White: Parr Shines as 'Next Man Up'
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/29/2009
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The recent injury to Matt Conrath changed Zane Parr's life in at least two ways.
First and foremost, it meant more playing time at defensive end for Parr, a 6-6, 270-pound redshirt sophomore. But it's also meant a flurry of requests from media members wanting to talk to Parr, and he's not used to the spotlight's glare.
"I love playing, but this interview stuff is so new to me," Parr said Thursday afternoon. "Sometimes I get stuck on an answer and end up kind of stuttering. But if they keep asking me for interviews, it means I'm playing well, so I can't be too mad about it."
The interest in Parr is understandable. He's emerged as one of the better stories in a program that prides itself on its "next-man-up mentality."
He began the season as the No. 3 defensive end -- behind Nate Collins, who's a senior, and Conrath, a redshirt sophomore -- and played primarily in passing situations, when his job description was simple: Get the quarterback.
By the fourth game, a 16-3 win at North Carolina, he'd started to sparkle in that role, and Parr's strong play continued a week later in UVa's 47-7 rout of Indiana.
"He's probably the best pure pass-rusher on our team," Collins said. "He has a lot of speed. He sort of has the outside linebacker's mentality, so that makes pass-rushing come second nature to him."
In the sixth game, Conrath severely sprained his ankle in the final minute of the second quarter against Maryland, and Parr suddently was no longer a specialist. He played the rest of the game at right end and helped UVa rally for a 20-9 win at College Park.
A week later, Parr made his first start and recorded a career-high 12 tackles in a 34-9 loss to Georgia Tech.
"In the dime" -- the defense in which UVa uses six defensive backs -- "it's more of a mindset of get to the quarterback, try to get a sack or a [tackle for loss]," Parr said. "In the regular defense, it's stop the run, try to knock blockers back and clog up the holes.
"It's a totally different mindset, but it's still a make-plays defense."
No. 92's performance against the Yellow Jackets prompted Al Groh to say that "if everybody in a Virginia uniform had had the same kind of day as Zane Parr did, we would have liked the looks of things a lot better."
Conrath is healing, but he won't be ready to face Duke this weekend, so look for Parr to start again. Fans at Scott Stadium will include the football team from Williamsport Area High School, from which he graduated in 2007.
"It's even more pressure for me to play well," Parr said with a smile.
He was born and raised in Williamsport, the Pennsylvania town that hosts the Little League World Series each year.
"It's huge," he said. "Everyone goes."
His father had played baseball, as had his maternal grandfather, so it was natural for Parr to grow up loving the sport. And he was good at it. His fastball, he said, once reached 95 mph.
"I always dreamed of playing in the major leagues," said Parr, a Yankees fan whose favorite players include C.C. Sabathia.
"I loved football as well, but I was a big lefty who threw hard."
Alas, an elbow injury ended his baseball career prematurely, but Parr had other athletic options. In addition to playing football, he starred in track and field at Williamsport Area High -- he placed second in the shot put at the state Class AAA meet -- and as a 12th-grader played basketball for the Millionaires.
Hoops helped him reshape his body. As an 11th-grader, Parr stood 6-4 and weighed about 315 pounds, which he carried well.
"I wasn't sloppy," he said. "Just a big guy. I was always faster than the kids who were lighter."
Even so, Parr dropped to 285 pounds for his senior football season, and he shed more weight that winter after joining the hoops team.
"They said, 'If you're going to be running up and down the court, you need to lose weight,'" Parr recalled.
By the time he arrived at UVa, he was down to 255. He's steadily added muscle since then and would like to get to up 280 without sacrificing any speed.
Had he stayed in the 300-pound range, Parr might have been an offensive lineman. But Groh slotted Parr at defensive end from the start, and that's where he's stayed.
"He's not a monster, but he's got real good athletic ability," Groh said.
Parr redshirted in 2007. He showed promise as a pass-rusher in 2008, but a torn meniscus in his right knee required surgery and forced him to miss the final five games.
He did not despair.
"I figured it was still early," Parr said. "Once I got hurt, I just had the mindset that I was going to come back better and stronger and faster than I was last year and hopefully get on the field and help out the team."
That's what he's done. With two sacks, Parr is second on the team, behind Collins, and he's broken up a pass. He's become a better practice player, too, according to Groh.
"He's prepared for the games and improving his game," Groh said, "and as you can see by watching him, it's showing up in terms of production."
Parr said: "It's like a snowball effect."
 

