White: Simpson On the Mend But Sits Out Practice
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/11/2009
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Senior tailback Mikell Simpson, who was taken to UVa Medical Center after suffering a neck injury against Indiana at Scott Stadium, is "feeling better," Al Groh said on his Sunday night teleconference with reporters.
"He was in meetings today. Didn't participate but was out at practice."
Two of Simpson's finest games have come against ACC rival Maryland, Virginia's next opponent. The Terrapins (1-1, 2-4) host the Cavaliers (1-0, 2-3) at 4 p.m. Saturday in College Park.
Whether Simpson will be available at Byrd Stadium, the site in 2007 of his breakout game as a Wahoo, is uncertain. He was injured midway through the third quarter of UVa's 47-7 rout of Indiana and left the field on a back board Saturday night.
He was evaluated at the hospital and then released that night.
"We'll be doing some more tests and consultations," Groh said, "and we'll see as the week goes on."
On a day when UVa rushed for a season-high 231 yards, Simpson had 83 and ran for a career-best four touchdowns against the hapless Hoosiers. Three of the team's other tailbacks -- Rashawn Jackson, Torrey Mack and Max Milien -- added 73, 37 and 14 yards rushing, respectively.
Mack is a redshirt freshman whose role will grow this weekend if Simpson can't play. Mack carried the ball eight times against Indiana, one more than in the previous four games combined.
"He had a couple spurts there," Groh said. "He had one direct run where he ran it real well, and then he ran the outside scheme that we had a great deal of success on. [The coaching staff agreed] that this was a good thing for him to be able to do, just get game-type carries as opposed to scrimmages and practices."
Mack, like all of UVa's runners, benefited from excellent blocking, and that hasn't been the case in every game this season.
"The offensive linemen, as anonymous and as unsung as they are, they really did a nice job," Groh said.
The starters are sophomore Landon Bradley at left tackle, sophomore Austin Pasztor at left guard, junior Jack Shields at center, junior B.J. Cabbell at right guard and senior Will Barker at right tackle.
Cabbell, who's been slowed by an undisclosed injury, didn't play in the second half, and junior Issac Cain took over at right guard in the third quarter.
The linemen who've improved the most since the start of the season, Groh said, are the most likely candidates to do so. "That's the two youngest players -- Landon Bradley and Pasztor -- but we've seen positive movement forward, really, with all of them."
Late in the game, UVa's starters were spectactors, and its offensive linemen included left tackle Oday Aboushi. Two true freshmen made their college debuts for UVa against Indiana: Aboushi and inside linebacker Tucker Windle.
Groh said he wasn't trying to get Aboushi and Windle experience that will help them in 2010.
"No, actually the consideration right now is that they might have to play next week," Groh said. "While there's certainly the possibility that they won't play, it won't take much from an injury standpoint to get either one of them in the game.
"That was a benefit, that they've both been in it and kind of expressed afterwards that it was fun. They were also a little bit jittery out there. And so maybe they'll get a little bit beyond that in case the occasion calls for it."
On the depth chart distributed Tuesday, junior Darnell Carter and sophomore Terence Fells-Danzer were listed as the backups to starters Steve Greer and Darren Childs at inside linebacker.
Carter and Fells-Danzer are healthy, Groh said Sunday night, but the second-teamers are now true freshmen Connor McCartin and Windle.
McCartin could have played just as easily as Windle against Indiana, Groh said, "but frankly, for one or the other, for their first time in there, we wanted to leave them in there with somebody who had a little bit of game experience to help them out. So they didn't have to make the calls. They just had to play the call that was made."
Because the game was a blowout, several other inexperienced players got on the field Saturday night.
In such cases, Groh said, the coaches want to see "how they react to the game circumstance and how they perform the techniques. We try to keep it pretty basic when those players are in and [see how] they attempt to execute the techniques that have been emphasized to them quite a bit.
"It was good that quite a few of them had the opportunity to measure themselves against actual in-the-game competition. Some of those guys, we don't know who it's going to be, but clearly are going to be guys who as the season progresses, as things usually go, we're probably going to need some of them to step up and give us some plays."
Groh isn't the only ACC coach whose job security is a heated topic among fans. Many Maryland supporters are unhappy about the state of that program under Ralph Friedgen.
Since beating James Madison in overtime Sept. 12, the Terps have dropped three of their past four games.
Nonetheless, Groh said, the Cavaliers' approach never varies.
"We always talk team-wise that we expect the very best game everybody can play, every week," he said. "We expected that here from all the first five teams that we played, and some of these guys we clearly got their very best, and we certainly expect the same to be true [against Maryland]."
 

