U.Va. ready to start anew
JAY JENKINS MEDIA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE
Published: October 2, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE For Jameel Sewell, the glass is half full.

The scheduling gods made it that way for Virginia.

While Miami has played three league games and others have jumped into play with a pair of ACC contests, the Cavaliers (0-3) remain safe in at least one respect: the Coastal Division standings.

That changes tomorrow as Virginia opens league play at North Carolina (0-1, 3-1).

"This is the most important time of year," said Sewell, Virginia's starting quarterback the past two games. "We have a chance to compete for the division title and we all know what comes with that.

"Sure, we'd like to take back the results from the first three games, but all that matters now is how we play against ACC teams."

With a magical run last October, Virginia was in position to control its own destiny in a race for a spot in the title game.

That disappeared with a woeful November that included a four-game slide.

Virginia coach Al Groh has preached to his team how a new start could be beneficial.

"Every year, I think, when you're in a conference, the reason that you're in a conference is to win the conference championship and so that dominates over every other circumstance and so now we get into conference play," he said.

"We have seen progress in most phases of the team on a week-to-week basis, and with the installation of some of these new operations, we hope that, as I say, that it's a trend there in taking some time in getting these things installed and going the way we want them to."

The Cavaliers will have their work cut out for them they must travel to UNC, Miami and Clemson.

Groh believes that a road game at Southern Miss and a challenging home tilt with Texas Christian provided as tough as of a challenge as his team may face.

While the intensity was obvious against Southern Miss, Sewell said nothing compares to facing teams that you play on an annual basis.

"That game was physical. Both teams were hitting really hard and playing with a swagger," he said. "But this is another animal. We have to be ready to play from the opening kickoff and Carolina and the other teams in the league.

"It will be fun to see how we respond to the challenge that lies ahead."

. . .

NOTES: Groh said yesterday that it remains to be seen if quarterback Vic Hall (hip) or cornerback Chris Cook (groin) will be able to play against the Tar Heels. Both players have worked in practice. Sewell is ahead of Hall on the depth chart and sophomore cornerback Chase Minifield is listed ahead of Cook . . . Junior wideout Dontrelle Inman (hand) has returned to practice and should make his season debut tomorrow, Groh said.
 

UVa Insider, The Column - Doug Doughty

If quarterback prospect Tyler Brosius has decommitted to Virginia, his coach hasn’t been informed.

Not that Tuscola High School coach Donnie Kiefer would be surprised if Brosius has committed – or will commit – to North Carolina State.

The Cavaliers have lost their first three games and Al Groh’s coaching status becomes increasingly tenuous with each loss, “but I’m not real sure if it’s that,” Kiefer said.
“I think it’s more a case of having second thoughts about going out of state. It’s a longer distance to travel, plus the thought of being loyal to the state schools. I don’t know. That’s kind of the impression I get.

“I’ve had a lot of kids play D-I and I’ve always tried to lead them into not committing until you’re 100-percent sure. I think he may have been a little bit of a rash decision. When he thought about it a little more, maybe he had some second thoughts.”

Could the same thing have happened if Virginia had opened 3-0?

“Sure,” Kiefer said.

Kiefer has not pushed the Brosius family for an update, “but I’ve been involved in the recruiting,” he said. “They informed me that they were going up there [to Raleigh, N.C.].”

Brosius watched the Wolfpack overcome a 31-17 third-quarter deficit to defeat Pittsburgh 38-31 on an afternoon when sophomore quarterback Russell Wilson from Richmond, Va., passed for 322 yards and four touchdowns.

That’s the same Russell Wilson who went unoffered by UVa as a senior at Collegiate in Richmond. The Cavaliers had taken an early commitment from a more heralded in-state signalcaller, Peter Lalich, in the same class.

Nobody would have taken Wilson over Lalich at the ime, but the Cavaliers have taken two quarterbacks in the same class before (see Jameel Sewell and Vic Hall) and would have been well-served to find a way to get Wilson in the program.