U.Va. notebook: Phillips catching on at TE
By Staff Reports
Published: October 30, 2009

TE Phillips is catching on

Perhaps nobody benefited more when U.Va. ditched the spread offense than backup tight end Colter Phillips.

The spread offense relies less on the tight end position, meaning that when there was one, the job went to junior Joe Torchia. But now the Cavs are running with two tight ends, creating more blocking up front.

"The first two games there were no two-tight end sets," Phillips said. "Then in the Indiana game, I had 30 snaps, so I think that game was when we really started to utilize both tight ends and run the offense that we ran last year."

Last week, he had two catches for 20 yards, as well as a kickoff return. Torchia played through a shoulder injury that the team initially thought might require surgery.

But for all the talk of tight ends at U.Va., it's a position of diminishing importance nationally. Coach Al Groh said that especially in the Midwest, as the spread catches on, there are fewer of the players available.

"They're increasingly hard to find," he said of the Texas recruiting scene. "All those body types are playing defense."
Injury update

Virginia has a mostly clean bill of health heading into its game with Duke.

On the team's weekly injury report, linebacker Aaron Clark and defensive lineman Matt Conrath were ruled out -- they have injuries that will sideline them for multiple weeks.

No players were listed as doubtful or questionable, though. Among the probables is defensive end Nate Collins (leg) and linebacker Cam Johnson (knee).
ESPN360 will show game

Tomorrow's game will be the third of the season shown exclusively online at ESPN360.com, the Internet arm of ESPN's college football broadcasting.

Vice President Damon Phillips said that the games shown on the site aren't being taken off television.

"These are games that would go untelevised if we didn't pick them up," he said. "There are only so many games we can show on the network, and what we've done is made this part of the solution."

Ratings numbers aren't available for this year, but in 2007, the Web site TVover reported that the site was seen by an average of 134,000 people a month. Phillips said that growth in the past year has been "in the triple digits," which still would represent a significantly smaller audience than a televised game gets.

The online operation also has the ability to customize which commercials are shown based on which region of the country the viewer is in.

In Richmond, Verizon and Comcast provide the service. -- Michael Phillips
 

UVa's Injury Report for Duke Game
Oct. 29, 2009
7:48 p.m.

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Below is the injury report that UVa released Thursday night, as per ACC policy. Virginia (2-1, 3-4) hosts ACC rival Duke (2-1, 4-3) at 3:30 Saturday.

Out LB Aaron Clark (knee)
DE Matt Conrath (ankle)

Doubtful None

Questionable None

Probable OT Oday Aboushi (knee)
OT Landon Bradley (knee)
LB Darren Childs (leg)
DL Nate Collins (leg)
LB Cam Johnson (knee)
S Corey Mosley (shoulder)
S Brandon Woods (shoulder)

UVa's sports medicine staff, under the direction of Dr. David Diduch, compiled the injury report, whose categories are defined as follows:





Probable: Virtually certain to be available for normal duty




Questionable: 50-50 chance will not play




Doubtful: At least 75-percent chance will not play

Out: Definitely will not play

-- Jeff White

Looking at the team in the mirror?
By Jay Jenkins
Published: October 30, 2009

Is it a sign of how far Virginia has fallen?

Or perhaps it is an indication of how Duke has climbed out of the cellar to provide respectability to a once-doomed program.

Regardless, Virginia (3-4, 2-1 ACC) and Duke (4-3, 2-1), the two teams from the conference to miss the postseason last year, are near mirror images on paper.

As the Cavaliers opened the season with a stunning loss to William & Mary, an FCS team, the Blue Devils returned the favor with a loss to Richmond, the Tribe’s CAA rival.

Both teams rebounded eventually, thanks in part to wins over Maryland, and currently reside in a cluster of one-loss teams in the ACC’s Coastal Division.

“Duke is playing good football right now,” Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell said. “They have really turned things around.”

Duke coach David Cutcliffe has been equally impressed by Virginia’s resurgence over the past four games, although the Cavaliers have done it with defense and the Blue Devils with their passing attack.

“[Virginia] got off, like we did, to a slow start,” he said, “but they have played special football as of late.”

With challenging games on the horizon against ranked foes, both teams know what is at stake with Saturday’s game.

With a loss, Virginia would need to finish 3-1 to return to the postseason for just the second time in four years.

Falling to the Cavaliers would force Duke to finish .500 with games remaining against Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Miami and Wake Forest.

“You’ve got two good football teams that obviously have the opportunity to get a step further in the conference,” said Duke quarterback Thaddeus Lewis. “And I think you have two hungry football teams. “Something like ‘Clash of the Titans.’ It’ll all boil down to who wants it the most.”