White: 'Hoos Take Another Step Forward in Rout of Hoosiers
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/10/2009
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Periodically during Al Groh's tenure as UVa's football coach, his teams have produced victories so improbably one-sided as to inspire disbelief.
Remember the 48-13 rout of No. 18 Maryland in 2002?
The 48-22 pounding of No. 15 West Virginia in the Continental Tire Bowl that year?
The 30-10 win at Georgia Tech in '04?
The romps over Pittsburgh (44-14) and the Miami Hurricanes (48-0) in '07?
The 31-0 whipping of Maryland in '08?
To that list add Saturday's Homecomings game at Scott Stadum: Virginia 47, Indiana 7.
Groh's team was coming off a win over North Carolina and entered as a touchdown favorite, but only the most optimistic Wahoo fan would have predicted this.
The Cavaliers led 30-0 at halftime and 44-0 after three quarters. Their lead grew to 47 points before Indiana scored a touchdown against a defense that by that point included few starters.
The attendance Saturday -- 45,371 -- was the lowest since Scott Stadium was expanded to 61,500 seats before the 2000 season. The thousands of fans who chose to stay home missed one of Virginia's most impressive performances under Groh.
"UVa is a very good football team and much better than people think," said Indiana coach Bill Lynch, whose team nearly upset Michigan in Ann Arbor two weeks ago.
The Cavaliers (2-3) amassed 536 yards of offense Saturday, their highest total since Sept. 11, 2004, and held Indiana (3-2) to 272. UVa rushed for 231 yards, 100 more than its previous season high.
"Our team clearly has taken another step down the road of progress," Groh said.
This is a team that opened with a loss to William and Mary, which competes in the NCAA's Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA). Then came a lackluster loss at home to TCU, followed by a defeat at Southern Mississippi in which Virginia collapsed in the final 22 minutes.
Since that 0-3 start, however, the 'Hoos have won two straight, and they'll head to College Park, Md., next weekend with a growing belief in themselves.
"Everything from top to bottom our team is better from the beginning of the year," Vic Hall said Saturday night.
Hall, who's competing as a graduate student, was one of UVa's many heroes against the Hoosiers. He began the season as a quarterback and, in fact, started there against W&M, but he's now at wide receiver.
He had six catches for 85 yards -- both career highs -- and one touchdown Saturday. Hall also played defensive back in passing situations and was credited with a tackle.
"Pretty good day's work for him," Groh said.
The TD reception was his first as a Cavalier for Hall, who also has scored on an interception return (against Richmond in 2008) and on carries (versus Virginia Tech in 2008 and W&M this year).
"What hasn't Vic done where he looked pretty athletic?" Groh said. "He's just a great competitor and loves the game of football, loves playing for his teammates."
Fifth-year senior Jameel Sewell threw the TD pass to Hall, one of his closest friends, and also completed throws to seven other targets, including tailbacks Mikell Simpson (four receptions, 66 yards) and Rashawn Jackson (three catches, 45 yards).
Sewell finished 20 for 30 passing for 308 yards and no interceptions, another reminder of how effective he can be when he avoids turnovers.
The Cavaliers' starter in 2007, when they won nine games, Sewell was out of school serving an academic suspension in '08.
"I think it shows how badly we missed him last year and how important he has been to our team during the now two-plus seasons that we've been able to get a lot of plays out of him," Groh said.
Sewell was sacked twice, but overall Virginia's blockers shut down Indiana's vaunted pass rush. They also opened huge holes for Simpson (83 yards rushing), Jackson (73) and Torrey Mack (40).
"The offensive line is just stepping up so much," Sewell said. "I barely got touched today."
If not for the injury suffered by Simpson, it might been a perfect day for the 'Hoos. The fifth-year senior rushed for four touchdowns, the most by an ACC player in nearly a year. With 6:38 left in the third quarter, however, Simpson stayed down after a 2-yard gain.
Medical personnel rushed to his side, and after several minutes, Simpson was placed on a backboard and carted off the field. Flat on his back, he didn't raise his head, but he gaves a thumbs-up that drew a roar from the crowd.
Simpson was treated for a neck injury at UVa Medical Center and then released Saturday night. A team physician will evaluate Simpson more this week.
Before Simpson was taken off the field, Sewell approached him.
"I just told him, 'Man, we got you. We're going to pray for you. We're going to seal the deal. Just take your time and get right,'" Sewell said.
On a day in which former UVa safety Anthony Poindexter's jersey was retired, his charges, led by junior cornerback Ras-I Dowling, made him proud.
Poindexter now coaches the Cavaliers' secondary, and he saw Dowling force a fumble, intercept a pass, record his first career sack and make a team-high nine tackles.
"Dex means a lot to the DBs and throughout the team and the Wahoo Nation," Dowling said. "That was a big day for him, a big day for all of us."
On the game's opening series, Dowling stripped the ball loose from an Indiana wideout. Safety Rodney McLeod recovered for UVa and returned the fumble 32 yards to the Indiana 38.
An 18-yard completion from Sewell to sophomore wideout Kris Burd, who made a diving catch, moved the Cavaliers to the 16. Simpson ran for 11 yards and then 5 to put Virginia ahead to stay.
The turnover that Dowling forced "did two things," Groh said. "It established for the defensive players that this was going to be another good physical game for us. And it obviously created the type of momentum play and field position that let us get on top."
In Dowling and Chris Cook, Virginia entered with the season with what many considered to be the ACC's top set of starting cornerbacks. Dowling struggled against W&M and TCU, but he's elevated his play in every succeeding game.
"This kid has really prepared diligently, literally since the last day of the season last year, and probably didn't get off with as big a bang as he had hoped for or perhaps his preparation would lead us to expect," Groh said.
"And he took that challenge pretty strong. He was mentally strong enough to deal with that and to say, 'Hey, I'm going to do better.' And he really has. He really prepares hard, as does Chris, and those two guys are on their game pretty good right now."
Of his performance against Indiana, Dowling said, "It was OK. I still got things to work on. I'll go look at the film and see what I can do better."
For the second straight game, Virginia didn't turn the ball over. Through its first three games, UVa had 10 turnovers.
"Clearly that's a very big plus for us," Groh said. "I think our players have really become very aware of the impact that that has on games. It certainly had an impact on some of our early games, and going in the wrong direction. It's really been beneficial to us these two games. It certainly helps the defense out a great deal.
"It's all about players buying in and being acutely aware of the impact [ball security] has on the game."
 

