman of the year, couldn’t stop smiling when asked how it felt to be on the field in Oregon.

“I was so happy to be back because I was out for nine months and worked so hard to come back,” he said. “Finally, I was back.”

Tchani is the type of player who stands out. The wiry 6-foot-4, 185-pounder, who grew up rooting for the French soccer star Zinedine Zidane, has an unmistakable flair.

“He’s just Tony,” said Virginia defender Shawn Barry. “He plays like nobody I’ve ever seen. He can hold people off the ball and is also fast. He has all the qualities you want.”

Ownby agrees that Tchani is unique.

“Not that many teams have a player like Tony,” Ownby said. “When he’s out there, we always know we have a chance to win every game.”

Gelnovatch is most excited about what Tchani has accomplished in the classroom. Coming out of high school, Tchani, whose first language is French, was on the cusp of not being admitted to the university, mainly because of his performance on standardized tests.

“He came here real marginal — it was hit or miss,” Gelnovatch said, “but he has one of the highest GPAs on the team. He’s just a hard worker.”

Tchani’s mother still lives in Maryland. She has a job in the convalescence field that doesn’t allow her to come to Charlottesville very often. However, she and Tchani talk every day on the phone. “We are very, very close,” Tchani said.

Last season, Tchani’s mom was able to attend an exciting double-overtime victory at nearby George Mason. This season, Tchani’s hoping she can see him play a little more frequently.

At the very least, mother and son are in the same country, just a couple hours away from each other. Son is one of the best players in the ACC, and a good student to boot.

“She is very [proud],” Tchani said. “My uncle is too, and my coach from high school. They are all happy.”
 

Singh excels for Virginia on court, in classroom
All-ACC, ACC All-Academic, nationally ranked player takes care of himself, his teammates; Boland praises Singh’s development
Matt Diton, Cavalier Daily Senior Writer
Featured / Men's Tennis / Sports
September 17, 2009 0

Junior Sanam Singh is “always doing something productive,” Virginia coach Brian Boland said. Photo by Jason O. Watson.
As the bright lights of the U.S. Open in Flushing, New York, turn off for the last time this year — symbolizing the end of the professional grand slam season — Cavalier junior Sanam Singh is just starting to go work.

Coming off a year in which he won 20 games as both a singles and doubles player, ranked as high as No. 97 in the ITA Singles Rankings, ranked as high as No. 18 nationally in doubles alongside Michael Shabaz and was selected to both the All-ACC and ACC All-Academic Teams, Singh knows his squad cannot afford to rest on its laurels if it is to finally capture an elusive NCAA championship.

“We only lost two matches in the last two seasons,” he said. “Unfortunately, they were the two most important matches of the year in the NCAA Tournament.”

If the Cavaliers are going to capture the title, it will be on the back of the player who, only two years into his collegiate career has a résumé about which most players only dream. Although other players would be content with the impressive set of skills Singh possesses, Singh worked tirelessly this offseason to both keep his skills high and turn any weaknesses into strengths.

“My No. 1 thing is getting fitter and stronger to last in long matches,” Singh said.

Virginia coach Brian Boland noted that Singh has vastly improved during his time here.

“First year, Sanam struggled with his serve and forehand and lacked patience,” he said. He is one of the fastest players in all of tennis and has learned to use this to help him switch midpoint from defense to offense. His forehand is now a weapon, and his work in the weight room has helped his serve to become an advantage.”

In addition to his increased role on the court, Singh finds himself in a new position as an upperclassman leader on the team. Starting his career on a team that already had several leaders, including national champion Somdev Devvarman, leadership is a new quality that Singh must now develop. His coach, however, is confident in his star player.

“Sanam leads as well or better than anyone by example,” Boland says. “[He is] always doing something productive, and understands the importance of his body towards his goal as a pro tennis player.”

Leading by example seems to come easy to Singh, who excels in every endeavor he undertakes while maintaining a positive, humble attitude. Singh is an ACC All-Academic team member who lives a life his coach describes as “the way any parent would be proud of.”

When he is not on the tennis court, Singh spends countless hours in the weight room and in his studies. Singh said he prides himself on his ability to help his younger teammates learn to manage their time. Having already walked the difficult road of being a student-athlete for two years, Singh knows that his teammates look up to him as someone who is a successful student-athlete.