Turning things around at Duke started at the top — the Blue Devils went outside the box, hiring Cutcliffe before the 2008 season.

“As we understand it, [Duke] has upgraded its commitment to being successful in football,” Virginia coach Al Groh said. “That’s always part of it. And usually, it’s more than just the coach. They’ve upgraded their commitment to being successful and done some things in that direction.”

Before heading to Durham, Cutcliffe gained respectability as the offensive coordinator at Tennessee and head coach at Mississippi.

“David was very successful in a very challenging conference when he was the head coach at Ole Miss,” Groh said, “and probably was unjustifiably released from that position. He had his team in the Cotton Bowl. I think they won 10 games.

“So he’s a quality coach [and] knows how to run a real good program. It was expected, and he had a positive attitude, but demanding standards. He’s done a very good job with their team. We’re very respectful of it.”
 

UVa Insider, The Column - Doug Doughty | Roanoke Times

Even with a defensive stop early in the fourth quarter Saturday, Virginia probably was not going to beat Georgia Tech.

The Cavaliers trailed 20-9 and would have needed a touchdown, a two-point conversion and a field goal to send the game into overtime, provided they also had made a couple more defensive stops.

Given UVa’s inability to score touchdowns against ACC opposition, that wasn’t going to happen, but an unnecessary roughness penalty against Ras-I Dowling took away any Cavalier hopes and drove up the final score in a game they would lose 34-9.
Because the referee’s microphone was not working – and, I’ve got to tell you, it invariably seems to happen when Ron Cherry is refereeing one of UVa’s games – nobody could say for sure what the penalty was or who was the culprit.

When I spoke to ACC supervisor of officials Doug Rhoads on Monday, he pulled up the officials’ report and reported that the head linesman (Greg Parman) had flagged Dowling because he head-butted a Georgia Tech player.

Virginia coach Al Groh had suggested that the media contact Rhoads but strongly implied that it was a phantom call.

“I've got the same questions you might have,” Groh said. “I guess Halloween was a week early. Ghostbusters, you know, whatever. Let's put it this way. It was not a part of the competitive part of the play. “

Rhoads had not seen the play when I spoke to him Monday. By Wednesday, he had seen the video.

“I also spoke with the official,” Rhoads said. “What happened was, those two players were jawing with each other, back and forth, a couple times on plays preceding [the third down].

“On this particular play, he stands in there and tells them again to knock it off. And, at the end of the play, No. 19 [Dowling] from Virginia drops his helmet down and butts the Georgia Tech player right in the facemask.

“Is it a vicious hit? No, not at all. It’s not flagrant. You wouldn’t expel a guy from a game or anything like that. But, it just adds to the antagonism of an already [heated] situation.”

When Groh complains about officiating, it generally involves violations that have no effect on the game. Early in the season, he complained about a celebration penalty levied against quarterback Jameel Sewell after he had scored a touchdown in UVa’s season opener against William and Mary.

Groh refers to them as “non-competition” penalties and, the truth be known, Rhoads doesn’t like them any more than Groh does.

“He’s right, but it’s the same way with everything else that happens during the dead ball – late hits, giving the finger to the crowd, player conduct, all of that,” Rhoads said.

“For us to be consistent, whether we like the rule or not, you’ve either got to call them all or call none of them. It’s hard on the officials. You know there are things you can excuse. If they’re just jawing at each other or a little close to being late, you say, ‘Hey, [No.] 48, that’s enough,’ and maybe you can officiate around some of it.

“There’s a point in time where, if you’ve had a lot of warnings, you finally say, ‘That’s enough [nonsense].’ Throw it. Throw the flag. I would not describe it as some egregious situation where you’ve thrown a punch at a guy, but it’s just enough that it creates a retaliatory act.

“So, you just nip it. You hate that it happens in the fourth quarter. We don’t like that any more than the coach or the player or the fans. We don’t have the ability to describe, ‘Well, this is a first-quarter foul,’ or ‘this is a fourth-quarter foul.’ “

IT OCCURRED TO ME that Virginia dropped more passes than normal on a messy afternoon weather-wise against Georgia Tech and, in subsequent days, I came across the name of fourth-year junior wide receiver Staton Jobe.

For those who might have forgotten, Jobe was a walk-on wide receiver from Austin, Texas, who started 12 of 13 games for a 2007 Cavaliers’ team that played in the Gator Bowl and finished 9-4.