Wilson also plays baseball for N.C. State and there’s some talk of him turning pro after the 2010 college baseball season. Although he is a sophomore athletically, Wilson is a junior academically and would be eligible for the Major League Baseball draft in the spring.

It seems to be a foregone conclusion in some circles that Wilson will leave college this spring to pursue a professional baseball career, but are you kidding? In 2008-2009, Wilson was the first-team All-ACC quarterback, as well as the conference rookie of the year. In baseball, he batted .236 and did not have a home run to go with two steals.

In all fairness, Wilson suffered a knee injury in N.C. State’s bowl game that limited his mobility but, unless he has a terrific season this spring, is it really a certainty that he won’t return for the 2010-2011 school year?

It really wouldn’t affect Brosius, who could sit out the 2010 season, which would make him a redshirt freshman if Wilson is still around as a fifth-year senior in 2011. Brosius’ chief opposition would be from Mike Glennon, Wilson’s back-up this season as a redshirt freshman.

Without debating Brosius’ opportunities at N.C. State and Virginia, what strikes me are ties that all three quarterbacks have with UVa. In hindsight, they should have recruited Wilson, but didn’t. They did recruit Glennon but finished second. And they had a commitment from Brosius, who is now likely to decommit.

The second-guesser in me would say that some of this could have been averted if, in the summer of 2003, they had offered a scholarship to in-state quarterback Sean Glennon instead of Californian Scott Deke.

There’s no indication that Glennon would have picked the Cavaliers but, when he opted for Virginia Tech, that was somewhat by default. Glennon passed for 4,887 yards in his Tech career, good for fifth on the Hokies’ all-time list, while Deke passed for 42 yards in his career.

No one should blame Deke. He didn’t hold a gun to their head and demand a scholarship; besides, if he’d gotten the opportunity that Glennon did, maybe he would have put up comparable numbers.

But, if Sean Glennon had gone to Virginia, would Mike Glennon have been more inclined to pick the Cavaliers? It was tough for his older brother at times in Blacksburg, but Mike Glennon’s decision probably had more to do with Peter Lalich and Tyrod Taylor than it did his brother.

Ah, Peter Lalich. If and when we write about the decline and fall of Al Groh, that would be a good place to start.
 

Heels find Cavs vexingArticle
BY J.P. GIGLIO - Staff Writer

CHAPEL HILL -- Virginia is winless in 2009 and has lost seven straight games going back to 2008.

The heat is on ninth-year coach Al Groh as the Cavaliers (0-3) prepare for their ACC opener at North Carolina (3-1) on Saturday.

The good news for the Cavs? They're playing UNC. The ACC's oldest rivalry has been dominated recently by UVa, which is nevertheless a 14-point underdog.

The Cavaliers have won three straight, the first leading to John Bunting's firing in 2006, and nine of 11 in the series. Dating to 1983, Virginia is 19-6-1 against the Heels.

Groh is 6-2 against UNC and 28-28 against the rest of the ACC. The biggest reason for Groh's success in the rivalry can at least partly be attributed to UVa's defensive scheme.

The Cavs run a 3-4, with three defensive linemen and four linebackers, while most college teams employ a 4-3.

One fewer defender in a three-point stance doesn't sound like much of a difference, but it is, UNC coach Butch Davis said, especially as no other ACC team runs it.

"It's dramatically different," Davis said. " And they play it very well. They are so structurally sound that they don't give up a lot of cheap plays."

UNC has struggled to find points recently in the series. In the past six meetings, the Heels have averaged 12.8 points and have a 1-5 record in those games.

Last year, a 5-1 UNC team, ranked 18th in the country, went to Charlottesville and lost 16-13 in overtime to a 3-3 UVa team. The Heels scored 10 points in regulation, and that was with Shaun Draughn running for 138 yards.