Injured Simpson feeling better
Michael Phillips TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Published: October 12, 2009

A day after being carted off the field, running back Mikell Simpson was back at U.Va.'s football facility.

He didn't take part in the team's Sunday practice, but Simpson was able to join the team for the film review of Saturday's 47-7 victory against Indiana.

"He's feeling better," coach Al Groh said last night after practice. "We're doing some more tests, and we'll see as the week goes along."

The senior hasn't been ruled out of this Saturday's game at Maryland. He fractured his clavicle last year, and while this has been classified as a neck injury, no further details have been released.

Simpson was beginning to show his old form again before he left the game. He had 83 yards and was almost certainly on his way to his second-consecutive 100-yard game.

But the Cavaliers have proved resilient to injury this season, and they'll embrace the challenge again.

Quarterback Vic Hall's hip injury didn't affect the team negatively because Jameel Sewell stepped into the position effectively. Ditto with Brandon Woods taking over for Rodney McLeod at safety. Saturday's game also featured Isaac Cain jumping in at right tackle for B.J. Cabbell.

One player who likely will see more carries at running back is freshman Torrey Mack. He had a strong preseason before being moved to more of a receiving role in the first games. Now he's back, and had positive results during his lone drive of extended action.

"He had a couple good spurts there," Groh said. "We were in agreement in our discussions that it was a good thing for him to be able to do -- to get game-type carries as opposed to scrimmages and practices."

While the running back is the biggest unfilled role right now, Groh will also keep a close eye on his kicking situation this week.

After kicking the ball out of bounds twice on kickoffs, Chris Hinkebein was replaced on kickoffs by Robert Randolph.

"It wasn't done to our satisfaction," the coach said. "Unfortunately, nobody's made it clear to us that we can have a preference."

Special teams play was the lone weak spot in a game that featured a dominating offense and defense.

Indiana did not get its first third-down conversion until halfway through the second quarter,and on offense, U.Va. had eight plays of at least 20 yards.
 

Groh doesn’t like U.Va.‘s new turf
Michael Phillips
Oct 11, 2009

Virginia installed a temporary sod last week to get the Scott Stadium field through the end of the year, at which point the grass surface will be replanted.

Coach Al Groh said that he wasn’t a fan of the new surface in its debut Saturday.

“A couple of times players stumbled, or the turf tore out,“ he said. “We once had what was rated as the best field in college football. We don’t have that anymore.“

The change was necessary because of the effects of the U2 concert at Scott Stadium. As they did in other cities, the company that put on the concert paid for the new surface.
 

Cavs crush lifeless Hoosiers 47-7
Virginia totals 536 yards, shuts out Indiana until fourth quarter; Mikell Simpson suffers neck injury
Cayce Troxel, Cavalier Daily Sports Editor
Featured / Football / Sports
October 12, 2009 0

Virginia football fans Saturday filed into an overcast Scott Stadium not knowing what to expect from the Cavaliers in their first-ever matchup against Big Ten challenger Indiana. Roughly three hours later, the fans among the crowd of 45,371 emerged far happier, but likely with much the same feeling despite knowing the outcome.

Continuing a season in which the unexpected has become the expected, Virginia celebrated its homecoming with a lopsided 47-7 romp over the Hoosiers to snag its second straight win of the season and its first against a nonconference opponent.

“Our team has clearly taken another step down the road of progress,” Virginia coach Al Groh said.

‘Step’ might be an understatement in this case, especially in regards to the Cavalier offense. Entering Saturday’s game third worst in Division I in total offense, the team racked up 536 yards — more than their output from the first two losses of the season combined — and failed to commit a turnover for the second straight outing after committing seven in its week one embarrassment against William & Mary.

“We’re playing good ball now,” senior quarterback Jameel Sewell said. “We’re playing our ball.”

Although Sewell and his teammates may have struggled earlier in the season to discover their offensive identity, the team looked at ease from the start against the Hoosiers. Capitalizing on a fumble recovery by sophomore safety Rodney McLeod on Indiana’s fifth play of the game, the Virginia offense needed just five plays of its own to tally its first score.

After a 29-yard strike from Sewell to sophomore wide receiver Kris Burd up the middle boosted the Cavaliers into the Hoosiers’ red zone, senior running back Mikell Simpson picked up where he left off in his 100-yard rushing performance against North Carolina with an 11-yard gain followed by a five-yard run to the right side for a touchdown and a 7-0 Virginia lead.

“[The fumble recovery] established for the defensive players that this was going to be another good defensive game for us,” Groh said. “It obviously created the type of momentum play and field position that let us get on top. As we say, this is all about meshing the different units together.”