It was also Jobe who caught the winning 26-yard touchdown pass from Jameel Sewell in Virginia’s 28-23 victory over Georgia Tech at Scott Stadium.

Two years later, Jobe never got off the bench against Georgia Tech this past Saturday and hasn’t played all season. He had one reception all of last season and no longer travels with the team.

A drop in playing time last year was understandable, given the return of Kevin Ogletree, who had missed the 2007 season, but Ogletree declared for the NFL Draft following the 2008 season and Jobe entered this season with more career starts than any other UVa receiver.

So, what’s happened to Jobe? I asked Groh today on a teleconference.

“Competition,” Groh said. “More players. More players at the position.”

Groh remembered there had been an injury. He said it might have been Deyon Williams, but that was 2006, when Williams was lost for six games. Ogletree missed the entire 2007 season.

“We had some other circumstances there that created an opening for [Jobe] that he did a nice job with,” Groh said. “Now, we’re deeper at the position, with more competitition.”

Since most newspapers (including The Roanoke Times) don’t run cumulative individual statistics for the teams they cover, here are Virginia’s leading wide receivers by reception: Kris Burd 20, Vic Hall 16, Jared Green 12, and Tim Smith and Javaris Brown with seven apiece.

Lewis will throw new looks at Cavs’ defense
After surrendering 362 rushing yards to No. 11 Georgia Tech last week, Virginia’s ACC-leading pass defense faces conference’s top aerial attack
Ashley Robertson, Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Virginia senior captain Chris Cook will likely see more action at cornerback tomorrow against Duke than he did against the ACC’s top rushing team last week. Cook, who also helps return kicks, leads Virginia with two interceptions. Photo by Bennett Sorbo.

Virginia senior captain Chris Cook will likely see more action at cornerback tomorrow against Duke than he did against the ACC’s top rushing team last week. Cook, who also helps return kicks, leads Virginia with two interceptions. Photo by Bennett Sorbo.

Duke boasts the ACC’s best passing offense. Virginia boasts the conference’s top passing defense. Tomorrow, something must give.

As the Blue Devils (4-3, 2-1 ACC) make their way to Charlottesville, the Cavaliers (3-4, 2-1 ACC) know they need to deliver a more solid defensive performance preventing Duke’s air attack than the unit did against Georgia Tech’s running game last Saturday.

In the matchup against the Yellow Jackets, Georgia Tech literally ran away with the win, rushing the ball for 362 yards — more than 10 times what Virginia totalled. Virginia’s defense could not handle the nation’s best rushing team, losing its first conference game.

Now, the Virginia secondary is hoping to recover and looking forward to a change of pace.

Georgia Tech was “kinda putting me to sleep bein’ over there for a while,” senior cornerback Chris Cook said.

Duke’s aerial attack, however, will allow little opportunity for sleeping. The Blue Devils rank sixth in the country with 322.6 yards per game.

“It’s a different adjustment ‘cause I’m looking for more pass,” Cook said. “I’m not really focused on stopping the run because they don’t really run the ball as much as Georgia Tech … I like teams that throw the ball anyway.”

Cook should enjoy Saturday’s matchup against Duke, which has thrown the ball more than any other ACC squad. The Blue Devils attempt an average of 43 passes per game.

“When they have difficulty … passing the ball, they don’t suddenly say, ‘Okay, now we’re going to run it 60 times in this game,’” Virginia coach Al Groh said.

Duke senior quarterback Thaddeus Lewis has given coach David Cutcliffe good reason to rely on the pass. Lewis has accounted for 17 of the Devil’s 23 touchdowns this season, while posting 1,972 passing yards. In Duke’s win against N.C. State earlier this year, Lewis torched the Wolf Pack for 459 yards and five touchdowns, while completing 40-for-50 passes.

“40-for-50 is probably the greatest performance that anybody’s ever coached,” Groh said. “It’s probably better than [Tom] Brady or [Peyton] Manning has ever had.”

Lewis has flourished under Cutcliffe’s guidance and has helped the Duke program emerge from its perennial spot in the ACC basement. The team’s four victories this year already exceed the team’s three-year total from the 2005-06 season to 2007-08.

Duke’s passing attack also has benefitted from strong receiver performances. Sophomore freshman wideouts Donovan Varner and Conner Vernon are among the ACC’s leaders in both receptions and receiving yards.

To counter Lewis and the pass-happy Blue Devil offense, the Cavaliers will rely on their thus far impressive pass defense. Led by Cook and junior Ras-I Dowling in the secondary, the squad currently ranks fifth in the nation, surrendering only 151.3 yards per game and not allowing a passing touchdown in its last four games.

