Women’s Basketball: Tuesday’s game with Notre Dame postponed
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
The Atlantic Coast Conference announced today that the Notre Dame at Virginia game scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 25 has been postponed. The league will look to reschedule the game.
The full 2021-22 ACC women’s basketball schedule can be found on theACC.com.
The UVA Athletic Ticket Office will contact ticket holders directly with options under the Fans First program.
Men’s Tennis: No. 7 Virginia sweeps Richmond
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
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The No. 7 Virginia men’s tennis team (2-0) picked up a 7-0 victory against Richmond (0-1) on Saturday at the Boar’s Head Sports Club.
The Cavaliers won all three doubles matches and won the first four singles matches in straight sets. Senior William Woodall won the clinching match on court six, picking up a decisive 6-1, 6-1 victory against Josh Keitelman. Sophomore Alexander Kiefer preserved his straight-set victory on court five by winning a tiebreaker to determine the second set, 7-2. Both grad student Bar Botzer and grad student Gianni Ross, playing on courts one and three, respectively, rebounded from being edged in their first sets 6-4, to winning both of their second sets 6-2 to force third sets. Ross won his 6-2 while Botzer closed out the match with a 6-4 win.
Match notes
- This match was originally scheduled to be played on Thursday, Jan. 20, but was postponed because of inclement weather
Next up
- The Cavaliers close out the weekend by hosting No. 20 Harvard on Sunday, Jan. 23 at 1 p.m.
#7 Virginia 7, Richmond 0
Singles competition
- #71 Bar Botzer (VA) def. Daniel Kliebhan (RIC) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
- #66 J vd Schulenburg (VA) def. Alex Wernink (RIC) 6-0, 6-1
- Gianni Ross (VA) def. John Walsh (RIC) 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
- Jackson Allen (VA) def. Campbell Erwin (RIC) 6-1, 6-1
- Alexander Kiefer (VA) def. Sebastian Miano (RIC) 6-1, 7-6 (7-2)
- William Woodall (VA) def. Josh Keitelman (RIC) 6-1, 6-1
Doubles competition
- Chris Rodesch/William Woodall (VA) def. Daniel Kliebhan/Josh Keitelman (RIC) 6-1
- Bar Botzer/Jackson Allen (VA) def. Campbell Erwin/John Walsh (RIC) 6-1
- Inaki Montes/Alexander Kiefer (VA) def. Alex Wernink/Sebastian Miano (RIC) 6-3
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (2,4,6,5,3,1)
A-124 T:2:49
Virginia drops ACC opener to No. 18 Pittsburgh
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
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The Virginia wrestling team (3-3, 0-1 ACC) dropped its ACC opener on Friday (Jan. 21) falling to No. 18 Pittsburgh (6-3, 1-0 ACC) by a score of 25-10 as the Panthers pulled away down the stretch.
With the dual opening at 149 pounds, the Cavaliers got off to the quick start with a decision by 28th-ranked Jarod Verkleeren over Luke Kemerer. Pitt would then claim back-to-back weight classes before Justin Phillips would pull Virginia back even in the dual score with a decision over James Lledo at 174 pounds. Michael Battista, ranked No. 23 at 184 pounds, won his battle of ranked opponents with a 9-5 decision over No. 31 Gregg Harvey to give Virginia the lead for the second time in the match.
Virginia led 10-7 after five weight classes, but Pitt would go on to win the final five matchups to claim the dual.
Notes
- Jake Keating, who is ranked No. 28 at 157 pounds, wrestled up at 165 for the matchup with Pitt.
- Michael Battista defeated Gregg Harvey for the second straight season in dual competition. Battista helped lock up the dual win for Virginia last season with a 3-2 upset of Harvey in Charlottesville.
- Battista has now won 11 consecutive matches on the way to a 12-1 mark on the season.
- Trey Lane wrestled up at 133 for his first dual action of his career against No. 7 Micky Philippi.
- Evan Buchanan also saw his first dual action as a Cavalier in his bout at 141 pounds vs. No. 20 Cole Matthews.
Results
149: No. 28 Jarod Verkleeren dec. Luke Kemerer (Pitt), 7-2 – UVA 3, Pitt 0
157: No. 21 Elijah Cleary (Pitt) dec. Jon Errico, 4-2 – UVA 3, Pitt 3
165: No. 13 Jake Wentzel (Pitt) major dec. Jake Keating, 10-0 – Pitt 7, UVA 3
174: Justin Phillips major dec. James Lledo (Pitt), 13-5 – UVA 7, Pitt 7
184: No. 23 Michael Battista dec. No. 31 Gregg Harvey (Pitt), 9-5 – UVA 10, Pitt 7
197: No. 5 Nino Bonaccorsi (Pitt) dec. No. 11 Jay Aiello, 9-4 – UVA 10, Pitt 10
285: Jake Slinger (Pitt) dec. No. 26 Quinn Miller, 4-1 – Pitt 13, UVA 10
125: No. 21 Gage Curry (Pitt) dec. Patrick McCormick, 3-2 – Pitt 16, UVA 10
133: No. 7 Micky Philippi (Pitt) tech fall Trey Lane, 22-7 () – Pitt 21, UVA 10
141: No. 20 Cole Matthews (Pitt) major dec. Evan Buchanan, 10-1 – Pitt 25, UVA 10
UVA coach Steve Garland
“We had some good individual performances tonight, but we couldn’t put it all together as a team. Jarod (Verkleeren) got us started right and then wow did Justin Phillips and Michael Battista wrestle well. They were both attacking the entire match. That’s the way it has to look for everyone, though.
