White: UVa's 'Complete Effort' Leaves Rider Shell-shocked
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 11/19/2009
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Tony Bennett preaches patience. It will take years, he says, for him to get the UVa men's basketball program to where he wants it to be.
And no doubt he's correct. But there are likely to be enticing glimpses of the future along the way, and Virginia fans got one Thursday night at John Paul Jones Arena.
Before an announced crowd of 8,061, UVa destroyed a Rider team that had opened the season with a stunning win at then-No. 18 Mississippi State. The Cavaliers dominated in every area and blasted the Broncs 79-46.
Rider coach Tommy Dempsey said his team arrived at JPJ expecting to win. Boosting the Broncs' confidence presumably was UVa's horrid performance Monday night in a 66-49 loss at South Florida.
"This'll bring us back to earth," Dempsey said.
The Broncos went 10 for 16 from 3-point range in their 88-74 win over Mississippi State, and they were 16 for 29 from beyond the arc three nights later in a victory over Lehigh.
"I thought it was good that they beat Mississippi State, because it really got our attention," UVa junior Will Sherrill said. "We were watching the tape, and they were knocking down 3's, and we really came into this game focused, especially coming off a loss.
Against the Wahoos' aggressive defense, the Broncos (2-1) missed 16 of 23 shots from long range. The game turned into such a blowout that Bennett was able to play walk-on guards Doug Browman, Tom Jonke and Thomas Kody in the final minutes.
"We were a lot more loose on Friday night at Mississippi State," Dempsey said. "Then all of the sudden you win that game, you win your next, and you're getting votes in the AP poll, and everybody's talking about how good you are, and all of the sudden the pressure mounts. And again, Virginia made us pay for that."
The 'Hoos (2-1) went ahead to stay 130 seconds into the game, on a fast-break layup by 6-8 junior Mike Scott off a pass from classmate Mustapha Farrakhan. By halftime, Scott was 6 for 6 from the floor, and Virginia led 36-22.
UVa had led by 22 midway through its opener, only to allow Longwood to shoot 54.8 percent from the floor in the second half. The Cavaliers won 85-72, but their defensive lapses irked their first-year coach, and he reminded them of that at the break Thursday night.
"I said, 'Hey, listen, you have to sustain. Talk is cheap. It's time to go out there and sustain, and don't let it slide defensively, and work for good shots,'" Bennett said. "They didn't let down, so I thought that was good."
UVa's defense, helped by Rider's poor shot selection, grew stingier in the second half. The Broncos were 8 for 30 from the floor after intermission and shot 33.3 percent for the game.
"Coming into the game, their shooting percentage was ridiculous," Virginia guard Sammy Zeglinski said, "so we really were focusing in on taking the 3-pointer away and making them beat us from the inside. Defensively, we were able to lock in the whole game."
After starting Scott and four perimeter players in each of the first two games, Bennett opted for a bigger lineup Thursday. He started 6-9 senior Jerome Meyinsse alongside Scott in the frontcourt and brought 6-4 junior Jeff Jones off the bench.
The strategy worked beautifully. Meyinsse played stellar defense and relieved the pressure on Scott, who finished with 17 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists in 28 minutes. Jones looked comfortable in his new role, scoring 11 points in 19 minutes. He was 2 for 5 from 3-point range and twice scored on deft drives.
"I like having a guy who can come off in that capacity and be a threat and score," Bennett said. "I thought Jeff would be a good guy to be a spark. I don't know if I'd call him Vinnie Johnson, the Microwave, yet, but he's a guy that can come off and stretch the defense."
Jones' contributions notwithstanding, Virginia's MVR -- most valuable reserve -- was Sherrill. A 6-9 walk-on from New York City, Sherrill never had played more than five minutes in a college game before Thursday night.
He played 16 against Rider -- 11 in the first half -- and finished with 2 points, 1 assist, 1 steal and a career-high 6 rebounds. The box score does not do Sherrill's performance justice.
"He really is a very good role player," Bennett said. "He'll give of himself, screen to get people open, play off of screens, and seems to be a pretty heady player. He did what was asked of him tonight.
"I thought he gave us a real nice lift. You need guys who are like that. They're kind of the worker bees, as we say. They just kind of keep things going. They just want to give of themselves."
Sherrill said: "I just tried to provide a spark when I got in there. It feels great to be able to really contribute in a meaningful way in this game and really help our team come together like we did tonight. Tonight was a real complete effort."
Sophomore guard Sylven Landesberg, who came in as UVa's leading scorer, had a quiet 10 points in 20 minutes, but his team didn't need more from him on this night.
"As long as we're getting wins, I can't complain," Landesberg said. "That's the goal of everyone on this team."
 