“We kinda bank on doing that,” Cook said. “We just talk about whoever their biggest playmaker is … just take them completely out the game.”

Seeing little action at cornerback last week, Dowling cited various adjustments he made during this week’s preparation.

“We have to play tight corners,” Dowling said. “Last week was more of a physical game, this week we have to come out and cover more.”

The team also knows that Saturday’s matchup goes beyond merely atoning for last week’s poor performance against Georgia Tech. The Blue Devils thumped the Cavaliers in a 31-3 blowout last year in Durham, a loss frequently cited as one of Virginia’s most embarrassing during Groh’s tenure. Although such a drumming may inspire a desire for revenge in some teams, players are trying not to place any additional emphasis on Saturday’s showdown.

“Everything that happened in the past is in the past,” Cook said. “We can’t dwell on it.”

Spurlock looks for an early impact
By Whitey Reid
Published: October 30, 2009
» 0 Comments | Post a Comment

One thing is very clear when you talk to Virginia freshman Tristan Spurlock — he’s not some shy, timid kid who’s just hoping to make an impact on the program someday in the future.

Spurlock, a versatile 6-foot-8 player from Woodbridge, is planning on making an impact immediately.

“I definitely want to play,” said Spurlock, before the team practiced on Thursday at John Paul Jones Arena. “I don’t want to waste a year. I don’t want like a ‘learning’ year where I’m just sitting and watching. I want to get out there and really get after it, and be a force on the court.”

Spurlock, who along with fellow freshman Jontel Evans was originally recruited by former Virginia coach Dave Leitao, is clearly one of the team’s most athletic players.

“Tristan is a very gifted athlete — an explosive jumper,” said Virginia coach Tony Bennett, whose team opens its season

Nov. 13 at home against Longwood. “He has great dimensions in his body for his age. I think the upside is certainly there.”

Watching Spurlock play can remind you of former Syracuse standout Hakim Warrick, now a member of the Milwaukee Bucks. The sinewy Spurlock can play inside and outside, with his perimeter skills probably a bit further along at this stage than Warrick’s.

Spurlock has 3-point range, but he can also mix it up a little inside with his 217-pound frame. His ability to block shots from the weak side is also reminiscent of Warrick.

“He’s explosive,” said Virginia junior Mike Scott. “I can say that he has more hops than me — he’s very explosive.”

Spurlock says that playing defense at the college level has been his biggest adjustment so far. He says Bennett has been riding him hard to improve in that area.

“Scoring is not the problem,” he said. “After the first couple of pick-up games we had in the summer, I was used to offense. That comes naturally, and being 6-8, I can shoot over smaller guards like [Mustapha Farrakhan] and Jeff [Jones], and even Sylven [Landesberg] a little bit.”

Spurlock, whose favorite NBA player is Kobe Bryant — that’s why he wears No. 24 — says the hardest spot to guard has been the shooting guard. “Jeff [Jones] really lit me up the other day,” he said, smiling. “Guarding Jeff and [Farrakhan] off screens is really difficult, but guarding Mike down low is also rough.”

Offensively, Spurlock says he feels most comfortable on the wing, although he is in the process of learning all five positions on the court. One of Spurlock’s best attributes seems to be a high basketball IQ. That was evident when he discussed recent practices.

“You might see me bring [the ball] up. You might see me post,” he said. “When I’m at the ‘4,’ I can get a lot of mismatches with like Jamil [Tucker] guarding me or Mike [Scott] on the wing,” he said. “I can score on them, but the thing is, can I rebound or push them out of the lane on the defensive end?”

Off the court, Spurlock says that life at Virginia has been everything he

envisioned. Spurlock’s favorite class has been one in media studies — he says he wants to be a sports broadcaster someday.

Bennett, whose team has a closed-doors scrimmage with Marquette on Sunday, said he is still trying to get a handle on what will likely be one of the program’s main building blocks.

“He keeps learning and growing,” Bennett said of Spurlock. “We’re trying to figure out where he is best suited, but he has made a lot of strides since the fall.”

Dunks

Former Virginia star J.R. Reynolds was on hand at practice. Reynolds had been playing for a team in Naples, Italy. “Some stuff happened — they didn’t live up to my contract, so I got out of it,” Reynolds said. The Roanoke native, who is weighing new offers, said the silver lining is that he now has some time to rest the plantar fascitis in his foot.
 