The preparation for Virginia's 3-4 in practice this week, UNC quarterback T.J. Yates said, is akin to what the defense went through last week to ready for Georgia Tech's flexbone option.

"It's a different look," Yates said. "It throws off your protections and your run game."

Protecting Yates is Davis' biggest concern. Georgia Tech used a variety of blitzes to fluster Yates in an 11-of-26 performance with two interceptions. Without center Lowell Dyer, who's still out with a shoulder injury, and left guard Jonathan Cooper, who's questionable with a sore ankle, Tech pressured the middle of UNC's line. Yates was sacked only once, but the passing game was disrupted and the running game was nonexistent (18 carries, 17 yards).

"It's a copy-cat league; anything we've had trouble with people will try to adapt to their package," Davis said.

With Virginia's 3-4, which has been lit up for an average of 31 points per game, the question isn't will they blitz, but from which angle.

"They give the appearance of being totally balanced, then all of a sudden it evolves prior to the snap, or sometimes during the snap, into something totally different," Davis said. "They have a full gamut of potential pressures that you have to be ready for."
 

Sewell, Virginia hope for fresh start at Chapel Hill
Cavs look to improve ground attack in conference opener, supplement Sewell’s passing
Stacy Kruczkowski, Cavalier Daily Staff Writer
Football / Sports
October 2, 2009 0

Though senior running back Mikell Simpson has rushed the ball only 13 times, he has made the most of his touches, averaging 4.9 yards per carry. Photo by Jason O. Watson.
Looking for its first win this season, the Virginia football team heads to Chapel Hill, N.C. tomorrow to take on North Carolina in the Cavaliers’ ACC opener.

The Cavaliers (0-3) have won six of the last seven games against their century-old rival, including last year’s 16-13 overtime victory at home against the then-nationally ranked Tar Heels.

Coming off a much needed bye-week, the Cavaliers will try to repeat some of the offensive success they found in their disappointing three-point loss against Southern Mississippi two weeks ago, in which they put up 390 total offensive yards. After completing 24 of 46 passes for two touchdowns and only one interception against Southern Miss, senior Jameel Sewell hopes to continue to grow into his role as quarterback.

“He’s got a little bit of momentum going,” coach Al Groh said. “Certainly he can play better, but he is playing better. That’s been his history in his previous two years as a starter — to continue to play better, as he accumulated more starts — and we have to remember that this is a player, who once he did get into that type of rhythm two years ago — won nine games for us.”

Sewell also said he is optimistic that the team will continue to improve on the offensive side of the ball.

“The offense showed what we were capable of doing, and that gave us confidence that we can compete with whoever it is,” Sewell said. “Coming off that Southern Miss game, scoring points, we gotta build off of that and continue to do it.”

Finding offensive rhythm, however, could prove difficult against a North Carolina (3-1, 0-1 ACC) defense that, on average, has given up only 132 yards of offense through the air and less than 15 points per game. Additionally, the Tar Heels have allowed only one passing touchdown this season.

Success at the quarterback position is crucial if the Cavaliers want to put up points against the formidable Tar Heel defense, Groh said.

“Usually against a defense of that strength, it takes a quarterback to really step up and do something spectacular,” he explained.

Virginia also hopes to significantly improve its rushing game. The Cavaliers have averaged only 88.7 total yards on the ground per game and 2.8 yards per rush — and a sizeable chunk of those rush yards have come from Sewell.

“It’s like everything else, we want to see it get better,” Groh said. “That’s pretty much the way we feel about our team.”

Improvement in all aspects of the game is critical if Virginia hopes to begin ACC conference play on the right foot.

“This is the ACC — it’s like a whole different season,” sophomore safety Rodney McLeod said. “We’d definitely like to get those three games we had back, but you just got to move on to the next game.”
Next Saturday, Virginia will host non-conference opponent Indiana before traveling to College Park, Md. for its second ACC matchup Oct. 17 against Maryland.