Postgame Quotes
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 11/19/2009

Virginia Head Coach Tony Bennett
On the significance of Mike Scott to the offensive game
"Anytime we can get a paint touch whether its passing inside or off the dribble it makes our offense much more effective and Mike showed some pretty good poise tonight because when we would throw it in, they would really choke or raid down and double him on the passer and Mike had enough presence of mind to kick it back. I think Jeff [Jones] got us off early by hitting a three and good things happened when the ball touched Mike's hands. That was important. He is our best scorer inside, so when he is not on the floor it puts a little more pressure on us but I think Jerome [Meyinsse] did a heck of a job defensively tonight on the interior. The reason I went with two bigs is I thought we were 17 of 52 against South Florida and I thought if we're not going to make a lot of shots, there is a chance to maybe get some offensive rebounds and maybe get some points that way. I think they got us some extra baskets. Good things happen when the ball usually touches the paint."
On the difference between the second halves against Longwood and against Rider
"I just kind of said, ‘Hey, you have to sustain. Talk is cheap,' and I said, ‘It's time to go out there and sustain and not let it slide defensively and try to work for good shots.' The shots were coming pretty easy tonight and I said, ‘Just be patient and sound and when its there, take it.' But they didn't let down, so I thought that was good. I don't know if it was as much Rider being cold from the three or us bothering them for the most part. They have been shooting the ball extremely well from three. They did miss some open ones, but we didn't have major breakdowns."
On taking Rider seriously after topping Mississippi State
"We have to respect everybody we play. This program will hopefully always do that, but it is not in a spot to take anybody lightly. We have to be ready to go and be rock solid. We always say we play against the game. Certainly we see what happens when we get sloppy with the ball or teams get hot on us and we break down, so I wouldn't expect us to look by anybody. I certainly hope our players wouldn't do that."
On Sammy Zeglinski's game management
"He is important for us in that regard. I got on him because I thought he tried to gamble a little bit defensively a couple times and it cost us, but for the most part he can move without the ball. When he gets his feet set and gets a good look I am very confident with him shooting it. He is important to get us at a tempo or a pace that gets us going. Sometimes when we get sped up, we get in trouble. I like it when we are aggressive, especially when our guards can push it and go. We had one stretch where we had four turnovers in a row in the first half and then I think we calmed down after that. I thought he was solid and steadied us for the most part. "
On first impressions of Will Sherrill
"He can shoot the ball and he is really a very good role player. He will give of himself, screen to get people open, play off the screens. He seems to be a pretty heady player and he did what was asked of him tonight,. He worked on getting people open. I told him to get to the glass and be rock solid defensively. I thought he gave us a real nice lift. We got in foul trouble, Jerome had two, and he played some valuable minutes for us. In practice he really puts some pressure on you, the way he gets the screen to separate and stretch the defense, although you didn't see that as much tonight. You need guys who are like that. They are kind of the worker bees as we say. They just kind of keep things going and want to give of themselves. He was grateful to be out there and I think he gave us a good lift."
On succeeding despite Sylven Landesburg's limited floor time
"I think we certainly have to get the ball moving. I think Rider probably had a little bit of an off night defensively. Some things were easy to get, but whenever you can have three or four guys in double figures or you can share the ball and get the extra pass, we get bodies moving and the ball moving we are much more effective offensively. Then you need those times when your key player has to just make a play, especially when the defense gets cranked up. It was nice to see some other guys get some opportunities and cash in on them."
On having Jeff Jones off the bench
"I like having a guy that can come off in that capacity and be a threat and score. I wanted to go with a more traditional lineup tonight and have two bigs for some play on the glass and just some ruggedness. I thought Mike, if he stayed out of foul trouble, his foot is getting stronger where he can handle more minutes. Getting Assane [Sene] back soon, I think you are going to have to compete somewhat down there. As I mentioned, when you're not scoring, maybe you can get some second chance points. The fact to bring Jeff off the bench - of the four perimeters that we have been starting, I thought Jeff would be a good one to be a spark. I don't know if I would call him Vinny Johnson, the Microwave yet, but he's a guy that can come off and stretch the defense and get a feel for what's going on and watch it. I thought he did a nice job."
On defensive progress
" I thought we played a good first half against South Florida. The wheels didn't come off in the second half defensively, but it wasn't as good and I think the scoring droughts put too much pressure on us. I think tonight, still some breakdowns, but it was more solid. I have to watch the tape and see if it was them missing or us getting a hand in their face. I think a lot of times we were there and we plugged up the gaps and they couldn't quite get the looks, but there were a number of breakdowns and we need to continue to improve on those areas when we lose vision."
Sophomore Sylven Landesberg
On 2-1 record
"2-1 is not a bad start. That one game at South Florida was tough. I feel like there were some little things that we should have done."
On missing Assane Sene
"Having Assane back is definitely going to be a big help. He just brings so much attention to him when we give him the ball. On defense, it's so hard to drive into the lane with him there, his long arms. It's going to be a lot tougher to score. He's definitely more of a defensive player. He loves it; he works so hard, the energy he brings. Every shot that goes up, he tries to get a hand on."
Sophomore Sammy Zeglinski
On playing defense
"We knew we were capable of playing great team defense; it was just a matter of sustaining it over a period of forty minutes. Tonight, I thought that continuously, we were able to lock in and focus, and there weren't as many break downs as before. We were able to find shooters. They [Rider] had four people shooting over sixty percent from three, so we were conscious of that. Just a continuous effort and focus on the defense is what changed the game."
On taking the game away from Rider
"We made them work for the shots. I think it made them a little tired on defense, and we were able to take advantage of them. They weren't offering very much resistance on their defense, so we were able to get to the rim and make shots as well.
Junior Mike Scott
On assist from Zeglinski
"I didn't think he was going to pass it. Sammy and I had that connection ever since South Florida. Sammy tapped the ball up, and I just went up and got it. I had to enjoy it."
On scolding from Bennett after celebration
"He [Bennett] said: "don't stare too long at the camera." He said ‘you can celebrate in a little bit, but make sure you get back in transition.'"
On preparation for Oral Roberts
"We've got to play defense like we did tonight."
Rider Head Coach Tommy Dempsey
Opening statement
"I would say first of all that Virginia played a great basketball game, combined with the fact that we played lousy. The results speak for themselves. I thought we got a real A-effort from them, so hats off to them, and we did not give them much of a fight, which was disappointing."
On what Virginia did well tonight to win
"They had it clicking tonight. They got in a good rhythm and I thought they shot the ball well. They went inside to [Mike] Scott early, which was a good attack. When we tried to double him a little bit they spaced the floor and kicked out to the shooters who made threes, so they put us in a bind. They had a nice inside-out rhythm going. I came down here expecting them to be a much more perimeter-oriented group. The fact that they established their post game tonight helped them get off to a good start."
On Dempsey's earlier comment about taking what the defense gives you
"We were chasing them all night. Even in the first half, we never got into a good flow. We missed a lot of shots that we have been making, quite honestly. We got down early, right from the start. It is not an excuse, we got drilled, but right from the get-go our starting guards were on the bench. We got behind, we were chasing them, and I think when you get behind you have a tendency to play too fast at times, and we took too many gambles on defense because we were down big. We started getting out on the ball too much and they were driving by us. Chasing them from behind is hard to do on the road. The result was a blowout."
On Gadson's big numbers going into the game versus his slow night
"They did a good job of keeping us out of the lane. We like to drive the ball and attack the paint, and they did a good job of staying in front of us. They switched a lot of screens, which I thought disrupted us a little bit. He just did not have a good game, too. You always look for a reason why but there are just some nights when your kids or your team does not play well. This was one of those nights. I think we played a little tight, to be honest. After beating Mississippi State and having a good win at home on Monday, we knew this was a chance if we could win again tonight to really burst onto the national scene a little bit with the Kentucky game on Saturday. I think we came down here expecting to win. I think that is a good thing, but I also feel like we felt pressured to win the game as well."
On being able to get back into the "loose" mindset on Saturday
"This will bring us back to earth, and will get us a little bit more focused on what we have to do to win our league. It will take away some of the national attention. We had started to create a snowball a little bit, even though it was early in the year. Needless to say, that bubble is burst."
On Landesberg's low profile tonight
"I am a big fan of his, I think he is a really good player, but they did not need him to be great tonight because so many guys had a good rhythm going. Tony went to the bench and his guys played well. It is one of those nights as a coach that is fun because your kids are playing well, they are clicking offensively, the other team is struggling, and it looks like you can do no wrong. Even the walk-ons were taking us on the dribble and making shots. We just got our butts kicked."
Senior Ryan Thompson
On going to Kentucky expecting to win
"We've got to turn this around. We had a bad game. Every team is going to have their ups and downs. We've just got to go in there with the same mentality we had before, and just not worry about this game."
On improving in Kentucky
"When our offense is clicking, we can probably beat any team. Tonight was a night that shows what we have to do when our offense is not clicking; we have to play defense better. Now, when we see that our offense is better, we have to start breaking down our defense."
Junior Mike Ringgold
On what went wrong
"We just missed shots."
On feeling confident against Kentucky
"We have to [feel confident]. If not, the same thing will happen that happened tonight. I think every game we go in thinking we're going to win."
 

U.Va. gets handle on Rider
By Michael Phillips
Published: November 20, 2009
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CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Will Sherrill always makes a lot of noise -- it's in his nature, he says -- but as a walk-on he's usually doing it from the bench.

Not so last night, as Virginia coach Tony Bennett opted for a two-forward lineup despite only having three of them at his disposal.

It worked out just fine in a 79-46 victory against Rider, as Mike Scott was distributing the ball from inside and Sherrill was enjoying 16 minutes of playing time, more than three times his previous career high.

"That's probably more than my whole career," joked Sherrill, who had six rebounds and two points.

There was plenty of time to be vocal on the court.

"Sheezy -- that's what we call him -- that's how he is," Scott said. "We have a great connection when he's in the game."

The easy chemistry came as the result of a strong passing performance from Scott. After getting triple-teamed on a play early in the game, Scott realized he was going to be a focus of the Broncs' defense and started distributing the ball.

"He's got a knack for that," Ben nett said. "If he can do that, he's a great threat, especially with his footwork and his ability to make some plays down there."

Scott finished the first half 6 for 6, seemingly able to do no wrong but briefly drawing the ire of his coach after converting an alley-oop from Sammy Zeglinski. Bennett ran out to Scott during the media timeout, telling him to get back on defense instead of playing to the crowd.

"I teased him afterward, I was like, 'Get back!'" Bennett said. "I've seen teams that you score on them, and they get on your back quick. It was a learning opportunity."

That defense was what brought a sparse crowd back to life after a two-minute stretch where Virginia turned the ball over four times and missed three shots.

Scott made a layup, then on the other end the defense held Rider down to 15 seconds on the shot clock. The fans rose to their feet, the Cavs completed the stop, and on the other end Mustapha Farrakhan made a nifty roll pass to Scott for an easy basket in the paint.

After notching an upset of Mississippi State, Rider found itself unable to create open shots against Virginia's defense. The Broncos finished 33 percent from the floor, in addition to going 5 for 12 at the free throw line.

"We just really wanted to focus on getting to the shooters and making them work," Zeglinski said.

Rider coach Tommy Dempsey said he found himself caught off-guard by how much of an inside team Virginia was last night, expecting the four-guard look that Virginia had played with so far this season.

Perhaps most encouraging for the Cavs was that they did it without a huge night from star Sylven Landesberg, who mostly faded into the background but still found a way to score 10 points and help the team build a game-high 33-point lead.

The night ended with three Virginia walk-ons getting their first playing time of the season. Senior Tom Jonke was in first, followed by freshmen Thomas Kody and Doug Browman. Browman is a Midlothian native who attended Montrose Christian.

For a change, they were coming on in replacement of a walk-on, as Sherrill took a bow after 16 strong minutes of keeping Rider on its toes and giving Virginia another option on a team desperate for big men.

"I wanted to go with more of a traditional lineup tonight and have the two bigs for some ruggedness," Bennett said. "I think you're going to have to be able to compete somewhat down there."

Cavaliers don't overlook Rider
The Broncs, fresh off an upset win over Mississippi State, are routed in Charlottesville.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Mississippi State certainly got Virginia's attention and those two teams weren't even playing Thursday night.

Rider, which had opened the season with a road victory over No. 18 Mississippi State, ran into a UVa team that wasn't about to overlook the Broncs.

The Cavaliers showed the first glimpses of the defense that has been new coach Tony Bennett's trademark and coasted to a 79-46 victory at John Paul Jones Arena.

"It was one of those nights as a coach that's fun," said Rider coach Tommy Dempsey, who wasn't talking about himself. "Your kids are playing well, they're clicking offensively, the other team's struggling and it looks like you can do no wrong.

"Even [Virginia's] walk-ons were taking us off the dribble and making shots. We just got our butts kicked."