Kastuk provides final line of defense on turf
Junior transfer finds inspiration in paralyzed uncle, hopes to follow in his footsteps as a physical education teacher
Meryem Karad, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor

Junior Kim Kastuk, starting goalkeeper for Virginia, has proved stalwart as the Cavaliers have maintained a No. 3 national ranking. Photo by Bennett Sorbo.

Junior Kim Kastuk, starting goalkeeper for Virginia, has proved stalwart as the Cavaliers have maintained a No. 3 national ranking. Photo by Bennett Sorbo.

Inspiration is required to succeed in any walk of life, and this degree of motivation can come from anywhere. For junior Kim Kastuk, the starting goalkeeper for the No. 3 Virginia’s field hockey team, her paraplegic uncle has been the driving force behind her success.

At the age of 25, Kastuk’s uncle Matt suffered a broken neck during a rugby accident that consequently led to paralysis. Her uncle was a physical education teacher, a profession Kastuk hopes to pursue once she graduates.

“Despite everything, he is one of the most positive people I know. I’ve never met anyone who just loves life so much and is so encouraging,” Kastuk said, “Just to see the influence he has had on kids as a teacher and role model is inspiring. If I have a bad day, I can’t complain about it. I look at him and everything he’s doing with his life and has accomplished.”

Kastuk, who never planned to play field hockey when she was young, was introduced to the sport in eighth grade by her middle school gym teacher. As a point guard on the basketball court and a clutch third-baseman on the softball field, Kastuk’s athleticism was evident. During her junior year at Putnam Valley High School, Kastuk helped lead her varsity field hockey team to a New York State championship. For a school only five years old, this was considered a monumental achievement.

“No one in New York knew who we were,” Katsuk said. “We just kept having upset after upset and eventually won the first state championship for our school of any team. That was definitely one of the best experiences of my life.”

Kastuk holds the New York state record in career shutouts with 63 and was selected to participate in the 2007 Junior National Camp, where she earned a spot on the national U-19 squad.

Before transferring to Virginia, Kastuk attended Boston University for two years, where she earned American East Rookie of the Year honors as a freshman. Among other accomplishments, she tied BU’s single-season record for wins by a goalkeeper, posted a 17-5 mark in 22 starts and ranked 12th in the nation in goals-against average at 1.25. She also recorded seven shutouts.

But in her second year, despite making two saves to pick up a shutout in 3-0 season-opening win against Northwestern, Kastuk saw her contribution to the team dwindle. During her sophomore year, Kastuk decided Boston’s field hockey program no longer challenged her the way she wanted. The school also dropped its physical education and health major, so Kastuk made the commitment to transfer to Virginia, allowing her to both develop as an athlete and fulfill her aspiration to follow in her uncle’s footsteps.

Since transferring, Kastuk has easily formed tight bonds with her teammates and adapted to her new team’s dynamic.

“Kim — or Big Mac, as the team loves to call her — brings a lot to the team on and off the field,” junior forward Kaitlyn Hiltz said. “She brings intensity, consistency and lots of laughs. It is the perfect balance, and we’re lucky to have had her join the team.”

Now that she is part of what is likely the strongest field hockey conference in the NCAA, Kastuk looks forward to the upcoming ACC Tournament.

“The tournament is going to be unbelievable and extremely competitive,” Kastuk said. “I’m looking forward to a good showing and going pretty deep into the tournament.”

This 5-foot-8 New York native has been a vital component of Virginia’s defensive fortitude this season. In 1,060 minutes of play, Kastuk has allowed only 11 goals this season and recorded seven shutouts, 41 saves and a .788 save percentage. Thanks in large part to Katsuk’s efforts, Virginia has posted a 15-2 record and appears well on its way to one of its most successful seasons in history.

Virginia welcomes Florida teams
Cavaliers look to extend two-game winning streak against Miami, ACC leader Florida State
Abbey Lou Hendricks, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor

Sophomore outside hitter Simone Asque was named ACC Player of the Week after matching her career-high 27 kills while adding a season-best 16 digs against Boston College last weekend. Photo by Bennett Sorbo.

Sophomore outside hitter Simone Asque was named ACC Player of the Week after matching her career-high 27 kills while adding a season-best 16 digs against Boston College last weekend. Photo by Bennett Sorbo.

Continuing conference play, the Virginia women’s volleyball team takes on Florida State and Miami in Memorial Gym this weekend, with the goal of avenging their late September losses to the Hurricanes and the Seminoles.