Groh Not Necessarily Stopping at Six
Oct. 1, 2009
1:58 p.m.

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- One month into the college football season, North Carolina has played 12 true freshmen, twice as many as Virginia. But the Cavaliers' list may grow.

Through the first two games, UVa played five first-years: Will Hill, Quintin Hunter, Perry Jones, Tim Smith and Dominique Wallace. LaRoy Reynolds made his debut Sept. 19 at Southern Mississippi.

Others in the class who might play this year include offensive tackle Oday Aboushi, defensive back/return specialist Javanti Sparrow and defensive Brent Urban.

The Wahoos (0-3) open ACC play Saturday afternoon at UNC (0-1, 3-1).

Al Groh said Thursday said his philosophy on using true freshmen has remained "pretty consistent" over the years.

"On each particular team, whenever a player is ready to help the team be better than it otherwise would be without that player's performance, then we're enthusiastic about using the player," Groh said.

"If the team won't play any better with the player than they would have without him, that doesn't mean the team's not playing well. We've had some years where we played very, very well and used a lot of freshmen to help us do so. And they elevated what otherwise would have been the performance of the team. We've also had some years where we played very, very well and we hardly used any freshmen at all.

"We're going to take full advantage of the value of our roster and use everybody who can help us win."

Of his first-year players, Groh said, "There's some of these guys that we can see progressing into significant roles next year that it would be a good thing if we could get some time. But now, of course, they have to give us the indications to say that that would be a wise thing to do."

Wallace, who had emerged as one of the team's top tailbacks, is likely to get his year of eligibility back. He suffered a season-ending foot injury in the Southern Miss and is expected to receive a medical hardship waiver.

Here's the season-by-season breakdown of true freshmen used by UVa during Groh's tenure as coach:

2001: 6

2002: 14

2003: 7

2004: 10

2005: 11

2006: 1

2007: 5

2008: 5

2009: 6*

* Nine regular-season games remain.

* * * * * *

Don't expect to see Groh at Scott Stadium for the U2 concert Thursday night.

"I'm taking a pass on that one," he said. "I've got a stadium to go to on Saturday."

Matt Doughty, the teenage son of the aging Roanoke Times newspaperman, told his father that the concert would be a gathering of old people.

"That's his perspective looking up," Groh, a rock 'n' roll fan who turned 65 in July, said with a laugh. "From my perspective looking down, I think there are a lot of people with a tremendous amount of youthful energy going to it."

-- Jeff White

 

Mitchell headed to UVa
By Whitey Reid
Published: October 1, 2009

On Monday, Charlotte, N.C., prep basketball standout Akil Mitchell learned that his scholarship offer to play at George Washington had been rescinded.

“I was really, really surprised,” said Mitchell, who was considering GW and a host of other mid-majors. “They said that they wanted to watch me some more.”

The very next day, Mitchell’s fortunes changed pretty quickly when Virginia coach Tony Bennett came down to Charlotte. Mitchell thought it was simply a standard visit in which Bennett would chat him up and give him an update as to where he stood with the UVa program.

But then Bennett offered him a scholarship, and it was so long Atlantic 10, hello ACC.

“It was really great,” Mitchell said. “They were really high on my list for a long time. When they offered, it felt pretty good.”

Mitchell, who wound up choosing Virginia over SMU, Liberty and UNC Greensboro, among others, says the combination of athletics and academics is what made Virginia so appealing. Mitchell, a very good student, hopes to major in business.

“I think UVa was his first pick from the beginning,” said Anthony Mitchell, Akil’s father. “When they came knocking and said, ‘We want you to come,’ his eyes just lit up.

“He said, ‘That’s where I want to be.’ It’s [great] when you get your No. 1 pick — not too many people get that.”