UVa (2-1) was a 5 12-point favorite after losing at South Florida earlier in the week. The Broncs dropped to 2-1 with the loss.

"I think we played a little tight," said Dempsey, whose team visits Kentucky on Saturday. "After beating Mississippi State and having a good win at home Monday, we knew this was a chance to really burst onto the scene a little bit.

"I think we came down here expecting to win. We were a lot more loose on Friday night at Mississippi State. All of a sudden, you win that game and you win your next and you're getting votes in the AP poll and everybody is talking about how good you are, The pressure mounts and you lay an egg."

Rider, coming off a 19-13 season in 2008-2009, scored the first basket of the game and never led again. Virginia scored the next eight points and jumped to a 36-22 halftime lead. It was a 20-point game, 45-25, with less than three minutes elapsed in the second half.

The Cavaliers were led by 6-foot-8 junior Mike Scott, who made eight of nine shots from the field and finished with a game-high 17 points and nine rebounds.

Scott had been the lone post player in UVa's starting lineup in its first two games. On Thursday, he was joined by 6-9 senior Jerome Meyinsse, starting for only the second time in 61 career appearances.

"The reason I went with two bigs is, we were 17-of-52 [from the field] against South Florida and I said, 'If you're not going to make shots, there's a chance for you to get offensive rebounds and score points that way,' " Bennett said.

The Cavaliers made shots [29-of-56 from the field] and grabbed 11 offensive rebounds in beating the Broncs 42-27 on the backboards.

Bennett liked the two-post arrangement so much that he inserted 6-9 junior walk-on Will Sherrill with 10:42 remaining in the first half. Sherrill finished with two points and six rebounds in 16 minutes.

"That was more than my whole career probably," said Sherrill, who actually had played a total of 35 minutes in his first two-plus seasons but never more than five minutes in a single game.

Sherrill had seen Bennett's arrival and a renewed emphasis on defense as an opportunity for increased playing time. While Bennett wasn't totally disgusted with the defense in a 66-49 loss at South Florida, film of the Mississippi State-Rider game was a wake-up call.

"That was huge," Sherrill said. "We were sitting in here last night and this morning, watching them drain threes all over Mississippi State. But, I think it was even more that we were coming off a loss."

Scott said the Cavaliers were angered by the result at South Florida, plus they've got a history against upstarts like Rider.

"I was telling the freshmen that it was like this last year, when VMI came in here after beating Kentucky," Scott said. "We take every team seriously, but we definitely took this team seriously. And, it's going to be the same way Saturday, when Oral Roberts comes in here after beating Stanford."

Cavaliers surge past Broncs
By Whitey Reid
Published: November 20, 2009
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Bub Evans. Tom Jonke. Thomas Kody. Doug Browman and Solomon Tat.
For those keeping scoring at home, that’s a freshman, three walk-ons and a little-used senior.
With less than three minutes to play on Thursday night at John Paul Jones Arena, it was the unit that Virginia coach Tony Bennett had out on the floor — and this was a good thing.
Virginia, behind 17 points and nine rebounds from Mike Scott, 12 points from Sammy Zeglinski and a spark off the bench from walk-on Will Sherrill, led Rider almost from wire to wire and notched the first blowout win of the Bennett era — a 79-46 dismantling of the Broncs.
“Even the walk-ons were taking us off the dribble and making shots,” Rider coach Tom Dempsey lamented. “We just got our butt kicked.”
Rider’s 46 points were the lowest by a Virginia opponent in the John Paul Jones Arena.
After a so-so win over Longwood and a poor loss at South Florida to start the season, Virginia’s performance against Rider seemed like a sigh of relief to Bennett.
Rider (2-1) had come into the game on the heels of an impressive upset win at then-No. 18 Mississippi State.
After watching his team fire bricks against USF, Bennett saw his squad shoot 52 percent from the field.
It all started with Scott. A game after fouling out, the junior forward gave the Cavaliers a much-needed low-post presence.
“Mike showed some pretty good poise tonight because when we’d throw in, they’d really, we say ‘choke’ or raid down and try and double him…Mike had enough presence of mind to kick it back,” said Bennett, whose team hosts Oral Roberts on Saturday.
“Good things happen when the ball touches hands.”
It was early in the second half when Virginia (2-1), behind Zeglinski, turned the game into a blowout. UVa went on an 11-3 run to take a commanding 50-25 lead.
“We really wanted to make sure we didn’t let them back in the game,” said Zeglinski, who scored eight points during the spurt. “In the Longwood game, we kind of came out flat [in the second half]. We wanted to fix that tonight and sustain good defense throughout the night.”
Virginia held Rider to just 33-percent shooting.
For the first time in three games, Bennett
didn’t go with a small-ball lineup featuring four guards and a big man. He inserted senior center Jerome Meyinsse for guard Jeff Jones and slid Scott back to his natural position of power forward.
The reconfiguration seemed to work well. Virginia jumped out to an early 13-6 lead.
“The reason I went with two bigs was because we were 17 of 52 [from the field] versus South Florida,” Bennett said. “If you’re not going to make a lot of shots, then maybe there’s a chance to get some offensive rebounds and score points that way.”
The surprise of the half was when Bennett called on junior walk-on Will Sherrill to replace Meyinsse. Sherrill, who had played sparingly in the first two games, did a lot of little things and finished with a career-high six rebounds.
“We’re missing two big guys on the front line,” Sherrill said. “I knew coming into the game that we were going to try and have two bigs on the floor as much as possible. whereas in the first two games we mostly had four guards…
“I knew there was a chance [to play], but I go into every game with the same mindset that if I get called in the first five minutes or the last five minutes, I’m going to play the same way. When my name got called, I was just excited to get in there and help us out.”
One of the highlights of the game came toward the end of Sherrill’s stint in the first half. Scott took a lob pass from Zeglinski on the run and threw down a one-handed jam. It was the second game in a row where Scott and Zeglinski connected on an alley-oop.
“Me and Sammy have that connection, ever since South Florida,” Scott said. “I didn’t think he was going to throw it, but he just tapped the ball up and I just went up and got it.”
After the play, Scott did a little showboating. That irked Bennett, who came running on to the floor after a timeout was called to talk to Scott.
Bennett wanted Scott, who had done something similar against USF, to hustle back on defense.
“He kind of stopped,” Bennett said. “I don’t know if he struck a pose or what it was, but I was screaming, ‘Get back!’
“It was a teachable moment.”
Dunks
For the second straight game, Virginia forward Jamil Tucker was in attendance. The forward sat behind the UVa bench in street clothes. ... The announced attendance was 8,061. ... Virginia freshman Tristan Spurlock scored his first college basket — a 3-pointer — late in the game.
 

U.Va. notes: QBs hurting with Clemson looming
By Staff Reports
Published: November 20, 2009
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Cavs face Clemson with aching QBs

Quarterback Marc Verica will not play tomorrow against Clemson as he continues to recover from a concussion he suffered a week and a half ago. Jameel Sewell is listed as probable with a shoulder injury. He took all the snaps last week and is likely to start.

If Sewell can't play, coach Al Groh said the team will go with freshman Riko Smalls, who has not seen game action yet.

Running back Torrey Mack also is out with an ankle injury. Last week, freshman Perry Jones received four carries, his first action of the season. The team could also go without receiver Vic Hall, who is questionable with a hip injury. The Cavs' defensive health seems good.
Men's soccer team earns 1st-round bye

U.Va.'s men's soccer team took the night off last night, its reward for earning the No. 2 seed overall in this year's NCAA tournament.

The team plays its first game in the second round of the tournament. The Cavaliers will play host to either Princeton or Bucknell in a contest that will begin at 1 p.m. Sunday at Klockner Stadium.

This will be the 29th consecutive NCAA appearance for the Cavs, who won the ACC championship last weekend.
Soccer match delays Vols-U.Va. tipoff

Virginia announced this week that Sunday's women's basketball game against Tennessee, originally scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. in John Paul Jones Arena, has been moved to 4 p.m. to accommodate the men's soccer game.
Women's soccer faces daunting test

Virginia's women's soccer team is on the road after defeating No. 9 Penn State 6-2 in an NCAA second-round comeback Sunday. The Cavaliers will face No.1 seed UCLA today at 10 p.m. in Los Angeles in the round of 16.

U.Va. goalkeeper Chantel Jones (Clover Hill) will enter the game with a goals-against average of 0.67 and a save percentage of .819.

The Bruins (19-2-1) are 3-1-1 against Virginia overall and 2-0 against the Cavaliers in the NCAA playoffs.
Field hockey heads to NCAA semifinals

Virginia's field hockey team also plays today, as the No.2 Cavs face No.3 North Carolina in Winston-Salem in the NCAA tournament semifinals. The winner will advance to Sunday's championship game.