Virginia (9-13, 4-7 ACC) is riding the momentum of a 2-0 weekend after defeating Maryland and Boston College, mostly in part because of the team’s consistency on defense.

“It was nice to see our level of defensive ballhandling improve,” coach Lee Maes said.

That strong defense translated into effective passes.

“A good pass means a good set, which means a good hit, so it’s all relative,” sophomore outside hitter Simone Asque said.

Asque proved to be a key player in each match. She had a combined 48 kills, earning her the honor of being named ACC Player of the Week. Against Boston College, Asque recorded the eighth double-double of her career, matching her career-high 27 kills with a season-best 16 digs.

“When you get on fire, you know — she was hard to put out,” Maes said.

Although the Cavaliers may now know more about what to expect from their opponents than in their earlier matches, Maes expressed some concern about having fewer healthy players because of recent injuries. Nevertheless, he remained optimistic that his lineup changes will pay dividends.

“Even though we have a different line-up then when we played them, I think that may in itself help us, because they don’t really know what to expect,” Asque said. “It’s going to be a dogfight for sure.”

No. 17 Florida State (19-2, 10-1 ACC) sits atop the ACC standings with only one conference loss, and should prove a challenging squad to face.

The Seminoles are “a very difficult team to stop offensively, with how many different attackers they have who are threats at all times,” Maes said.

Florida State’s offense is centered around senior middle blocker Brianna Barry, who boasts the highest hit percentage in the conference, nailing more than half of her attempts this season.

Like Florida State, Miami (13-8, 6-5 ACC) will also pose a challenge for Virginia — sophomore outside hitter Lane Carico leads the ACC with 4.47 kills per set, while senior libero Cassie Loessberg leads the conference with 5.13 digs per set.

Though the competition will be stiff, Virginia will rely on its growth and preparation to carry through.

“We have a grasp of what worked and what didn’t the first time, but more importantly, it’s about our team just trying to focus on the things that we do well,” Maes said.

The Cavaliers take on Florida State at 7 p.m. Friday night and close out the weekend at noon Sunday against Miami.

Teams head to Cary, N.C. for championship
No. 11 women, No. 12 men eye ACC titles; win would be third straight for men
Aaron Bernstein, Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Junior All-American Emil Heineking will lead the No. 12 men’s team at the ACC Championships this weekend. Heineking set the course record at the Panorama Farms Invitational earlier this month, posting a 23:16.19 time. Photo by Jason O. Watson.

Junior All-American Emil Heineking will lead the No. 12 men’s team at the ACC Championships this weekend. Heineking set the course record at the Panorama Farms Invitational earlier this month, posting a 23:16.19 time. Photo by Jason O. Watson.

Although the men’s and women’s cross country teams have jumped out to impressive starts to their seasons, neither can afford to let complacency set in as they travel to Cary, N.C. this weekend to compete in the ACC Championships.

“I think right now we need to work on making sure the confidence we have been able to accrue thus far in the season carries over into the championship,” coach Jason Vigilante said. “Like every team, we need to make sure that we are healthy, and continue to do the little things, so that on championship day, our full potential is realized.”

The Cavaliers have been able to transform that potential into real results throughout the season. The men’s team, which has won back-to-back ACC championships, has climbed its way to the No. 12 national ranking after winning all three of its meets this season. The only ranked teams it will face Saturday are No. 21 Florida State, No. 26 Duke and No. 30 N.C. State, putting a third-straight ACC title well within its reach.

“We are ready for championship season,” junior Ryan Collins said. “I think that it all came together at our last meet at Panorama. We do need a little work with our sixth to 10th [place guys], but our first to fifth runners did really well at Panorama. We showed … we [were] able to compete with all the top guys there.”

The Panorama Farms Invitational, which took place two weeks ago, was Virginia’s most competitive race of the season up to that point. But the Cavaliers met the challenge head on, placing three runners in the top four, including junior All-American Emil Heineking, who set a new course record of 23:16. All five scoring runners finished in the top 13, separated by 50 seconds. It was the type of team performance the Cavaliers have stressed all season.

“Both teams have really impressed me with how well they have wanted to work together,” Vigilante said. “Early on in the season I really wasn’t sure, and they have been able to prove that the team is a very important aspect to them.”

The women’s team, on the other hand, suffered its first season loss at Panorama, finishing second to No. 2 Villanova. Despite the loss, the squad still retains a No. 11 national ranking, and the experience gained from running a competitive race against an elite team could benefit the team this weekend.