Playing Virginia Tennis and hailing from India, Singh knows it is inevitable for comparisons to be drawn between himself and Devvarman, another native of India. Although Singh hopes one day to join his fellow countryman and Cavalier under the bright lights of the professional circuit, he knows that he still has some business to take care of while wearing the orange and blue.

“The goal, as always, is to win the NCAA Tournament,” Singh said. If the past two seasons are any indication, Sanam Singh has as good a shot as anyone to accomplish that goal for himself and for his team.
 

Keeping up with Sean Singletary
Paul Montana, Cavalier Daily Senior Writer
Sports
September 17, 2009 0

Sean Singletary, a Virginia guard who graduated in 2008, was the first Cavalier to earn All-America honors since 1983. Photo by Jason O. Watson.
Anyone looking for something positive to say about Virginia athletics?

Chances are, you realize that — unless you’re into one of the non-revenue sports — if you’re hoping to find something positive, the present is not the place to look.

So, I took a trip down memory lane Tuesday and caught up with Sean Singletary, the 2008 Virginia graduate whose No. 44 was retired last year, and who was the star of the team that made the NCAA Tournament in 2007. Singletary has been in town a good part of the summer working out with new men’s basketball strength and conditioning coach Mike Curtis in preparation for the upcoming NBA season; he leaves at the end of this week for the preseason.

But before I get to Singletary’s NBA aspirations, a somber note. Singletary told me that his mother, Jacqui Singletary, was diagnosed with a brain tumor several weeks ago, and then just a week ago was also diagnosed with diabetes. Jacqui is already a cancer survivor; she is in remission from breast cancer, which was diagnosed in May of 2004. Sean’s father, Harold Singletary, is also in remission from prostate cancer, which was diagnosed in 1999.

The good news is that Singletary’s next stop is his hometown of Philadelphia, where perhaps he can be of assistance to his ailing mother and the rest of his family. As of Tuesday, Singletary has a conditional contract with the Philadelphia 76ers and is hoping to earn a guaranteed contract.

Life has never been easy for Singletary, who has seen hometown friends killed in addition to watching family members suffer through numerous ailments. Obviously, life remains trying for Singletary with his mother’s most recent health problems.

I did not press the issue any further, as I did not feel it was appropriate. Rather, I simply wished him and his mother the best. I hope that Cavalier fans and students can do the same.

“She’s always been strong and she’s always been encouraging of me,” Singletary said of his mother. “I have a lot to live for, not only for myself, but just for her and all the sacrifices she’s made for me.”

Now, on a lighter note, I had a lengthy discussion with Singletary about his NBA career — past and future — and his feelings about both ex-Virginia men’s basketball coach Dave Leitao’s absence and the hiring of current coach Tony Bennett.

A long journey home
When Singletary played on the road with the Cavaliers in his senior season, chants of “D-League!” — as in, National Basketball Developmental League — followed him. But that’s nothing he wasn’t already used to.

“Ever since I was younger, I never really got much attention or anything,” Singletary said. “I never was really highly recruited out of high school … Even when I got All-ACC my sophomore year, I never was thought to play in the NBA, and then I got it again — three years in a row — and still [nothing]. So it’s nothing new to me. I’m used to this.”

Still, Singletary has yet to make a name for himself in the pros. Drafted in the second round of the 2008 NBA Draft, Singletary has already been with four different teams. After the Kings drafted him 15 months ago, he was traded to the Rockets in August. Another two weeks, and he was traded to the Phoenix Suns, where he finally started his rookie season. He became close with some of the players there — including the point guard playing in front of him, two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash — but Singletary was traded to the Charlotte Bobcats in December, where he played out the season.

The trade was made particularly tough because of the timing. Nash was unavailable to play because of an injury against the Los Angeles Lakers, and Singletary had a shot for some big minutes against a premier team. But that chance never came.

“I know I would definitely have gotten good minutes against L.A.,” Singletary said, “but I got traded right before the game.”

So, he went on to the Bobcats, who already had the likes of Raymond Felton and DJ Augustin to play point guard. Ending the season with combined stats of 2.4 points, 0.8 assists and 0.3 steals in 8.2 minutes per game, Singletary had the option for a second year in his contract with Charlotte but elected not to take it with two young point guards playing in front of him.

“It’s not about always what you do on the court,” Singletary said. “It’s about what the front office has in mind most of the time.”