The 6-foot-7, 215-pound Mitchell joins Will Regan, Joe Harris, K.T. Harrell and James Johnson in Bennett’s inaugural 2010 recruiting class. Barring any roster turnover, Virginia doesn’t have any remaining scholarships remaining for that class.

Mitchell is a 3-star prospect (out of 5) according to Rivals.com. Mitchell is the only member of the 2010 class not ranked among the Top 150 by Rivals — and that doesn’t bother him one bit.

“That’s kind of how it’s always been,” Mitchell said. “Nobody’s ever given me a chance. I didn’t make our team in middle school and didn’t play my freshman year, so I’ve always played with a kind of chip on my shoulder.

“Coach Bennett told me that he loved my potential and the determination that I have to get better.”

One of Virginia’s big selling points to Mitchell was assistant coach Ritchie McKay. The former Liberty head coach had built a relationship with Mitchell from his days recruiting former Flames guard Seth Curry, the younger brother of NBA player Stephen Curry. Seth Curry, now at Duke, and Mitchell had been teammates at Charlotte Christian School.

“We liked that they’re starting over,” said Anthony Mitchell, when asked what attracted his family to the Virginia program, “and one of the keys to the program was coach McKay. He’s the one who’s been watching the longest time, starting back in 10th grade.

“He really knows and loves Akil. That was the biggest deciding factor — having a coach who knows my son.”

The elder Mitchell, who played some college basketball and spent time playing professionally overseas, believes Akil’s versatility will be a big plus.

“His growth has been dramatic and that’s what coach Bennett alluded to — he just loves the upside,” Mitchell said. “Akil can play the 3 and I think he’s getting quick enough and stronger to the point where he can actually guard some 2s. His shot has really progressed, and he can post up and go down and play some 4.

“I think they got somebody who they can go with in several different directions.”

Mitchell, who is looking forward to seeing his former teammate Curry when Virginia and Duke meet up, says right now he feels most comfortable at the 3.

“I like to create mismatches and take advantage of smaller players in the post,” he said, “and not too many players my size can guard me out on the perimeter.”
 

Virginia looks to go 12-0 against Terps
Defense will play major role against nation’s top offense in matchup of top-three teams
Ben Gomez, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
Field Hockey / Sports
October 2, 2009 0

Sophomore midfielder Paige Selenski scored two goals against Richmond Wednesday and will lead No. 3 Virginia against No. 1 Maryland Friday. Photo by Jason O. Watson.
The No. 3 Virginia women’s field hockey team — off to its best start since 1979 — will travel to College Park, Md. to take on the top-ranked, defending national champion Terrapins.

The Cavaliers (11-0, 1-0 ACC) are coming off a hard-fought 4-3 win against in-state foe Richmond. In that game, sophomore forward Paige Selenski scored two goals for Virginia, increasing her season total to 12. The highly touted Cavalier defense, though, yielded three goals to the Spiders — the most by an opposing team this season.

Maryland (11-0, 2-0 ACC) has already seen its fair share of competition this season, blowing past then-No. 3 Wake Forest 4-1 and dominating then-No. 9 Boston College 6-2.. The Cavalier defense will have step up if Virginia wants to remain undefeated as it faces the country’s top offense, which averages close to six goals per game — two more than the Cavaliers. 2008 ACC and womensfieldhockey.com Offensive Player of the Year junior forward Katie O’Donnell has already recorded 44 points on 14 goals and 16 assists this season.

Playing alongside O’Donnell is senior forward Nicole Muracco who leads the Terps with 15 goals. O’Donnell was the captain of the 2009 Junior World Cup team that included teammates Alexis Pappas and Brianna Davies, as well as Virginia midfielders Michele Vittese, Tara Puffenberger and Selenski. Of the 18 players on the Junior World Cup team, six of them will be on the field Friday afternoon when the Cavaliers and Terrapins face off.

Virginia will look to avenge last year’s two losses to Maryland, which both came in overtime — once in the regular season and again in the ACC Tournament semifinals.