The teams have met twice this year, with the Tar Heels winning 2-1 in overtime in the regular season, and the Cavaliers winning 1-0 in the semifinals of the ACC tournament.

Sophomore Paige Selenski, who had two goals in a quarterfinal victory Sunday, was named the South Region player of the year yesterday.
White region's top female runner

Roanoke native Catherine White, a junior who transferred to Virginia from Arkansas, was named the Southeast region's athlete of the year by a vote of track and cross country coaches.

Last weekend, she became the first Virginia runner to take the regional title, in a time of 20:03.9. Her effort has earned the Cavs a berth in the NCAA championship for the second consecutive year.

U.Va.'s men also will participate in the title meet, which will take place Monday at noon in Terre Haute, Ind., and be broadcast on Versus. -- Michael Phillips
 

UVa Injury Report for Clemson Game
Nov. 19, 2009
7:58 p.m.

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- In ACC football, UVa (2-4, 3-7) travels to Death Valley on Saturday to meet No. 23 Clemson (5-2, 7-3) at 3:30 p.m. Below is the injury report Virginia released Thursday night, as per ACC policy.

Out WR Raynard Horne (back)
TB Torrey Mack (ankle)
WR Tim Smith (back)
QB Marc Verica (head)

Doubtful None

Questionable WR Vic Hall (hip)

Probable WR Kris Burd (shoulder)
LB Darren Childs (neck)

 DE Matt Conrath (ankle)

 TE Colter Phillips (leg)
QB Jameel Sewell (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







Recurring Theme: Poor Offense
Nov. 19, 2009
1:48 p.m.

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- There was the 390-yard effort against Southern Mississippi, followed two games later by a 536-yard avalanche versus Indiana.

Unfortunately for UVa's football team, those offensive performances were aberrations. The Cavaliers have played 10 games this season. In five of them Virginia has failed to total more than 201 yards of offense. Only twice -- against Southern Miss and Indiana -- have the Wahoos topped the 300-yard mark.

Among ACC teams, Virginia (2-4, 3-7) ranks last in scoring offense (19.8 points per game) and total offense (266.7 yards per game).

Among the 120 teams that compete in the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision, UVa ranks 110th in rushing offense, 104th in passing offense, 118th in total offense and 106th in scoring offense.

None of which bodes well for Virginia's chances this weekend. UVa plays Saturday at Death Valley, and 23rd-ranked Clemson (5-2, 7-3) is stocked with such game-breakers as C.J. Spiller and Jacoby Ford.

The Cavaliers have lost the time-of-possession battle this season, and "that'll certainly come into play here on Saturday, yes," Al Groh said Thursday afternoon.

"The more explosive the other team, the bigger item it becomes."

If the Wahoos were more experienced in their current offensive system, perhaps the numbers would not be so bleak.

"You're talking about over 50 practices that clearly would have been beneficial to things we're attempting to do now," Groh said.

Virginia's offense spent those practices trying to master the spread system installed by Gregg Brandon, who'd replaced Mike Groh as coordinator after the 2008 season.

The 'Hoos ran the spread in spring practice, during training camp and through the first two games this season before Al Groh, unhappy with the team's lack of offensive production, scrapped it.

Before the Southern Miss game, the Cavaliers returned to a more traditional offense, and they've stuck with that, with generally unimpressive results.

"Clearly, 50 more practices in what we're doing right now [would have been helpful], especially for some of the younger players," Groh said. "We had some older players, veteran players, that have good recall of what we were doing, but we have some younger players who clearly don't have the opportunity for any recall."

-- Jeff White

 

UVa Insider, The Column - Doug Doughty

In the early years of Al Groh’s Virginia coaching tenure, no other ACC team had a greater disparity between home and road performance.

Starting with a 34-21 victory over then-No. 22 South Carolina in 2002, Groh’s teams won 16 of their next 17 home games, twice winning eight straight home games during that span.

Now, the Cavaliers are working on another streak at home. They’ve lost their last five ACC home games and seven of the last eight home games overall.

So, what the difference?

“Talent,” Groh said in the shortest answer during his Monday news conference. “The most talented team wins most of the time.

There was an obvious follow-up question, “What happened to the talent?”

Skeptical of the answer I would receive at that point, I decided to wait until later in the week. Thursdays are generally a good time, when there are fewer reporters on Groh’s conference call.

Readers of this column will know that I blame poor recruiting for many of Virginia’s current problems. My esteemed colleague from the Charlottesville Daily Progress, sports editor Jerry Ratcliffe, says that Groh hasn’t gotten enough support from the school in the area of academics.

I’ve told Ratcliffe on several occasions, most recently on WINA’s “Best Seat in the House,” that I don’t agree with him.

But, as I was driving home at 1 a.m. Friday after attending my mother’s 85th birthday in Washington, D.C., the name “Mike Brown” popped into my head.

Mike Brown, a SuperPrep All-American from New Jersey, would have been a senior on this year’s UVa team. So would defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald, who has 8 1/2 tackles for loss and six sacks for Kansas State.

Quarterback Peter Lalich would have been a junior and linebacker J’Courtney Williams would have been a redshirt sophomore.

Brown and Fitzgerald were two of UVa’s top signees in 2005. Lalich and Williams were two of UVa’s top signees in 2007.

Fitzgerald was dismissed from school for an academic offense (everybody knows what that was) and the other three were arrested and subsequently dismissed from the team.

Fitzgerald was one of Virginia’s best players at the time of his departure and Brown was the Cavaliers’ punt returner. It’s hard to say how good Lalich and Williams would have been, although Lalich was UVa’s starting quarterback at the beginning of last season.

It was widely reported that Williams was transferring to Hampton, but I’ve never been able to find him on the Pirates roster and wonder if he would have amounted to anything at Virginia. (Amateur sleuths out there are welcome to investigate his whereabouts).

People have told me there were red flags with Lalich, but I didn’t hear a whole lot of people questioning UVa’s decision to recruit him at the time. The same with Brown, Fitzgerald and Williams. Groh didn’t have a history of recruiting derelicts prior to the dismissals of 2007-2008 and he hasn’t had that reputation since then.

My impression is that the current talent disparity comes from a combination of factors (and, again, I’m not giving Groh a free pass on the recruiting).

Here’s what he had to say Thursday:

“Football, in general, is a talent-driven game,” he said, “and, in college football, even moreso. There’s two things on the top list of what it takes to be successful year after year on a college and professional level, and that’s the acquisition and development of talent. Those count a lot more than tactics.”

“The position where that is most significant is at quarterback, When the player who was designated as the quarterback of the future was not available to us, it put us on a different course.”

Nobody will ever know how good Lalich would have been at Virginia. He’s currently listed as a junior for 20th-ranked Oregon State but has not played for the Ducks since enrolling at the start of the 2008 fall term, at which point he already played in two games for UVa.

The last time I inquired, Oregon State was waiting to hear from the NCAA if Lalich had grounds for a hardship appeal and he continues to be listed as the Beavers’ No. 3 quarterback, but he hasn’t been needed with senior QB Sean Canfield having a record-setting year. Chances are that he will not play and have two years remaining in 2010.

If Lalich grows up and gets the starting nod at Oregon State, maybe the Cavaliers will learn what kind of player he would have been for Virginia. With Groh’s tenure likely to end in the next 10 days, that’s something he could be considering for a long time.

UVa limps into Death Valley
By Jay Jenkins
Published: November 20, 2009
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Joe Torchia has been looking forward to the moment for years.
Given the Atlantic Coast Conference’s odd revolving rotation between teams in the Atlantic and Coastal Divisions, no player on Virginia’s roster has played in a game at Clemson.
In fact, the tight ends that showed Torchia the ropes, former standouts Tom Santi and Jonathan Stupar, never hauled in a pass inside Death Valley. Only Stupar even made a trip to the historic venue.
“It should be a great experience,” Torchia said. “Every college football player likes to play in those kind of environments, you know, where a big crowd is in the game on every play.”
The second-largest venue in the league, officially known as Memorial Stadium, has boasted crowds larger than 85,000 four times since 1994 and the Tigers have ranked in the top 20 in attendance for 20 straight seasons.
It has given Clemson, the first-place team in the Atlantic Division, a decisive advantage — the Tigers have better than a 70 percent winning percentage at home.
“When you go down there, you know a couple of things: it’s going to be loud, and it’s going to be challenging and it’s going to be fun,” Virginia coach Al Groh said. “It’s a great atmosphere in which to play in. Their energy, it’s right up there at the very top of the ACC sites that we go to.
“There’s a real football fever — it’s not just a Saturday afternoon activity.”
The same cannot be said at Virginia (3-7, 2-4 ACC), something the players have noticed and commented on this season. The Cavaliers have averaged just 46,224 fans at Scott Stadium, a drop in over 7,500 fans per contest from a season ago.
In terms of attendance by capacity, Virginia has filled up Scott Stadium at just a 75.2 percent clip. That woeful mark ranks No. 75 in the country.
Having a winning product certainly helps, as Clemson can attest.
“There is a real passion and a real fever for Clemson football,” Groh said. “So I’ve always enjoyed going in there. It’s challenging. They always have a very talented team. I mean, I can’t remember when Clemson wasn’t talented.”
Groh was rudely exposed to that in 1981 as the coach at Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons gave up 35 points in the second quarter at Clemson and were throttled 82-24.
“Football is really important not only to the players, but to the fans,” Groh said of Clemson. “And there is a very lively electric atmosphere. We haven’t been down there since they expanded the stadium or the renovations that went into it, but it was pretty imposing before it was renovated. [I am] kind of looking forward to seeing it.”
Extra points
Despite nagging injuries, Virginia is expected to have starting quarterback Jameel Sewell under center on Saturday. The left-handed throwing signal caller was listed as “probable” on the team’s injury report Thursday night.
That’s a good thing — back-up Marc Verica remains out of commission for the second straight game following the concussion that he suffered against Miami. Special teams standout Raynard Horne (back), tailback Torey Mack (ankle) and wideout Tim Smith (back) are also listed as “out.”
Virginia did not list a player as doubtful, but wideout Vic Hall is “questionable” with a hip injury.