Then, this summer, Singletary went on to play in the NBA summer league with the Detroit Pistons, where he finally got some minutes. In 16.4 minutes per game, Singletary averaged 7.4 points, 3.6 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals. His play in the summer league, plus his performance in practice, Singletary said, finally raised some eyebrows.

“A lot of teams saw that,” Singletary said, “and that’s why a lot of teams offered me conditional deals.”

One of those teams was Philadelphia. After working extensively with Curtis on shooting and core work, among other things, Singletary will head home this season.

So, will he make it as a contributing pro? Singletary, of course, thinks he will.

But he’s not the only one on that side of the fence. If you want credibility, look no further than two future candidates for the Hall of Fame: former Suns teammates Nash and Grant Hill.

“I have been in constant contact with Steve Nash and Grant Hill, and all they do is try to keep my spirits up,” Singletary said. “They know I can play, and that I’ll make it in this league. They’ve been playing for a while, and I’m sure they know what they’re talking about and I believe in myself.”

Disbelieving, but optimistic
Singletary can’t understand why Dave Leitao was fired.

Leitao was Virginia’s coach for all three seasons that Singletary earned All-ACC honors. He was a mentor to his young leader, and in many ways, Singletary seemed to thrive on Leitao’s tough style of coaching.

Whether that was true of the rest of Singletary’s teammates, though, is not a subject on which everyone agrees. Leitao, it has been said, hurt the confidence of his players with his yelling and screaming, which often took place nose-to-nose with individual players.

I brought up this allegation while speaking with Singletary. His reaction can best be described as bewildered.

“I really don’t know what to say to that because I just never saw it,” he said. “The guys know he’s a great guy. I don’t know if too many people that watch the games have seen him off the court, but on the court, that’s what we needed. We needed someone to be tough on us and obviously we would let teams push us around at times. I don’t understand how that could be a criticism of him being tough on us, if that’s what we needed. Playing in the ACC, and guys with the ambition of playing in the NBA, you can’t not be tough, and that’s what he needed and that’s what he brought.”

And that’s not all — there are plenty more reasons why Sean thinks Leitao should have stayed. Like his ACC regular-season championship in 2006-07 — the fifth such title since 1995 — and his subsequent ACC Coach of the Year award. Or the fact that his only losing season was with a team that had most of its contributions coming from underclassmen. Or bringing in the ACC Rookie of the Year, Sylven Landesberg. Or coaching a three-time All-ACC player: Singletary.

Sean told me these facts once. Then he told me again. “The facts don’t lie,” he said. “I memorized it, I can tell you again.”

It’s a good thing I’m reporting Singletary’s feelings on the subject. Otherwise, I might not get another interview.

“Make sure you quote what I said,” Singletary said. “I don’t mind if I get flack or whatever. He’s a great guy. If he wasn’t a great guy, they wouldn’t have hired him.”

That doesn’t mean, though, that Singletary is not a Tony Bennett fan.

“He’s a great coach as we all know,” Singletary said. “I’m sure we’ll have a good season next year.”

He met Bennett two weeks ago, he said, and Singletary was impressed. He even said he met Bennett’s father, Dick Bennett, during training camp with the Suns last year — at which point Virginia was talking to Tony Bennett, although Singletary said he had no idea he would be hired.

Po’ Mo’
One of Singletary’s former teammates, Mamadi “Mo” Diane, had about as rough a senior season you can have. Not only was he the captain of one of the worst teams in Virginia history, he also was awful himself — he averaged only six points per game in 2008-09, the worst average since his freshman season.

I couldn’t help but ask what Singletary’s impressions were about his buddy’s struggles. And he had a compelling answer.

“Mo was a guy that will kill you with a man-advantage,” Singletary said. “J.R. and I created [in seasons past], and Mo and Jason [Cain] reaped a lot of the benefits of the creation of J.R. and I. Last season, we had young playmakers, and it was just tough for him because everybody has a position they play and it was just tough for him to create for others, because everyone was just keying on him.”

Then, when Diane came alive at season’s end — including a 23-point output on senior night — Singletary suggested that Diane had simply had enough.

“At the end, I know he probably just got fed up with everybody talking about him and doubting him,” Singletary said. “Then he just played like there was no tomorrow and he played real well.”