“I’m not worried about our intensity coming out against them because we always come out strong against them,” Selesnki said. “We have to just work on getting the passing combinations going and put the ball in the goal.”

The Cavaliers will most likely find an advantage on defense. Prior to the game against the Spiders, junior goalkeeper Kim Katsuk led the country in goals against average (0.11) and was second in save percentage (0.941), allowing just one goal all season. The 2008 America East Goalkeeper of the Year and Boston University transfer has stepped in and contributed immediately for Virginia, providing an anchor for the Cavaliers in the cage.

“As far as I’m concerned I am planning on having a shutout,” Katsuk said. “I have a lot of respect for their program and all of their players. It will be very competitive, but that is why you play the game.”

Virginia boasts an extremely quick and athletic defense that has helped record seven shutouts this season — three more than all of last season. Dutch backs sophomore Floor Vogels and freshman Charlotte van den Broek have suffocated opposing forwards, limiting them to five shots per game.

Friday’s game against Maryland could be one of the most exciting games in program history for the Cavaliers. If Virginia is able to stifle the Terrapin attack and transition to offense effectively, it will be looking at its first 12-0 start in school history.
 

Showdown Between Nation’s Elite Set for Friday in College Park
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/01/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - A showdown between No. 3 Virginia (11-0, 1-0 ACC) and No. 1 Maryland (11-0, 2-0 ACC) is set for 4 p.m. Friday in College Park, Md.
The Cavaliers, off to their best start since the 1979 season, are coming off a 4-3 victory at Richmond on Wednesday. Sophomore Paige Selenski scored two goals, while teammates Traci Ragukas and Tara Puffenberger also notched scores in the winning effort.
Selenski leads Virginia this season with 12 goals, including four game-winners. Puffenberger is second in scoring with eight goals, while Ragukas has five scores on the year. Sophomore Michelle Vittese leads the team with five assists while also adding three goals.
In the cage, junior Kim Kastuk has a 0.41 goals-against average while notching an .800 save percentage over 680 minutes of action this season.
Friday will mark a homecoming of sorts for Virginia volunteer assistant Keli Smith, who played for the Terps from 1997-2000. Smith was a three-time All-American and helped Maryland to a national title in 1999. She played on the 2008 Olympic Team in Beijing and continues to play on the U.S. National Team.
The 2008 NCAA champion Maryland is unbeaten at 11-0 on the year after knocking off American 3-0 on Tuesday. The Terps are also 2-0 in the ACC with wins over Boston College (6-2) and Wake Forest (4-1).
Senior forward Nicole Muracco and junior Katie O'Donnell have each tallied 15 goals this season to lead the Terps. Emma Thomas also had 12 scores on the year, including two of the team's three in the win over American. Alicia Grater has a 0.91 goals-against average which ranks eighth nationally, in addition to a .833 save percentage, good enough for fifth in the nation.
Maryland leads the all-time series with Virginia 33-19-2. Last season, the Terps claimed both meetings in overtime. Maryland defeated UVa 4-3 in Charlottesville on Oct. 4. Later in the ACC Championship semifinals, the Terps escaped a Virginia threat, scoring in the final minutes to tie the game before winning 3-2 in overtime. Maryland went on to win the ACC Championship.
This season, Virginia is 5-0 against ranked opponents and 2-0 against teams ranked in the top 10.


 

No. 12 UVa Travels To No. 5 UNC Friday Night
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/01/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE - The 12th-ranked Virginia men's soccer team travels to ACC foe and fifth-ranked North Carolina on Friday night for a 7 p.m. match. Live statistics will be available at VirginiaSports.com.

Virginia (6-2, 1-2 ACC) is 1-1 against ranked opponents this season. The Cavaliers beat then-No. 2 Wake Forest on the road, 1-0 (Sept. 18) and fell to then-No. 19 Duke, 1-0 (Sept. 11) in double overtime.