At Virginia, Al Groh has established NFL pipeline
By Zach Berman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, November 20, 2009

On Saturday, Virginia visits No. 18 Clemson for what could be the penultimate game of Groh's nine years coaching his alma mater. That tenure, and especially the latter portion, is likely to be considered as one of underachievement when evaluated solely by the record.

But there is another measurement that, if not impressive to the general fan, resonates with those in a Virginia uniform. Sixty-five Cavaliers have gone onto the NFL after playing for Groh, including 22 selected in the NFL draft during the past five seasons. Groh produces NFL talent at a rate uncanny for a coach who has not had a 10-win season, much less a coach who might be unemployed in two weeks.

Although the NFL talent has more to do with the players than the coach, those players benefit from an environment that is not just based on the NFL -- for instance, many inside Virginia's program don't call it a program, but rather an "organization," and freshmen sometimes aren't freshmen, bur rather "rookies" -- but also in part predicated upon sending players to the NFL.

"We like to think that we're a full-service program," Groh said. "That everything that the player needs while he's here, that we're here to provide. Whether it's academic support, academic stimulation, strength training, football coaching, personal counseling, and then certainly if the player is fortunate enough to go into the National Football League, to make sure that he's well informed of how to handle the business aspects of it as well as the difference of the game they're playing. "

Groh takes many of Virginia's future professionals aside early in their careers and discusses how to work with agents. Instead of shunning agents' existence, Groh understands the reality. Fullback Rashawn Jackson and cornerback Chris Cook both said agents have contacted them, whether it's by telephone or Facebook or through family members.

In 2002, when Virginia played in the Continental Tire Bowl, a true freshman whom Groh preferred not to name played well in the game and was quickly contacted by agents despite being two years away from draft eligibility. Instead of steering a player toward a particular agent, Groh said he tries to ensure a player does not cooperate with agents who have bad reputations.

Any coach who waits until players are upperclassmen to start talking to them about agents "is about two years too late," Groh said. "We try to talk with the players who might be in that circumstances long beforehand. In a lot of ways, very early at the start of their career. It's just one of the facts of the landscape that you have to deal with to try to make sure that the players and their families are able to on sort it out and get with the really reputable, professional people."

Groh also boasts about the Virginia's accessibility for NFL scouts. Although practices are closed to reporters and the public, Groh maintains an open-door policy with scouts and personnel executives. They have access to the Cavaliers' video library to assess film of the players and are welcome in the press box on game days.

This is done not for heralded standouts such as Chris Long or Eugene Monroe, former Groh players who were selected among the top 10 picks in the NFL draft. Rather, it's for lesser-known prospects. Scouts can develop full reports based on the access Groh provides.

Jackson, whom ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. identifies as the No. 1 senior fullback in the nation, said before the season that he's not concerned that NFL teams have devalued fullbacks because he's confident Groh can use his NFL influence to promote Jackson's versatility.

Cook emphasized the benefit of playing in Virginia's 3-4 defense, which is more commonly used in the NFL than in college. Virginia's players who have seamlessly transitioned into NFL because of the scheme have witnessed its benefit.

"Having played under Coach Groh, this is a blessing for all of us," Long said in an interview last spring. "He encourages us to assume different roles. Versatility is stressed, and that's a big draw."

The NFL talent has not helped the Cavaliers win enough games, which will ultimately be a determining factor in whether Groh keeps his job. But for all of the angst about what happens on Saturdays, Groh's legacy will be seen in part by what happens on Sundays.

"We feel when those players give us everything they have and they still have dreams to go on, the least we can do is open the door and provide them as much opportunity to be evaluated," Groh said. "We'll answer their questions and they know that we're accessible to that."


 

Tiger seniors aim to wrap home careers with division crown
By Steven Bradley (Contact / Staff Bio)
November 20, 2009 - 12:18 a.m. EST

CLEMSON — Clinching the program’s first-ever division title in their final game at Death Valley would certainly be a storybook ending for the members of No. 18 Clemson’s senior class, and something they may just get the chance to do on Saturday (3:30 p.m., ABC) against Virginia.

“I can’t think of a better way to have my last game in Death Valley than to clinch the division and go on to Tampa,” Tigers senior tight end Michael Palmer said this week.

On the other hand, those seniors could also make their final run down The Hill having already clinched the ACC Atlantic, if Boston College loses at home to North Carolina earlier in the day.

And while the latter scenario might put a damper on the drama, senior guard Thomas Austin, for one, says he can live with that.

“We’ll take it any way we can get it, beggars can’t be choosers,” Austin said. “But obviously, we need to win the game.”

Some might consider that a mere formality, considering the Cavaliers (3-7, 2-4 ACC) have lost four straight coming in and rank last in the league in both scoring offense (19.8 points per game) and total offense (266.7 yards per game), but Tigers senior tailback C.J. Spiller said keeping the focus on Virginia instead of looking ahead to a possible ACC Championship game against Georgia Tech wouldn’t be a problem.

“No, it’s not difficult because we’ve got great leadership from our senior class,” Spiller said. “We’re going to make sure that these guys stay focused and don’t overlook Virginia. How can you look to Georgia Tech if you’re overlooking Virginia? So, that’s our main focus this week, and that’s what we’ll be preaching to these young guys.”

And that message won’t be a hollow one, because the Clemson seniors can speak from experience. Nearly all of them were members of the 2007 team that could’ve punched its ACC title game ticket with a win over Boston College in its home finale.

Instead, Eagles quarterback Matt Ryan, now a star with the Atlanta Falcons, rallied his team for a 20-17 win and the Atlantic Division crown.

“Sometimes you’ve got to go through the valleys to get to the mountaintop, and we’ve definitely done it,” Palmer said. “And now we’re climbing up, and to really be able to appreciate where we are, we had to have some of those close losses and things like that. It really does make it that much more special for me and a lot of these other seniors to really be in the position we’re at right now.”

But those valleys aren’t just from seasons past; Clemson (7-3, 5-2) has battled through its own struggles this season as well.

After coming up short in the fourth quarter in early-season losses at Georgia Tech and at home to TCU, teams both currently ranked in the top 10 in the country, the Tigers suffered a shocking 24-21 defeat at Maryland, a team that hasn’t won a game since, to drop their record to 2-3.

While that loss was certainly a low point, according to Austin and many of the other seniors, it was also the point when the proverbial tide began to turn.

“In the past, we’ve had a lot of talent and we’ve always been close, and it’s always been down to a couple divisional games that we haven’t pulled out,” Austin said. “And so, for us as seniors, not wanting to let that slip away, it was a gut-check after the loss to Maryland and being 2-3, knowing that our season was going that way. So for us, we had to really step up as a team, as a leadership group and really pull everyone together.”

And since that loss on Oct. 3, the Tigers have won five straight games, the longest winning streak in the young tenure of Dabo Swinney and the longest streak overall since the 2006 team won six in a row.

Clemson has scored at least 38 points in each of those five games — a first in the program’s history — and its rushing average has improved from 135.2 yards per game over the first five games to 205.2 for the last five.

And while the results on the field have certainly changed, Swinney attributed his squad’s remarkable turnaround to the fact that its senior leadership never did.

“This senior class didn’t come together six weeks ago, this senior class came together in January,” Swinney said. “They’ve been together. They’re not any different than they were (for) Georgia Tech, TCU, Middle Tennessee, in camp. They’ve been solid as a rock since day one. Haven’t wavered one bit.”

And that senior leadership has the Tigers on the brink of capturing their first Atlantic Division title, fittingly, on Senior Day.