And that, no doubt, is how Singletary will have to play this fall with the Sixers.

“I know I can be a playmaker and I know I’m capable of a lot of things,” he said. “It’s just waiting for the opportunity. I’ll have an opportunity now.”
 

Undefeated squad prepares for bouts against Tribe, Spartans
Visit to Williamsburg precedes home match-up against Michigan State as No. 5 Virginia attempts to extend flawess season record, continue dominant play
Meryem Karad, Cavalier Daily Senior Writer
Field Hockey / Sports
September 17, 2009 0

Rookie sophomore midfielder Inga Stöckel from Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany has transitioned well to the team, scoring five points while starting in all six games. Photo by Bennett Sorbo.
The sole undefeated team on Grounds, No. 5 women’s field hockey (6-0) finally retreats to its home field this weekend to take on Michigan State following a contest against William & Mary this afternoon in Williamsburg. Virginia’s last home appearance was Aug. 30.

“We can’t wait to play at home,” Virgini coach Michele Madison said of Michigan State. “It’s going to be a close game. Both teams have similar strengths. We’re just excited to play in front of our home crowd.”

Before the showdown with the Spartans, however, the Cavaliers face a 3-2 William & Mary team that is coming off a loss to No. 4 Princeton.

Junior forward Erica Eng and sophomore forward Leah Zamesnik lead the Tribe’s offense. Eng had a hat trick in an overtime win against Rutgers two weeks ago and followed that with a pair of assists against Appalachian State two days later. Zamesnik has two goals and two assists and leads the team with 24 shots.

William & Mary’s young offense should not challenge Virginia’s defense much. Nevertheless, the Cavaliers must be prepared to counteract and break through the Tribe’s defensive front.

Defensively, sophomore goalkeeper Camilla Hill ranks 21st nationally with a .773 save percentage, making 17 stops for the Tribe in five appearances. Fellow freshman back Maria Caro has the team’s only two defensive saves.

But with four shutouts this season, including their last 5-0 victory against Ohio University, the Cavaliers also have been able to protect the goal while maintaining a presence on the field.

“I think this year we have some great talent,” senior back Lauren Elstein said. “We have a strange defense; we actually have a first-, second-, third- and fourth year. It is not a young defense overall. The people that have been playing defense have been playing for a really long time now.”

Along with sophomore back Floor Vogels, who Madison credits for the impressive communication and unity in the defensive front, Elstein has played a vital role in strengthening the defense this season since her move from playing forward.

“It is definitely a different mindset,” Elstein said. “On defense you have to a look more thinking and being patient; thinking about when do I go, what are my other defenders doing, am I marking this person. There [are] a lot more thought processes.”

Virginia’s staunch defense will prove even more important against a Michigan State team that averages four goals per game and has taken 113 shots to 54 by its opponents.. The Spartans look to redeem a 2-1 overtime loss to No. 8 Syracuse last week, despite controlling both the game tempo and shot advantage, 18-11.

The Michigan State contest also figures to have a personal component, as it was home to Madison for 13 seasons prior to her career with the Cavaliers.

“There’s a lot of pride involved,” Madison said. “You never really forget where you came from. I have a lot of great memories and friends, including the coaches. But when the whistle blows, it’s Virginia against Michigan.”

Madison will seek to contain a highly aggressive offense, led by freshman Manouk Vernij. This Sunday, Vernij recorded a team-high five shots in the Spartans’ loss. Vernij has tallied six goals this season and was named Big Ten Freshman of the week. Her ability to ignite the Spartan attack — she has scored several opening goals this season — could lead to problems for Virginia if Vernij is not watched closely.

Virginia also will need to contain dangerous strikers such as senior midfielder Floor Rijpma and sophomore forward Chantae Miller, who have tallied four goals apiece. Junior forward Jantine Steinmetz, meanwhile, has contributed three goals. Similar to the balanced Cavaliers in many respects, Michigan State already has seen points this season from 10 different players.

“I think it will be really exciting, especially for Michele, who used to coach there,” sophomore midfielder Rachel Jennings said. “They have always been such a competitive team and have been in the top 10. We are really excited for some good competition.”
 