Senior tailback Mikell Simpson’s future is unclear after a fourth quarter injury against Indiana. Photo by Bennett Sorbo.
If the Cavaliers’ various units were meshing well together, so were Sewell and his receiving corps. Coming out of an Indiana three-and-out, the senior slung a 31-yard rope to a diving Burd and then found junior tight end Joe Torchia for a 14-yard gain. Perhaps it was the next completion that was the most impressive, however, as Sewell connected with a sprinting Vic Hall on the left side for the senior’s first receiving touchdown of his suddenly prolific Cavalier career.

A three-year starting cornerback, “Do-It-All” Hall entered the year slotted as the team’s starting quarterback and has since seen time at eight different positions. Despite never even having played receiver before this season, Hall led Virginia Saturday with 85 yards on six receptions.

“Whatever job I’m given, I try to do the best I can at it,” Hall said. “Even if I’m not in, I’m watching it and I’m maybe learning something from the guy in front of me … I try to learn anything and everything I can about whatever position.”

Entering the game ranked sixth nationally in third down defense, the Cavaliers forced two more Indiana three-and-outs. With 10 minutes remaining in the second quarter, junior cornerback Ras-I Dowling intercepted his first pass of the season from Indiana quarterback Ben Chappell to set up good field position for the offense. Simpson continued his display with a 37-yard reception — the longest of his career — followed by another five-yard run for a touchdown to put Virginia up 21-0.

The Hoosiers’ response ended in a sack by Cavalier sophomore defensive end Zane Parr, and Simpson compiled 26 more yards en route to another touchdown — the third of his four on the day.

A 37-yard field goal from sophomore kicker Robert Randolph in the final seconds of the first half may have given Virginia a seemingly insurmountable 30-0 lead, but the team refused to see the score as an indication it could back down.

“We can’t let up,” senior tackle Will Barker said. “We’ve got to go out in the second half like it’s the beginning of the game. We couldn’t let up, and we didn’t … I think it’s a testament of where our offense is going now.”

Perhaps the Cavaliers’ offensive output was an even greater testament to the recent improvement of the Barker and the offensive line, which has approached the past few weeks of practice with a different mentality and an emphasis on increasing the unit’s overall physicality. In the first half alone, Sewell was given enough time in the pocket to accumulate 248 yards of passing.

“I barely got touched today,” Sewell said. “That just gives me confidence to be able to sit back. That’s what we’re supposed to do [as quarterbacks], and with an offensive line, that’s what I’m able to do.”

The Cavaliers’ play at the start of the second half was all about the running game, however, as Simpson continued to find slots in the Hoosier defense and rushed for 41 of the team’s 56 yards on the drive, which resulted in yet another touchdown to give the hosts a 37-0 lead.

The fourth score would be Simpson’s last of the day, as he suffered a neck injury on a two-yard carry to open Virginia’s next series. He had to be carted off the field on a stretcher but was coherent enough to talk to teammates after the collision and gave a thumbs-up to the crowd on his way to the tunnel. The senior’s status has yet to be determined, but Groh feels “positive about his long-term.”

Simpson’s injury was the only bad news on an otherwise good day for the Cavaliers, as the team continued its thumping of the Hoosiers in the second half. Backs senior Rashawn Jackson and redshirt freshman Torrey Mack stepped up in the starter’s absence to rush for 73 and 37 yards, respectively, while Sewell finished the day with 308 passing yards before he was replaced by junior quarterback Marc Verica after Virginia took a 44-0 lead entering the fourth quarter. The defense allowed only one futile Indiana touchdown in the closing minutes of the game — the Hoosiers’ only trip into the Cavalier red zone on the day.

“[Sewell] has had three positive outings here now,” Groh said. “He seems to be finding that rhythm he found when we went on that winning streak in ’07. Three of them now, and we can begin to think we’re going in that direction.”

Groh only can hope the Cavs continue down their recent winning path as the squad gets set for its second conference game of the season next weekend at Maryland. The Terrapins, coming off a tough loss to Wake Forest, will look to avenge last season’s 31-0 embarrassment against Virginia in Charlottesville.

But Sewell is confident the team can continue to ride its recent wave of success.

“Go with the flow, baby,” Sewell said. “Things will work out for the better.”
 

Dowling was Cavaliers' spark
October 12, 2009 12:36 am
BY TAFT COGHILL JR.
CHARLOTTESVILLE

--Virginia football coach Al Groh watched Ras-I Dowling work tirelessly in the offseason and was sure the budding star cornerback was all set for a breakout season.

Dowling was a preseason all-Atlantic Coast Conference selection and is perhaps Virginia's best NFL prospect.

But none of that was apparent after the junior struggled in the Cavaliers' 0-3 start to the season, particularly in losses to William & Mary and Texas Christian.

"This kid has really prepared diligently, literally since the last day of the season last year," Groh said. "He probably didn't get off with as big a bang as he would have hoped for, or perhaps his preparation would lead us to expect, but he really has [come on]."

Dowling (6-foot-2, 200 pounds) certainly got going in Virginia's 47-7 victory over Indiana on Saturday at Scott Stadium.

He finished with a team-high nine tackles (seven solo), an interception, a forced fumble and the first sack of his career.

"He was mentally strong enough to say, 'I'm going to do better,'" Groh said. "And he really has."

It took just five plays for Dowling to make his presence felt against the Hoosiers.