And for Spiller, who passed up a first-round grade for the NFL Draft to come back for his senior season, winning the Atlantic crown in his final home game would only further validate that his decision to return was the correct one.

“It’d mean a lot,” he said. “I mean, it’d start a new tradition here at Clemson and get Clemson back to where it belongs and show the younger guys what it takes to get there. To go out on top your senior year, that’s kind of what you come back for. Every senior wants to do that. So to be in position this week, it’s just going to mean so much to us.”

 

Run blocking pushes Tigers higher
By PAUL STRELOW - pstrelow@thestate.com E-Mail

CLEMSON - After holding Clemson running back C.J. Spiller to 18 yards on 14 carries last season, his season low for a per-carry average (1.3), Virginia's defense can find some hope in last year's 13-3 defeat.

The Tigers' run-blockers have.

"We've watched some games from last year, and it's unbelievable how much better we are," tight end Michael Palmer said. "We were bad."

Palmer finally expressed what most observers believed.

While several factors have played a hand in Clemson's offensive outburst the past five games, the least heralded is the gradual - if subtle - improvement the offensive line has made since sticking redshirt freshman Dalton Freeman at center and using a rotation at right guard and right tackle.

The Tigers are averaging 170.2 rushing yards per game this season, 58.7 more than a year ago. Their yards per carry is up to 4.6 from 3.4, and their sacks allowed per game has dropped from 2.5 to 1.8.

Saturday's game presents a different challenge in Virginia's 3-4 scheme, which can call for as many as five players along the front line.

The new scheme will require Clemson to employ an entirely different blocking scheme.

"Usually you're working double-teams with your guards and centers, and now it's more tackles and tight ends," guard Thomas Austin said. "Their objective on defense is to occupy two guys, so we have to get our combo blocks down."

Virginia's past two opponents adapted well. Miami ran for 268 yards on 49 carries two weeks ago, while Boston College back Montel Harris gained 151 yards on 38 carries a week ago.

Home fires burning. Redshirt senior linebacker Kavell Conner may as well be the dinosaur of the defense - he was recruited to Clemson two defensive coordinators ago, lured from Richmond, Va., by former coordinator John Lovett. Conner stuck to his commitment after Lovett was fired.

Conner, who chose the Tigers over offers from Pittsburgh and Oklahoma, said he only was mildly pursued by his home-state Cavaliers. He starred at running back and safety in high school.

"My high school coach told me they said I wasn't fast enough to play running back," he said. "So that's always been a little motivation."

Focus group. Defensive coordinator Kevin Steele is no advocate of preaching to his players about avoiding a possible letdown.

For one, that leads to players putting even more emotional pressure on themselves, taking away concentration on the Xs and Os. Plus it breaks away from the weekly routines designed to teach players to treat all opponents equally.

"There's so much technical stuff to go over that we can't go into Psychology 101 for 30 minutes every day for that to be addressed," Steele said.

"It's not the lottery, where you go buy a ticket and sit in front of the TV and say, 'Boy, if I keep watching TV, there's No. 1 and No. 2 ...' You'd better go to work. That's where the real money comes from. ... You don't have to fall off a truck but so many times until you start learning from successful people what you need to focus on."

Extra points. Coach Dabo Swinney said Thursday that he will not decide whether Richard Jackson or Spencer Benton is the starting placekicker until pre-game warm-ups. "Still dead-even," Swinney said. ... Swinney, who turns 40 today, said he hasn't wasted time pondering how far the program has come this year. "It's hard for me to think like that," he said. "We lose this game Saturday, and we're just a 7-4 team that had a good run, that didn't finish. We've got work to do."

 

Cavaliers travel south for duel with Clemson
Win for Virginia keeps Boston College alive in ACC title hunt; defense hopes to spearhead victory, end four-game losing streak
Ashley Robertson, Cavalier Daily Senior Writer
Featured / Football / Sports
November 19, 2009 0

Boston College last week cemented Virginia’s second straight season without a bowl berth. This week, Virginia will try to spoil a different team’s season by knocking off division-leading Clemson.

The No. 18 Tigers (7-3, 5-2 ACC) hold a half game lead and tiebreaker over Boston College and can clinch the Atlantic Division with a win Saturday. With its own bowl hopes squelched, Virginia (3-7, 2-4 ACC) could complicate Clemson’s path to a possible ACC title and BCS bowl game.

The Cavaliers, though, will approach the game like they would any other and are not thinking about being a ‘spoiler,’ Virginia coach Al Groh said.

“Pick out your target, block out all distractions and take dead aim,” Groh said, explaining Virginia’s mentality heading into the match against Clemson. “It takes everything a team and a player has got to get ready to compete successfully, much less think about those extraneous things.”

It will undoubtedly take everything Virginia has to stop the multifaceted C.J. Spiller. The senior running back’s versatility has made him a legitimate Heisman contender. Spiller has racked up 14 touchdowns this season on six rushes, four catches, four kick returns and even a passing touchdown.

Spiller is “unique in his overall skillset; he’s clearly a dynamic, hard to get on the ground runner,” Groh said. “His kick return record speaks for itself … He is the true all-purpose threat, maybe as great as we’ve seen in this conference in a long time.”

Even if the Cavaliers can contain Spiller, they still will face a formidable aerial threat in senior wide receiver Jacoby Ford. Clemson’s offense, though in part led by Spiller, revolves around Ford, who leads the team with 548 receiving yards.

“Those two guys — they’re very explosive guys,” Virginia’s senior cornerback Chris Cook said. “I think we’re all lookin’ forward to this challenge. I definitely know we’re not panicking about it because we have a pretty good defense.”

Virginia’s overall defense ranks 45th in the country and its pass defense ranks 19th nationally.

“We’re all gonna play as hard as we can to minimize the big plays that those guys have in the game,” Cook said.

Big plays from big players have keyed Clemson’s recent turnaround after sputtering out of the gates with a 2-3 record. The Tigers have battled back with a five-game winning streak. A sixth straight win would secure their first-ever ACC title game appearance.

During the streak, Clemson has torched opponents for an average of 42 points per game. Spiller has rushed for 95.2 yards per game and totaled eight touchdowns.

As Clemson has climbed the ACC standings, Virginia has moved in the opposite direction. The Cavaliers have lost four straight games and their reeling offense ranks 118th of 120 FBS teams.

To end the skid, Virginia must come out of Death Valley with a win. From a visiting team’s perspective, the notoriously hostile environment is aptly named. The Tigers are 7-1 at home this season, thanks in part to their raucous 12th man.

“When you go down there, you know a couple of things — it’s gonna be loud, and it’s gonna be challenging and it’s gonna be fun,” Groh said. “It’s a great atmosphere in which to play in. Their energy, it’s right up there at the very top of the ACC sites that we go to. There’s a real football fever — it’s not just a Saturday afternoon activity.”

Virginia hopes to catch football fever this Saturday. The Cavaliers may not have a bowl game looming, but the team’s seniors have found enough motivation in defending their pride.

“These are the last two weeks that all of us are probably gonna be together on the same team, trying to achieve the same goals in life,” Cook said. “We’re just tryin’ to do the same things — just go hard.”