Cavaliers improve as a team through individual success
Stevens, Vierra, Hardenbergh bounce back from early losses at William & Mary Invitational; intra-team matches prove highly contested
Chloe Newschwander, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
Sports / Women's Tennis
September 17, 2009 0

Senior Jennifer Stevens finished with a 19-21 record last year. She will look to make the most of her final year as a Cavalier in a season that began Sept. 11 in Williamsburg, Va. during the William & Mary Invitational. Photo by Bennett Sorbo.
In collegiate tennis, fall competition is considered by most a highly individual sport as opposed to the team-based spring competition. At the close of tournaments such as the William & Mary Invitational last weekend, individual winners are announced in place of one winning team.

“One of the key focal points that we have for this year is that it’s always team-driven,” Virginia women’s tennis coach Mark Guilbeau said. “But I think we realized over the history of our program that the best way we’re going to have great team success is by some individual accomplishment — individuals stepping up and really achieving some things.”

The team seems to have taken Guilbeau’s words to heart, as it bounced back from a slow start to finish strong during the weekend.

Senior Jennifer Stevens, freshman Erin Vierra and sophomore Lindsey Hardenbergh found themselves in the second tier of competition, called the backdraw pool, for those who lose their first-round matches.

Vierra recovered after her 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 first-round heartbreaker against the No. 98 player in the country and won 6-4, 6-0 in the backdraw.

Stevens and Hardenbergh fought similar battles and found themselves facing off against each other in the final match of the backdraw bracket, the match that earned Hardenbergh the individual title with her 6-1, 6-2 triumph. Vierra fell to Hardenbergh 6-1, 6-2 earlier in the weekend, making Hardenbergh’s match against Stevens the second time she faced off against a fellow Cavalier.

“They focused individually for the good of the group, and even when they faced off against each other,” Guilbeau said. “Lindsey’s [Hardenbergh] match with Jenny [Stevens] was played with very high level and Lindsey’s match with Erin [Vierra] was also the same way. To all their credits, whether it was an opponent from a different school or each other they handled themselves really well.”

The arrival of Virginia’s four freshmen this year caused a shuffling of the doubles tandems, and the Cavaliers debuted three new combinations at the start of the tournament.

“We saw really good progress from the team and probably the best start in doubles that we’ve had in terms of young kids being able to do the complex new things — the crossing, the closing, the positions — old kids leading that, and even some of the upperclass kids, even them going into new areas. So that was a real highlight,” Guilbeau said.

Stevens and freshman Hana Tomljanovic advanced to win the final match in the first flight of doubles competition, and Hardenbergh and Vierra took down two opposing teams in backdraw matches.
“[Lindsey and I] are both really high-energy when we play, and certain people just play well together,” Vierra said. “We’re both really upbeat and talk a lot and jump around so it works.”

Good chemistry within a doubles pair is essential in the game of tennis, Guilbeau said, and the coaching staff has specific plans for what could enhance this chemistry and overall performance. The team has been honing its game this week in preparation for its first and only home tournament of the fall season.

First, the team is working on “skipping the approach shot.” In tennis, an approach shot is utilized when one player hits a short ball that lands somewhere around the service line, forcing the opposing player to “approach” the net to return the ball. Because of the ball’s initial placement in the middle of the court, the approach shot is a compromise between a ground stroke and a volley. The team is working on abandoning the need for the approach shot by hitting solid ground strokes that win points by taking the opponent’s return straight out of the air.

Secondly, Guilbeau explained that the team is refining its ability to “fill-in” during doubles matches, which is process of two players working off of each other to execute points as successfully and strategically as possible as a pair.

“It’s kind of like a volleyball mentality: the dig, the set, and the finish,” Guilbeau said. “It’s kind of like that when the net player really gets aggressive. We want our baseline player coming up and helping finish.”

The team’s third area of concentration is a basic but crucial aspect of the game: the forehand return. By attacking the opposition with strong forehands from mid-court, the Cavaliers can put their opponents in a difficult situation.

The Virginia team has been able to dedicate practice time to such specific aspects of the game because the coaching staff now trusts that individuals will make it their responsibility to elevate their own games as much as they can.

“These kids are very organized, and just really focused,” Guilbeau said. “It’s something that is nice to see where we’re not worrying about all of the little details because we know they’re on it and they do a great job in that regard.”

The Cavaliers will combine these three highlighted tactics with their usual strategies at home this weekend when they host the U.Va. Fall Invitational all day Friday through Sunday at the Snyder Tennis Center in Charlottesville.