He blasted Indiana wide receiver Terrance Tuner on a short reception on the first series of the game. The ball popped loose and into the arms of Virginia safety Rodney McLeod for a 32-yard return.

"Throughout the week, we practice ball disruption," Dowling said. "We strip the ball and try to get a turnover. I saw the opportunity. I took advantage of it."

The play led to Virginia's first touchdown of the game and set the stage for the rout. It also let the Cavaliers (2-3) know they were well on their way to another strong defensive outing similar to the one in their 16-3 victory over North Carolina a week earlier.

"It did two things," Groh said of the turnover. "It established for the defensive players that this was going to be another physical game for us. And it obviously created the type of momentum play and field position that let us get on top."

Dowling's big day didn't stop with the strip. He collected his first interception of the season (sixth of his career) on an overthrown pass by Indiana quarterback Ben Chappell. He also leveled Chappell on a cornerback blitz in the first half.

Still, the soft-spoken Dowling wouldn't say that was the performance of his career.

"I'm not even going to say a good game," Dowling said. "It was an OK game. [I've] still got things to work on."

Even if it wasn't up to Dowling's standard of a good game, it was perhaps fitting that he played that way on the day Virginia defensive-backs coach Anthony Poindexter had his jersey retired.

Poindexter was a star safety at Virginia and one of just two two-time All-Americans in school history. Dowling said he wanted to play well on Poindexter's big day.

"We play for each other," Dowling said. "The coaches, the players, we're all we've got."

Dowling now appears over his early-season slump and prepared to live up to his preseason promise.

His teammates never doubted him.

"Ras-I comes to play every week," senior wide receiver/defensive back Vic Hall said. "It showed this week, how hard he prepares, how great of a cornerback he is. Even before the games, he's ready to go. It just showed."

 

Cavaliers figure out fifth game
By Jay Jenkins
Published: October 12, 2009
 
As the coach of the New York Jets in 2000, Al Groh had the luxury of four preseason games before the start of the season.
Those games, in essence, prepped the team for the “fifth” contest, the actual season opener. A 20-16 victory over the Green Bay Packers proved to be one of nine wins that Groh collected in his lone season as a head coach in the NFL.
Groh, now in is his ninth year at Virginia, now is forced to use training camp and the four first games of the season to get into a similar place.
It is the nature of the game at the collegiate level.
The results, however, as the season’s second month starts are obvious.
Saturday’s resounding 47-7 victory over Indiana was yet another example of that fifth-game dominance.
Virginia (2-3) dominated the Hoosiers early, improving Groh’s record in the fifth game of the season to 7-2.
While Indiana (3-3) is far from a formidable opponent, having lost 13 of its past 19 games, the other victories for the Cavaliers have come against a wide array of programs.
In 2008 it was a 31-0 win over Maryland. The season prior the Cavaliers thumped Pittsburgh 44-14. Add in wins over Duke (37-0 in 2006), Clemson (30-10 in ‘04), North Carolina (38-13 in ‘03) and Wake Forest (38-34 in ‘02).
In the past four years alone, Virginia has outscored opponents 159-21 in the fifth game of the season and averaged 389.5 yards per game.
“Our team has clearly taken another step down the road of progress,” Groh said. “There’s a long way to go yet. We haven’t gotten to the halfway mark, so the challenge is to keep the progress moving forward.
“But good progress today. So many people stepped up.”
The biggest changes visible were on offense. A unit that ranked among the worst in the country after two games produced 536 yards, the best figure in five years.
“It was fun to watch them play like that,” Virginia linebacker Steve Greer said. “They racked up a lot of yards and the offensive line was just physical.
“The running backs were good. Jameel Sewell had a great game at quarterback. The wide receivers had a great game. It’s fun to be able to watch your offense play like that.”
Behind a four-touchdown performance on the ground from Mikell Simpson, Virginia rushed for a season-best 231 yards.
Rashawn Jackson, who chipped in with 73 rushing yards on eight carries, said the work started in the trenches with physical play.
“Some holes were really big, some not too big, but the fact of the matter is that our offensive line was vicious and they were blocking and the hole was there and Mikell and I hit them,” Jackson said. “That’s all that matters. We just like physical games. That is our motto around here. Physical football always wins.”
Jackson and rookie Torrey Mack were forced to log extra time at running back in the third and fourth quarter after Simpson was carted off the field with a neck injury.
Simpson was treated at the University of Virginia Medical Center and released Saturday evening, and the senior was at practice on Sunday as a bystander.
No decision has been made on Simpson’s status for Saturday’s game at Maryland, Groh said Sunday evening. That decision will come after the coaches consult with team doctors later in the week.
 

Cavaliers Finish Eighth at Tar Heel Invitational
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/11/2009

Chapel Hill, NC - The No. 17 Virginia women's golf team finished eighth in the 18-team Tar Heel Invitational that concluded Sunday. The Cavaliers finished the three-day event at 20-over 884, including a final round of 12-over 300. Michigan State took the team title at 4-under 860, 12 strokes ahead of second-place Auburn.
A pair of freshmen led Virginia at the tournament. Brittany Altomare and Nicole Agnello tied for 31st overall at 6-over 222. Agnello carded a 75 during the final round while Altomare shot 76. Whitney Neuhauser was 42nd at 224, including a 76 on Sunday. Calle Nielson had the team's best finishing round, posting a 73 Sunday, to climb to 48th overall at 225. Lauren Greenlief, playing in her first collegiate event, was 61st at 228. She shot 80 during the final round.
Louisville's Sara-Maude Juneau ran away with individual medalist honors. She posted her second straight round of 68 Sunday to win stroke play by six shots at 10-under 206.
The Cavaliers play their final fall event Oct. 23-25 when they participate at The Fall Preview in Wilmington, N.C. at the site of the 2010 NCAA Championships.