White: Field Hockey Team Ready for Final Four
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 11/19/2009
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- They weren't scared to articulate their goal. UVa's field hockey players and coaches believed the team could contend for an NCAA title this year, and they didn't hesitate to say so.
Kim Kastuk learned that after transferring to Virginia from Boston University, where she'd been the America East Conference's goalkeeper of the year in 2008.
At one of her first meetings with UVa coach Michele Madison, Kastuk recalled this week, "Michele mentioned how we have the opportunity to win a national championship and that's the type of team that I'll be coming into.
"It was definitely in the front of my mind, that this is what we want to achieve, but the fact that we actually did it, and I'm actually going to the final four, is just unbelievable. It's a dream come true, and I kind of feel like I'm dreaming. It's a little surreal, to be honest."
In their fourth season under Madison, the Cavaliers have reached the NCAA semifinals for the first time since 1998. Friday at 4:30 p.m., second-seeded UVa (20-3) meets No. 3 seed North Carolina (18-2) at Wake Forest's Kentner Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C.
The 2 p.m. semifinal matches top-seeded Maryland (22-0) and fourth-seeded Princeton (16-2). The NCAA title game is noon Sunday at the same site.
The ACC tournament was held at University Hall Turf Field, and the Wahoos advanced to the championship game, in which they lost to Maryland in overtime. They played their first two games in the NCAAs there as well. Not since Oct. 24, in fact, has UVa played away from Charlottesville.
"Being home is phenomenal, and the fan base was just unbelievable," Madison said. "The support for the team during both tournaments had a lot to do with why we're at the final four. So, do I wish it were in Charlottesville? Absolutely. But that's one of those things we can't control, so we just have to go play."
That the final four is at Kentner Stadium strikes the Cavaliers as a good omen. That's where they played Oct. 24, beating Wake Forest 2-0.
Still, playing away from home will seem strange at first, UVa sophomore Rachel Jennings acknowledged.
"Obviously we have a really huge fan base here and great support, and we're used to the field. We practice on it every day," Jennings said Tuesday at the Turf Field. "But I really have faith in my team that we can carry our play here to Wake, and the last time we played at Wake, we had one of our best games of the season, so that's always a good feeling."
This experience is new to her players, but not to Madison, who guided Michigan State to the final four in 2002 and '04. She's also a member of the NCAA's national committee for the sport.
"For the last two years I had to go to the final four and observe the other coaches, and I saw coaches who totally get hung up on the things that aren't important," Madison said. "They waste so much energy on the little problems, the little distractions. I said to myself, 'I'm not reacting to anything. All I care about is the hockey. Everyone else has to take care of everything else.'"
Virginia and UNC have split their two meetings this season. The Tar Heels won 2-1 in overtime Oct. 17. The 'Hoos avenged that loss in the ACC semifinals, edging Carolina 1-0 on the same field.
UVa has only two seniors -- Lauren Elstein and Traci Ragukas -- and more final four appearances seem likely for Madison's program. Still, her players don't seem to have a we're-just-happy-to-be-here mindset.
"I was actually just talking to my roommate, Michelle Vittese, about this," said Jennings, a triplet whose sister Erin plays for Princeton.
"Our aspirations are to win a national championship, and you've got to put that first. Obviously it's really exciting to be in the final four, but we have higher expectations than just making an appearance at the final four. I think we really just want to bring home the gold and win it all."
A season ago, UVa finished 14-9 after losing to Wake in the NCAA quarterfinals. That the 'Hoos cleared their second-round hurdle this year shocked no one associated with the program.
"To actually get there, of course, is very difficult, especially with the young group that we have," Madison said. "But we were hungry from last year, and we added even more talent and a strong goalkeeper, so we knew it was a realistic possibility."
Jennings said: "I think that was a realistic goal of ours, and I don't think anyone's too surprised by it."
 

Madison directs Cavs to top form
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: November 20, 2009
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A little more than four years ago, Virginia’s field hockey program was one big mess.
So, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that Michele Madison’s number was quickly added to UVa’s speed dial. Madison, known in national field hockey circles as “Dr. Fix It,” was happy at Michigan State. Thought she would never leave. That is, until she received that call from Charlottesville.
What she found was that the Cavaliers were definitely a fixer-up-er and so the Good Doctor went to work.
This afternoon, Madison’s team will be playing in the Final Four, its fourth straight NCAA tournament.
No negativity
One doesn’t have to be a field hockey aficionado to completely understand what Madison accomplished. In fact, it is more than easy to admire her deeds and how she went about fixing what was clearly broken.
“They weren’t a team,” Madison said when asked what the program was like upon her arrival. “That’s what we started with first. There was a lot of negative energy. Not enough structure. I sensed it had previously been a free-for-all, that the kids ran the program. There wasn’t enough leadership and direction.”
Enough said.
First thing, Madison wanted to destroy the negativity so she established “obnoxiously positive” as the new team’s mantra. Players weren’t allowed to speak a negative word. If they did, they had to immediately say 10 positive things on the spot: “Faith, chaos, and obnoxiously positive.”
That’s the slogan they would eventually wear on their bracelets when they advanced to the NCAA tournament that first year under new energy.
Turning it around
It wasn’t easy. She lost players along the way, but the ones who remained craved discipline and direction, specialties of the new coach.
Her work actually began before she even stepped foot on Virginia’s campus. She sent instructions for the team to move out of its locker room.
“Locker rooms are for teams,” Madison said. “When we’re a team, we can use the locker room.”
Well, they didn’t move back in for quite some time, even longer than the coach anticipated, but she got her message across.
“It took a long time for them to realize that everyone has to pick up balls, that we’re in this together,” the coach said.
There was no doubt in Madison’s mind that she would get things turned around. Virginia is the perfect place to build a field hockey powerhouse. Good academics, decent weather, playing in the ACC (a field hockey stronghold that boasts three teams in the Final Four), were all ingredients to lure the nation’s best.
She had gotten the job done everywhere she had been as an assistant, then as a head coach at Temple and Michigan State. In fact, Madison is the only coach in collegiate field hockey history to take three different schools to the NCAA tournament.
A month into that first season, she saw tangible evidence that her system worked again. Virginia defeated North Carolina in Chapel Hill, making believers out of her players.
“They were in tears and crying and I was like, ‘Why are you guys crying? You just won.’ They said they hadn’t won an ACC game in their careers,” Madison recalled. “I told them, there’s no crying in field hockey.”
Next game, they lost to Boston U. and were crying again.
Madison couldn’t handle it.
“I told them that the captain can’t cry in front of the team,” the coach said. “If you’re going to cry, go into the bathroom and cry. They said I scarred them for life.”
This season, Virginia set a school record with 20 wins, 3 losses heading into today’s Final Four semifinal with North Carolina, a team the Cavaliers split with during two close games. Ranked and seeded No. 2, it has been a banner year, partly because Madison emphasized defense.
Maryland, the nation’s No. 1 team and the favorite to win the title, plays Princeton in the other semifinal.
Whatever happens, Madison likes what this team has done.
“To see those kids with the belief in their eyes, well, that’s why I coach ... for that very moment,” she said.
Certainly, the Cavs are believers.
“This tournament means everything to me,” said sophomore Rachel Jennings, a triplet who has a sister playing for Princeton. “It’s what you dream of since you start playing field hockey. If we can succeed it will be unreal, something I’ll never forget.”
That’s how goalkeeper Kim Kastuk, a junior, feels about today’s contest, too.
“I feel like I’m dreaming, kind of,” Kastuk said. “All our hard work has paid off. We’re so excited to go to the Final Four and compete. We have a golden opportunity to get this school’s first national championship in the sport. It doesn’t get much better than that.”
Freshman midfielder Tara Puffenberger didn’t quite realize just how big a deal it was going to the Final Four in a sport that doesn’t catch the limelight often, but noted this has been an eye-opening experience.
“I didn’t really know what it was all about,” Puffenberger said. “Then after I saw all the TV cameras and sportswriters coming around, I realized it’s a huge deal. I said, ‘Whoa, maybe this is big.’ It’s one of the big accomplishments of my life.”
If Dr. Fix It has her way, it won’t be Puffenberger or Virginia’s last.
Every top 10 field hockey prospect in the country has sat on the couch in Madison’s office in recent months. She found it mind-boggling at first but now realizes they all want to come to UVa.
While her roster is fairly set for 2011 and 2012, she just booked a ticket to the “Hockey Festival,” an annual event with players on 25 fields from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. for four days. Originally, she hadn’t planned on going this year because of the logjam of talent lined up for her program, but because kids want early decisions these days, she has to go do her homework.
“I have to get out there,” Madison said. “There are masses of kids that are interested in Virginia. It truly is mind-boggling. But I’m not complaining one bit.”
 

Starsia Announces 2010 Recruiting Class
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 11/19/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - Virginia men's lacrosse head coach Dom Starsia is pleased to announce the signing of 11 student-athletes to national letters of intent for the 2010-11 academic year.

Joining the Cavaliers next fall are: Mark Cockerton (Monsignor Paul Dwyer HS/Oshawa, Ontario), Rob Emery (St. Ignatius/San Francisco, Calif.), Austin Geisler (St. Anne's Belfield/Fredericksburg, Va.), Pat Glading (Georgetown Prep/Bethesda, Md.), Pat Harbeson (DeMatha/Annapolis, Md.), Bobby Hill (Malvern/West Chester, Pa.), Tom Kelly (Rocky Point HS/Rocky Point, N.Y.), Scott McWilliams (Mountain Lakes HS/Mountain Lakes, N.J.), Frank Price (Holly Springs HS/Holly Springs, N.C.), Garrett Swankowski (Loudon Valley HS/Purecellville, Va.) and Owen Van Arsdale (St. Anne's Belfield/Charlottesville, Va.).

"It is always an exciting moment to introduce the future of the Virginia Lacrosse program to the public," said Starsia. "It is striking to note that these young men hail from the West Coast to East Coast and from north of the border to south of Charlottesville."

Cockerton is a 5-foot-10, 175-pound attackman from Oshawa, Ontario. He is the brother of current UVa freshman Matt Cockerton and the son of Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Famer Stan Cockerton, the one-time NCAA goal scoring record holder at N.C. State. Mark Cockerton is out of Monsignor Paul Dwyer HS and tallied 51 goals and 46 assists in 25 games, including playoffs, for the Whitby Warriors of the Junior A Lacrosse League in 2009. He led the Whitby club in scoring and was 11th overall in his first year playing in the Junior A Lacrosse League.