The Cavaliers are coming off of an 1-0 double-overtime victory over VCU on Tuesday (Sept. 29) night. Chris Agorsor's (Severn, Md.) golden goal with one minute left in the second extra period lifted UVa to its sixth victory of the season. For Agorsor, it was his first goal of the season after tallying four goals last year.

Neil Barlow (Herndon, Va.) continues to lead the squad with three goals and two assists for eight points, followed by Tony Tchani (Norfolk, Va.) with three goals.

UVa goalkeeper Diego Restrepo (West Palm Beach, Fla.) has allowed just four goals in eight games, and leads the ACC with a goals-against average of 0.50.

UVa head coach George Gelnovatch recently notched his 200th-career victory on Sept. 22 vs. George Washington. Now in his 14th season as head coach of the Cavaliers, Gelnovatch has an overall record 201-78-22.

No. 5 North Carolina is led by Michael Farfan (four goals), Billy Schuler (three goals) and Cameron Brown (three goals). UNC goalkeeper Brooks Haggerty has recorded three shutouts while allowing five goals.

Virginia holds a slight advantage in the all-time series with Carolina, 34-33-7. Last season, the Cavaliers won, 1-0, in Chapel Hill.

UVa will return to Klöckner Stadium on Wednesday, Oct. 7 for a match vs. Longwood that begins at 7 p.m.



 

Cavaliers seek second road win against top-five opponent
Virginia resumes conference play after 1-0 nailbiter against VCU, will try to replicate last year’s success against ACC rival North Carolina
Meryem Karad, Cavalier Daily Senior Writer
Men's Soccer / Sports
October 2, 2009 0

Sophomore forward Chris Agorsor, who scored the game winning goal Tuesday against Virginia Commonwealth, seeks to lead Virginia to its second win against a top-five opponent. Photo by Jason O. Watson.
Returning to ACC play, the No. 12 Virginia men’s soccer team looks to repeat last year’s impressive showing at Chapel Hill against No. 5 North Carolina tonight at Fetzer Field.

Both teams head into the contest with momentum from non-conference victories. While Virginia improved its record to 6-2 (1-2-0 ACC) in a riveting double overtime 1-0 victory against VCU, the Tar Heels (6-1-1, 2-1-0 ACC) easily defeated Radford 2-0.

Although the Cavaliers lead the all-time series by a narrow 34-33-7 margin, winning the last two matches in the series, the Tar Heels are 2-0 this season against top-25 opponents with wins against N.C. State and Duke, to which Virginia fell three weeks ago.

UNC’s only loss came against No. 2 Maryland, when a late goal lifted the Terrapins to a 1-0 victory in College Park. The Cavaliers have yet to face Maryland but are 3-0 on the road this year, including a 1-0 victory against then-No. 2 Wake Forest in Winston-Salem.

“We’re confident, we’ve been good on the road,” coach George Gelnovatch said. “To me, the trick right now is trying to recover. We played 20 extra minutes [against VCU] and we also played an ACC-caliber team. But I think this win puts us in a good mind-frame because we know we beat a good team.”

Defensively, the two squads appear to be evenly matched. Virginia junior goalkeeper Diego Restrepo leads the ACC with a 0.50 goals against average, allowing only four goals while recording 14 saves.

Similarly, Tar Heel keeper Brooks Haggerty has given up only five goals for a 0.60 GAA, which is second best in the conference behind Restrepo. The two goalies are tied for the ACC lead in shutouts with three.

On offense, North Carolina leads the ACC with 18 goals in eight games, including four — good for second best in the ACC — from junior midfielder Michael Farfan. Meanwhile, sophomore forward Billy Schuler and junior midfielder Cameron Brown each have three goals. The Tar Heel’s depth has helped them outshoot their opponents 121-48.

“They’re very good,” Gelnovatch said. “I think this team we just played, VCU, is probably the most technical team we’ve played. UNC is going to be similar in how good they are technically.”