Tar Heel Invitational
UNC Finley Golf Course
Chapel Hill, N.C.
Par-72, 6,285 yards
Final Results

Team Results
1. Michigan State 285-283-292-860
2. Auburn 296-286-290-872
3. Alabama 290-289-296-875
4. Texas A&M 304-287-289-880
4. Vanderbilt 298-284-298-880
6. Tennessee 291-297-293-881
7. Duke 299-289-295-883
8. Virginia 292-292-300-884
9. Wake Forest 293-291-301-885
10. Louisville 304-285-298-887
11. North Carolina 296-296-298-890
12. Denver 302-300-290-892
13. South Carolina 295-296-302-893
14. Florida State 294-297-307-898
15. NC State 301-293-306-900
16. UNC Wilmington 310-291-302-903
17. Kent State 306-293-306-905
18. East Carolina 316-311-319-946

Individual Leaders
1. Sara-Maude Juneau, Louisville 70-68-68-206
2. Laura Kueny, Michigan State 69-72-71-212
2. Marina Alex, Vanderbilt 71-68-73-212
4. Courtney Ellenbogen, Duke 70-73-70-213
5. Cydney Clanton, Auburn 73-70-71-214
6. Candace Schepperle, Auburn 71-72-73-216
6. Shannon Warner, Michigan State 72-73-71-216
6. Sarah Beth Davis, Texas A@M 72-72-72-216
9. Kimberly Kim, Denver 73-76-68-217
9. Catherine O'Donnell, North Carolina 72-74-71-217

Virginia Results
31. Brittany Altomare 76-70-76-222
31. Nicole Agnello 76-71-75-222
42. Whitney Neuhauser 73-75-76-224
48. Calle Nielson 71-81-73-225
61. Lauren Greenlief 72-76-80-228
 

No. 3 Virginia Beats No. 4 Wake Forest in OT Thriller
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/11/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Sophomore Michelle Vittese scored the game-winning goal on a penalty stroke in overtime to give the third-ranked Virginia field hockey team (13-1) a 3-2 win over No. 4 Wake Forest (8-4). The Cavaliers came from behind to win in front of a season-high 502 fans at the University Hall Turf Field.
The win over the Demon Deacons was the first for Virginia since 1998, as Wake had claimed the previous 14 meetings between the two teams.
"Wake Forest is a great team," Virginia head coach Michele Madison said. "We beat one of the top teams in the country. That was a stepping stone for us. It's just another step for us in the right direction and we are looking to build on it."
After trailing 2-1 in the second half, Virginia's Inga Stöckel tied the game at two in the 61st minute, converting on a penalty corner. Teammates Traci Ragukas and Charlotte van den Broek assisted on the play.
Then just 2:55 into overtime, sophomore Paige Selenski had one person to beat on a breakaway, when a penalty stroke was awarded to the Cavaliers. Vittese took the stroke and put it past Wake Forest's Kaitlyn Ruhf.
Virginia outshot Wake Forest 12-8 for the game, including a 3-0 shot advantage in overtime. The Deacons had seven penalty corners to UVa's six.
"We knew we had attack opportunities so we were just trying to capitalize on them," Madison said. "We had two one-on-ones with the goalie and weren't able to put it away, but we knew we were able to break free. It is about believing in it, doing it, and keeping the ball moving."
Junior Kim Kastuk tallied five saves in the cage while Ruhf finished with two.
Selenski put the Cavaliers up 1-0 just 12 minutes into the game on an unassisted breakaway where she beat two defenders and before putting it between the pipes.
Wake Forest would tie the game eight minutes later on a penalty corner, when Liza Casella put it past Kastuk on assists from Lauren Greenwald and Melissa Martin. The game was tied 1-1 at halftime.
In the second half, the Demon Deacons took a 2-1 advantage at 45:46 on another penalty corner opportunity. This time Casella hit the ball toward Lizzie Rae, who tipped it in for the score.
The Cavaliers return to action Tuesday at Longwood. Game time is set for 4 p.m.
 

Virginia topples No. 4 Wake with overtime penalty stroke
Vittese hits winning shot to move Cavaliers to 13-1; Madison praises late victory
Meryem Karad, Cavalier Daily Senior Writer
Field Hockey / Sports
October 12, 2009 0

Junior Kaitlyn Hiltz scored her first goal of the season against Cornell in a Saturday match that preceded the ACC showdown against Wake Forest. Photo by Toby Loewenstein.
Sophomore midfielder Michelle Vittese nailed a penalty stroke in overtime against Wake Forest yesterday, lifting Virginia to a 3-2 win against the Deacons.

“We beat one of the top teams in the country,” Virginia coach Michele Madison said. “That was a stepping-stone for us. We’re taking baby steps — it’s just another step for us in the right direction and we are looking to build on it.”