Emery is a 6-foot-3, 185-pound midfielder from San Francisco, Calif. He is listed as the nation's No. 7 rising senior by Inside Lacrosse, as the All-American enters his final year at St. Ignatius College Prep. West Side Lacrosse recognizes Emery as the top-rated senior in the West. Emery, who also plays quarterback for St. Ignatius, was a 2009 Lacrosse Under Armour All-Star.

Geisler is a 5-foot-11, 190-pound goalie from Fredericksburg, Va. Prepping at local St. Anne's Belfield, he is teammates with fellow signee Van Arsdale and former high school teammates with current UVa lacrosse member Howie Long. Geisler saved 70 percent of the shots taken on him as a junior, stopping attempts at a rate of 11.7 saves per game, while picking up 54 ground balls for the back-to-back state champions. Currently Geisler is rated as the No. 46 rising senior by Inside Lacrosse.

Glading is a 5-foot-11, 175-pound attackman from Bethesda, Md. He is the younger brother of former UVa standouts and current Major League Lacrosse (MLL) players, Bill and Danny Glading. He registered 21 goals and 32 assists a season ago at Georgetown Prep, helping them to a 20-3 record and a final No. 4 national ranking.

Harbeson is a 5-foot-8, 175-pound midfielder from Annapolis, Md. Rated as the No. 32 rising senior by Inside Lacrosse, Harbeson tallied 26 goals and 28 assists at DeMatha Catholic a season ago, earning all-conference honors in the WCAC. A 2009 Lacrosse Under Armour All-Star, Harbeson also is a cornerback on the undefeated and presently nationally ranked No. 10 DeMatha Catholic football team.

Hill is a 5-foot-9, 185-pound midfielder from West Chester, Pa. He turned in an all-state (1st team) performance a season ago at Malvern Prep, registering 25 goals and 14 assists, making him a 2009 Lacrosse Under Armour All-Star. Hill, a running back and defensive back on the football team, also earned All-American and first team All-Philadelphia honors for his lacrosse exploits.

Kelly is a 6-foot, 185-pound midfielder from Rocky Point, N.Y. He succeeded on 75 percent of his faceoff opportunities, while registering 26 goals and 16 assists this past season at Rocky Point, HS. Kelly is a two-time all-county performer in lacrosse and also was named a 2009 NYS Shootout All-Star in soccer.

McWilliams is a 6-foot-3, 195-pound defenseman from Mountain Lakes, N.J. Inside Lacrosse lists him currently as the No. 6 rising senior after helping Mountain Lakes HS to a 14-5 record. McWilliams was an all-state honoree in 2009 and was named an Under Armour All-Star. He is also the quarterback on the football team, which is currently 10-0, conference champions and playing in the Group I State semifinals on Saturday, while riding a 23-game winning streak which includes a 2008 state championship.

Price is a 6-foot-3, 185-pound defenseman from Holly Springs, N.C. He is a two-time first team all-state honoree, as well as an All-American last season at Holly Springs HS, helping the Golden Hawks to a 16-3 record a season ago. Price registered 142 ground balls and caused 118 loose balls last season, while scoring seven goals and dishing two assists. He is also a wide receiver on the Holly Springs football squad.

Swankowski is a 6-foot-2, 195-pound defenseman from Purcellville, Va. He was an All-American, AAA District Player of the Year and first team all-district selection after registering 63 groundballs and 44 takeaways last season at Loudon Valley. He also was district wrestler of the year in 2009 at 189 pounds.

Van Arsdale is a 5-foot-8, 160-pound attackman from Charlottesville, Va. The son of renowned UVa associate head coach Marc Van Arsdale, he is ranked by Inside Lacrosse as the No. 50 rising senior in the nation. Owen Van Arsdale registered 36 goals and 56 assists at St. Anne's Belfield a season ago, where he was teammates with Geisler and current UVa freshman Howie Long. He also earned All-American honors, was first team all-state and MVP of the 2009 state championship game. A wide receiver on the football team, Van Arsdale also was a 2009 Lacrosse Under Armour All-Star.

"We have signed brothers of present players and former players," said Starsia. "One is the son of a celebrated coach, another of a lacrosse Hall of Famer. They are talented multi-sport athletes, with two still leading undefeated high school football teams into their respective playoffs. It has been a pleasure to get to know these young men and their families and I am proud of the efforts of our staff to convince them to join us. I am very confident that fans of Virginia Lacrosse are going to thoroughly enjoy getting to know this diverse, dynamic group of student-athletes."

UVa opens up the 2010 slate at Drexel on Feb. 20. Faceoff commences at 1 p.m.
 

Virginia Men’s Tennis Signs Justin Shane
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 11/19/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE – The Virginia men’s tennis team announced the signing of Justin Shane (Falls Church, Va.) to a National Letter of Intent during the November signing period. Shane, one of the top American players in the class of 2010, will join the Cavaliers next fall.

“Justin is the type of player and person we are looking for in this program,” said head coach Brian Boland. “He is a serious student athlete and I fully expect him to excel at UVa. Justin is committed to developing his tennis and playing at the next level, which is consistent with the players on our team. He has a tremendous upside, a strong work ethic and love for the game. He is a perfect fit for UVa and I am excited to work with him.”

Shane is the No. 7 ranked recruit in the class of 2010 by tennisrecruiting.net. He won the Virginia AAA State Championship last season and has won several Boys 18s National Opens. Last summer he reached the round of 16 of the USTA National Hardcourt Boys 18 Championships in Kalamazoo.

“I couldn’t be more excited about becoming a Cavalier,” said Shane. “UVa has it all -- great coaches, tennis players, and academics. I am also happy to be able to stay in my home state of Virginia.”
 

Virginia Competes at Penn State This Weekend
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 11/19/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The Virginia men's and women's swimming and diving teams compete this weekend in a dual meet at Penn State. The Cavaliers and Nittany Lions begin the two-day event at 6 p.m. Friday and continue the meet at 11 a.m. Saturday from PSU's McCoy Natatorium.
Both the Cavalier men's and women's teams are coming off dual meet victories at home over Kentucky two weeks ago. Junior Matt McLean and freshman Lauren Perdue were each tabbed the ACC Performer of the Week for their efforts over the Wildcats.
McLean won both the 200 and 500 freestyle events, clocking a mark of 1:38.08 in the 200, which qualified for the national "B" cut. He also won the 500 in 4:26.48, the fastest time in the ACC this season, for another qualifying "B" cut. Perdue won the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle events for the second consecutive meet. The Greenville, N.C., recorded a "B" qualifying time of 1:48.39 in the 200 and holds the top ACC time in each event so far this season.
Penn State swam three weeks ago at Virginia Tech with both the men's and women's squads dropping the meet to the Hokies (184-116 men, 160-140 women) in Blacksburg.
Penn State freshman Amy Modglin had three wins against the Hokies, claiming first-place honors in the 100 back, 200 back and 200 IM. Teammate Lyndsey Smith took both the 100 and 200 breaststroke events. For the men, Basil Kaaki (100 fly), Brian Alden (100 free) and Ted Walker (50 free) were among the winners.
Last year in Charlottesville, both the Cavalier squads defeated Penn State. The men earned a 228-120 victory and the women defeated the Lions 210-148.

 

Virginia Travels to UCLA for NCAA Round of 16
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 11/19/2009

LOS ANGELES – The Virginia women’s soccer team visits UCLA for a NCAA Tournament round of 16 game Friday night. Game time at Drake Stadium is set for 7 p.m. PT (10 p.m. ET) and fans can follow the action on GameTracker and UCLA’s audio broadcast.

The Cavaliers (10-5-6) advanced to the round of 16 for the fifth consecutive season by getting a pair of results last weekend in University Park, Pa. In the first round, Virginia and St. John’s played to a scoreless draw and the Cavaliers advanced on penalty kicks 3-1. On Sunday, the Cavaliers rallied from a 2-0 halftime deficit to score six goals in a 20-minute span of the second half (watch highlights) to defeat Penn State 6-2 in the second round.

Virginia is making its fifth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament round of 16. That streak is tied for the fifth longest active streak in the nation, behind North Carolina, Notre Dame, UCLA and Portland, and tied with Florida State.

The Cavaliers are making their third trip to UCLA in the NCAA Tournament in the past five years. In the 2005 quarterfinals, the Bruins posted a 5-0 victory. In the 2007 round of 16, UCLA scored a 2-1 overtime victory.

UCLA (19-2-1) is one of four No. 1 seeds in the tournament. They opened NCAA play with a pair of home victories last weekend over Boise State (7-1) and San Diego State (5-0).

The winner of the Virginia-UCLA game will meet the winner of the Portland-Virginia Tech match in the quarterfinals next weekend.