“I think any time that you feel that you’ve been challenged, the hope is that the team responds in a positive fashion,” Vigilante said. “Villanova really took it to us, and that’s good, because we know that if we want to be ACC champions on the women’s side, we have to bring every bit of effort that we had at the Panorama meet, and then some. It gave us the confidence that we can.”

The women’s team will need every ounce of that confidence when it lines up to race Saturday. Its toughest competition will be the defending ACC champion, No. 6 ranked Florida State, but No. 16 Duke and No. 28 North Carolina will be on the runners’ heels as well. Still, the women feel that they are capable of rising to the occasion.

“I think the team has done an awesome job getting ready for the championships,” said senior Lauretta Dezubay, who took the individual title at Virginia’s opening meet. “We’ve held back the reins when we needed to, and last meet we were able to really just run hard when everyone ran to their fullest potential. We got really fired and really excited for when it [counted].”

The men will step up to the line at 9:30 a.m., and the women will follow at 10:30 a.m.

Rivalry renews at College Park against No. 6 Terps
Revitalized Virginia looks to avenge 2008 losses to Maryland; ACC lead at stake for Terrapins in tight race
Meryem Karad, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor

Freshman forward Will Bates may be the catalyst behind the Cavaliers’ offensive resurgence, scoring five of his team-leading six goals in the past four games. He was named TopDrawerSoccer’s Player of the Week Monday. Photo by Bennett Sorbo.

Freshman forward Will Bates may be the catalyst behind the Cavaliers’ offensive resurgence, scoring five of his team-leading six goals in the past four games. He was named TopDrawerSoccer’s Player of the Week Monday. Photo by Bennett Sorbo.

The long-time ACC rivalry between No. 10 Virginia and No. 6 Maryland will be rekindled tomorrow when the Cavaliers travel to College Park, Md.

This contest is a must-win for Maryland (10-4-1, 4-2-1 ACC), the 2008 ACC Tournament champions, as the Terrapins seek to score their first regular season ACC title. Currently, Wake Forest leads the conference with a 4-1-1 record; a Maryland victory, however, would tie the Demon Deacons for first place. Coming into tomorrow’s game, the Terrapins most recently lost 0-1 to Wake Forest, as they could not recover from an early Deacon goal by midfielder Luke Norman, and will need to find success against Virginia if they wish to make up lost ground.

The Terrapin offense is led by junior forward Jason Herrick, who leads the ACC in game-winning scores with six. Maryland also has been able to distribute the ball well — 12 different players have delivered assists this season.

Defensively, the Terrapins have shut out six teams, mostly because of the strong play of sophomore goalkeeper Zac MacMath. With the departure of All-American Omar Gonzalez, Rodney Wallace and A.J. DeLaGarza to the MLS, however, the backline has struggled at times. The 2009 squad has relied a great deal on freshmen defenders to aid experienced senior backs Kevin Tangney and Kwame Darko.

To defeat the Terrapins, Virginia must take advantage of this uncertainty in Maryland’s backline and capitalize on its scoring opportunities. Fresh off a 2-0 win against Boston College at home, coach George Gelnovatch and the Cavaliers (10-3-1, 3-3 ACC) will look to continue their three-game winning streak.

“I think it was one of our most, if not the most, complete game we’ve played from start to finish,” Gelnovatch said of the squad’s victory against the Golden Eagles.

Virginia recently has increased its scoring production, scoring seven of its total 20 goals this season in the past three games. Freshman forward Will Bates in particular has helped revitalize the Cavalier offense, notching five goals in the team’s last four contests.

Additionally, junior goalkeeper Diego Restrepo, who has shut out six teams and holds an impressive 0.49 goals against average, will need to contain the Terrapins early in the match. They are 8-0 this season when they score first and hold the lead at halftime.

Even if the Cavaliers execute completely, though, winning at Ludwig Field could still prove difficult. Home field advantage is always a factor, especially in tense rivalry matches with conference implications.

“It’s a very, very tough place to play,” Gelnovatch said. “It’s pretty hectic and the dimensions of the field are a little bit smaller than we’re used to. Maryland’s an athletic, aggressive, pressing team. So generally the games there, with the crowds that they get, become pretty animated.”

Last season, Maryland won both meetings against Virginia, including a 2-1 win in Charlottesville and a 1-0 shutout in the ACC championship game. The Terrapins lead the all-time series, 36-25-7, claiming seven of the last 10 contests.

“As coach is stressing, we can’t take it lightly,” freshman forward Ahkeel Rodney said. “We have a good record and we’re doing good right now, so we just can’t let down.”