No. 3 Virginia (13-1) scored early when sophomore forward Paige Selenski shed two defenders and found the back of the goal after on a fast break.

The No. 4 Demon Deacons (8-4) quickly answered seven minutes later off a corner, with a goal scored by junior forward Liza Casella. At halftime, the contest was tied.

In the second half, Wake again capitalized on a corner pass from Casella to freshman midfielder Elizabeth Rae, who tipped it in, giving the Demon Deacons a 2-1 advantage.

Down a point with 10 minutes remaining, Vittese nearly tied the contest with a good look at a shot following a breakaway but missed the goal.

Virginia’s powerful presence in the circle paid off a couple plays later, though, when sophomore midfielder Inga Stöckel converted on a penalty corner to tie the match. Senior midfielder Traci Ragukas and freshman back Charlotte van den Broek assisted on the play.

“The second half was just a complete team effort,” Madison said. “The players responded well and carried out the game plan.”

In overtime, Virginia was able to draw a penalty stroke after a Selenski fast break just 2:55 into extra play. Vittese took the stroke and put it past freshman goalkeeper Kaitlyn Ruhf.

“We usually don’t play a full 70 minutes and we did [against Wake],” junior midfielder Haley Carpenter said. “We had some really good breaks and breakaways. But it always is really good to be able to come back and win.”

The extra period proved to be significant for the Cavaliers, as they assembled a determined offensive attack by firing three shots, whereas Wake failed to muster even one. Overall, Virginia outshot Wake Forest 12-8. The Deacons had seven penalty corners, while Virginia drew six. Even the Cavaliers’ defense provided a more impressive performance than the Deacons’, as junior goalkeeper Kim Kastuk had five saves on the night for Virginia, compared to only two recorded by Wake’s Ruhl.

“We just knew that we could not lose to them,” Vittese said. “Down 2-1 and being able to come from behind means a lot. We never got mad or frustrated at each other. Everyone contributed.”

The win against the Deacons, in front of a home crowd of 502 fans, was the first for Virginia since 1998. In the teams’ last 14 meetings, Wake consistently has defeated the Cavaliers.

Up next, Virginia visits Longwood tomorrow. The Lancers have previously played only two nationally ranked teams this season and lost both matches. The squad fell to then-No. 10 Duke and No. 2 North Carolina back to back, not managing to score a single goal in either game while the Blue Devils and Tar Heels combined for 13.

Longwood (5-6) is coming off a 3-2-overtime win against Northern Pacific opponent Appalachian State. The Lancers are led by sophomore forward Olga Knop and senior midfielder Julia Hernandez, who have contributed four goals each thus far. With only 18 total points accumulated this season, though, Longwood’s offense has lacked production on the level of Virginia’s and other premier ACC schools’.

The Lancers also have struggled on defense, having allowed 29 points. In stark contrast, Virginia has excelled on defense and has only given up 12 points this season.

Tomorrow’s contest is scheduled for 4 p.m.. On Saturday, the Cavaliers will return to conference play against North Carolina, currently ranked second in the ACC.
 

Women’s Soccer Suffers OT Loss at No. 6 Boston College
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/11/2009

NEWTON, Mass. – The Virginia women’s soccer team suffered a 1-0 loss to No. 6 Boston College Sunday afternoon at the Newton Soccer Field. With the loss, Virginia falls to 6-4-3 overall (1-3-1 ACC), while the Eagles improve to 11-2-0 overall (3-2-0 ACC).

“I am disappointed with the result, but it is hard to fault the performance,” said head coach Steve Swanson. “We did enough good things to win the game and overall I thought we played well. We just didn’t make good decisions in the attacking third and couldn’t set up the quality scoring chances we could convert.”

The Cavaliers and Eagles played a scoreless regulation with the Eagles outshooting Virginia 8-5 over the first 90 minutes. Boston College got the game winner in the 94th minute as Brooke Knowlton one-timed a pass from Hannah Cerrone for her seventh goal of the season.

Overall, Boston College outshot Virginia 10-5 and had a 7-2 corner kick advantage. Chantel Jones (Midlothian, Va.) and Jillian Mastroianni each made three saves in the goals.

The Cavaliers continue a four-match road trip on Oct. 17 as they visit No. 2 North Carolina.

BOSTON COLLEGE 1, VIRGINIA 0 (OT)

Virginia (6-4-3, 1-3-1) 0 0 0 - 0
#6 Boston College (11-2-0, 3-2-0) 0 0 1 - 1

Scoring Summary
BC. Brooke Knowlton 7 (Hannah Cerrone) 94’

Shots: UVa 5, BC 10
Corners: UVa 2, BC 7
Saves: UVa 3 (Jones 3), BC 3 (Mastroianni 3)
Fouls: UVa 9, BC 10