Although Virginia has amassed 115 shots from 16 different players, it has only managed to score 10 goals. The Cavaliers — led by senior midfielder Neil Barlow with three goals and two assists for eight points — will be eager to capitalize on their average of 14.38 shots per game.

UNC “is not going to be an easy game,” sophomore forward Chris Agorsor said. “In fact, it’s going to be harder, so having a good ‘warm-up,’ is going to be really good for us. I think we’ll be really prepared.”
 

Shabaz, Singh lead team to All-American
Juniors attempt to grab prestigious ‘grand slam’ for Virginia’s first crown
Aaron Berstein, Cavalier Daily Staff Writer
Men's Tennis / Sports
October 2, 2009 0

Along with senior Michael Shabaz, junior Sanam Singh, who posted a 42-7 singles record last season, will receive an automatic bid this weekend at the ITA All-American tournament. Photo by Jason O. Watson.
Playtime is officially over. The Virginia men’s tennis team had a strong showing last weekend at the U.Va. Plus One Invitational, nabbing two singles titles and a doubles title on its home court. This weekend, the Cavaliers will travel to Tulsa, Okla. for the ITA All-American Tournament.

“The All-American is one of the ‘grand slams’ of college tennis,” coach Brian Boland said. “It provides the players with the chance to play the best players in the nation.”

The Cavaliers’ recent performances show that they are up to the challenge. Juniors Sanam Singh and Michael Shabaz each captured a singles title last weekend and are nationally ranked No. 9 and No. 14, respectively.

“We played in the U.Va. Plus One Invitational tournament to get matches against some top guys to stay sharp,” Shabaz said.

Although Virginia has been ranked in the national top 10 since April 2006, it has never won an individual title at the ITA All-American Tournament, Boland said. Even former Cavalier tennis great Somdev Devvarman never managed the elusive feat. His only loss during the 2007-08 season’s 45 matches, during which he was the No. 1 college tennis player in the nation, came during the ITA tournament’s semifinals.

With two players ranked in the nation’s top 15, however, the Cavaliers certainly have a chance. Last year’s tournament saw the top-ranked player, Oklahoma State’s Oleksandr Nedovyesov, defeated in the finals by LSU’s Michael Venus, who was then ranked No. 20. Singh or Shabaz pulling off a similar upset is not out of the question, especially after the valuable experience they gained last year.

“I made the quarterfinals last year, so I know what it takes to advance through the tournament,” Shabaz said.

Shabaz advanced further than any other Cavalier last year, winning six matches before losing in the quarterfinals in three sets. He hopes to improve on his past performance, but said he does not feel pressure to be crowned Virginia’s first individual ITA champion.

“You can’t go in there looking to win [the whole tournament],” Shabaz said. “You just have to take it one match at a time and one point at a time and then see what happens.”

The team’s goals, meanwhile, extend beyond simply earning individual titles, Boland said.

“Our goal is to play as many matches as we can and get better as a team,” he said. “We’re ahead of schedule, but we still have a lot of work to do in doubles.”

Two doubles teams will enter the tournament: Singh will play with senior Houston Barrick, and Shabaz will team up with freshman and top recruit Jarmere Jenkins. Singh and Barrick rank as the fourth-best doubles team in the nation, and Shabaz and Jenkins secured Virginia’s lone doubles title at last weekend’s tournament despite playing together for the first time. Both teams hope to challenge the top competitors in the main draw round of the tournament.

The main draw, in both singles and doubles, will begin next Thursday. Singh and Shabaz will automatically be entered in this round of the singles tournament, while Barrick, Jenkins, senior Lee Singer and sophomore Drew Courtney will try to play their way in via the qualifying rounds, which begin Monday. Senior Milo Johnson, a Tulsa native, and sophomore Santiago Villegas will round out the eight Cavaliers attending the tournament and will compete in the pre-qualifying rounds Saturday.