Attendance: 759
 

Cavaliers Fall to Tar Heels in Three Sets
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/11/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The Virginia volleyball team dropped its first Atlantic Coast Conference match at home on Sunday afternoon, falling to North Carolina, 0-3 (25-22, 25-22, 25-18), in Memorial Gymnasium.
Sophomore Simone Asque led the attack with nine kills, while freshman Jessica O'Shoney landed eight. Senior Lauren Dickson led the defense with 16 digs and AJ Cushman chipped in 12. O'Shoney and junior Kendahl Voelker each had four blocks.
For the Tar Heels, Courtney Johnston paced the attack with 12 kills and a .524 attack percentage. Cora Harms dished out 40 assists to go with 10 digs, while Kaylie Gibson collected a match-high 19 digs.
Virginia jumped out to a 9-3 lead early in the opening set, but Carolina chipped away at the Cavaliers' advantage before eventually taking a lead of its own at 22-21. The Tar Heels closed out the frame scoring three of the final four points to win the set, 25-22.
Carolina nabbed the first point of the second set and went on to lead the entire frame. Trailing by as many as six, Virginia pulled within two, but it was not enough as the Tar Heels claimed the frame, 25-22.
The Cavaliers fell behind 16-9 in the third set and were unable to recover, as North Carolina went on to win 25-18.
Virginia will return to action next weekend, hosting Clemson and Georgia Tech on Friday and Saturday, respectively. Both matches are slated for 7 p.m.

 

Cavaliers split pair of conference matches
Virginia regains momentum with sweep versus Wolfpack but loses steam with 0-3 losses against North Carolina
Abbey Lou Hendricks, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
Sports / Volleyball
October 12, 2009 0

Sophomore outside hitter Simone Asque totaled 22 kills in the two weekend matches. Photo by Bennett Sorbo.
Back in Memorial Gymnasium after two weeks on the road, the Virginia volleyball team had an emotional homecoming weekend, finishing with a win and a loss.

The Cavaliers (7-11, 2-5 ACC) dominated N.C. State Friday, sweeping the Wolfpack 3-0, but followed that with an 0-3 loss to North Carolina yesterday.

After a much-needed win Friday, Virginia appeared to be back on track, remaining undefeated in the ACC at home. The Wolfpack (7-13, 0-5 ACC) had no answer for Lee Maes’ squad and its overpowering offense led by sophomore outside hitter Simone Asque.

“It was good for everybody to finally step up and play and dominate that team,” Asque said.

Asque led the attack with 13 kills, some of which were dished out by freshman setter Rachel Gray who tallied a game-high 34 assists. Senior outside hitter Lauren Dickson paced the defense with 11 digs.

Virginia dominated from the opening set and never looked back.

“It’s nice for our team to respond after a few losses that we’ve had,” Maes said. “The great thing about this match in particular was our ability to respond to the setbacks that we’ve had.”

The energized atmosphere of Memorial Gymnasium contributed to the Cavaliers’ match-long intensity.

With its first win in two weeks, Virginia seemed refocused, but that changed when the Tar Heels (8-9, 4-2 ACC) arrived. The Cavaliers dropped three close sets to North Carolina, 25-22, 25-22, 25-18.

Starting the first set, the Cavaliers and the Tar Heels were neck and neck, and it appeared the momentum from Friday’s victory might continue. North Carolina, however, soon gained the upper hand and deflated the Cavaliers’ hopes.

“Our actions didn’t reflect our thoughts,” Maes said.

With strong hitting from North Carolina’s senior outside hitter Branagan Fuller, sophomore hitter Courtney Johnston, and senior middle Heather Brooks, the Cavaliers did not manage to pull out a victory in the second set. The third set saw an easy Tar Heel win, as Virginia’s offense and defense unraveled.

“We went out there and North Carolina got better, and we got worse,” Maes said.

Despite a promising first game, Virginia was unable to remain consistent. The team had some strong performances from individuals but problems arose for the group as a whole.

“I think we had a difficult time today sustaining focus, and our communication was poor on the court,” Maes said. “When communication is poor, you have a lot of chaos, and we didn’t do a good enough job creating order out of chaos.”

Asque agreed that part of the squad’s issues came from not being able to work together.

“There were times of separation kind of within the team where we wouldn’t communicate or somebody would be on the wrong page,” Asque said.

Asque again led the attack with nine kills, with freshman middle Jessica O’Shoney adding eight. Dickson rounded out Virginia’s leaders with seven kills.

Dickson also stood out with an impressive defensive performance, notching a team-high 16 digs. Junior libero A.J. Cushman added 12.

But these statistics could not match up against those compiled by North Carolina, with Johnston leading the offense with 12 kills and sophomore libero Kaylie Gibson heading the defense with 19 digs.

“There was a lot of chaos on our side of the net,” Maes said, “and we continued compounding errors with errors and that reflected on the results.”

The Cavaliers continue their homestand at Memorial Gymnasium next weekend as they host Clemson and Georgia Tech.
 

Hardenbergh and Vierra win Doubles Title at Kentucky
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/11/2009

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Virginia women’s tennis team concluded play Sunday at the Kentucky Invitational. The Cavaliers took the Flight A doubles title at the event, as Lindsey Hardenbergh (Fairfax Station, Va.) and Erin Vierra (Norwell, Mass.) won Sunday’s final.

Hardenbergh and Vierra won the title 8-4 over Chelsea Preeg and Jackie Wu of Vanderbilt. It was the second flight championship of the fall for the Cavalier duo, who won the Flight B doubles title at the UVa Fall Invitational last month.

In Flight A of singles, Hardenbergh lost in the final to Sona Novakova of Armstrong Atlantic, who was the No. 1 ranked player in Division II last season. Novakova, a sophomore, is undefeated in her collegiate career.