“Jake Keating wrestled up a weight against a returning NCAA finalist and attacked the whole time. He lost, yes, but he competed in such a way. He competed the way we want our guys to compete. The way you compete matters, not just the end result. We talked about that as a team afterwards and I trust the message got across.”
ACC Championships at JPJ
The Cavaliers will host the ACC Wrestling Championships on Sunday, March 6, at John Paul Jones Arena and tickets are on sale now. Tickets are $10 for adults (ages 19 and older; ACC students are admitted free with school ID) and $5 for youth ages 18 and under. Group sales (20 or more) are priced at $3 each. All seats are general admission and can be purchased online here.
Up next
Virginia returns to action next Friday (Jan. 28) when the Cavaliers host No. 22 North Carolina in a 7 p.m. dual at Memorial Gym.
Barnett sets freshman record, distance runners impress at Hokie Invitational
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
The Virginia men’s and women’s track and field teams completed the opening day of the Hokie Invitational at the Rector Field House in Blacksburg on Friday, Jan. 21 highlighted by a spectacular performance from freshman distance runner, Mia Barnett.
In her first ever collegiate attempt at the mile run, Barnett placed third in the event. With a time of 4:40.43, Barnett’s time topped an indoor freshman record set by Claire Forbes in 1990 (4:49.48). After the historic performance, her time ranks sixth on Virginia’s all-time performance list.
Fellow freshman, Margot Appleton, also turned in a spectacular performance as she too surpassed Forbes’ 32-year-old record in a sixth-place finish (4:45.35).
On the men’s side, Ka’eo Kruse also turned in a third-place finish in the mile run. His time of 4:01.56 shattered a previous best (4:11.74) and propelled the graduate student into fifth-place on Virginia’s all-time indoor performance list.
Yasin Sado (4:03.36) and Jacob Hunter (4:11.43) also achieved personal best times competing in the mile placing fifth and 14th respectively in a field of 33 competitors.
In her first attempt at the pentathlon in 2022, Alix Still placed fourth with a point total of 3849. The junior recorded a personal best mark in the shot put (11.01m / 36’1.5”) in the midst of a consistent performance.
In the women’s 60m dash, Kayla Bonnick placed third with a time of 7.50. The time placed Bonnick in a tie for tenth place on Virginia’s all-time performance list. Jada Seaman finished fourth in the event (7.55).
In the 600m Alahna Sabbakhan recorded a personal best as she finished sixth (1:31.934). Following Sabbakhan in seventh place was Keara Seasholtz (1:31.936).
Up next
Virginia will return to action on Saturday, Jan. 22 for day two of the Hokie Invitational at the Rector Field House. Events will begin at 12 p.m.
Virginia gets commitment from South Carolina offensive tackle Curry
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Photo: MaxPreps
Virginia offensive line coach Garett Tujague wasted no time to fill in spots along his depleted position room by landing a commitment Friday from Houston Curry, a 6-foot-7, 265-pound tackle from Simpsonville, S.C.
Curry announced his decision on his Twitter account, committing to UVA and canceling a recruiting visit to Washington State. He is expected to sign during the second national signing date in early February.
Curry is the 10th player in Virginia’s recruiting class, the other nine having signed in December. The Cavaliers have also added two players via the transfer portal in former Wisconsin wide receiver Devin Chandler and former Michigan State defensive end Jack Camper.
While he played left tackle for Hillcrest High School, Curry switched to right tackle in last month’s North-South All-Star Game. He committed to Tujague during an in-home visit.
Virginia lost its entire offensive line after the season either via graduation or the transfer portal.
After a great talk today with @Coach_TElliott and @Coach2J super excited to announce that I am 100% committed to the University of Virginia!!! #GOHOOS #BigMenLead 🔶⚔️🔷@train0187 @MrCoachFrate @CoachPerdomo @LeighJudy @JacquieFran_ @CoachSullivanF3 pic.twitter.com/crkgR1bGSg
— Houston Curry (@houston_curry) January 21, 2022
Women’s Tennis: No. 7 Virginia blanks Richmond, 7-0
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
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The No. 7 Virginia women’s tennis team (3-0) picked up a 7-0 victory against Richmond (0-1) on Friday at the Boar’s Head Sports Club.
The Cavaliers swept the singles matches in straight sets and won all three doubles matches.
This was the Cavaliers’ third 7-0 sweep of the season.
Match notes
- Freshman Elaine Chervinsky picked up her second 6-0, 6-0 victory of the season, topping Polina Shitikova by that score on court two
- Senior Amber O’Dell also won 6-0, 6-0 on court four against Helene Heiberg
- The Cavaliers only dropped three games in doubles, winning 6-0, 6-1, and 6-1
- Sophomore Sara Ziodato played in her first dual match as a Cavalier, picking up a 6-2, 6-1 win on court five
Up next
- The Cavaliers host ITA Kickoff Weekend matches next weekend with James Madison, Stanford and Arkansas vying for a spot at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships being held Feb. 18-21 in Seattle, Wash.
- Virginia will face James Madison on Friday, Jan. 28 at 3 p.m. followed by Stanford and Arkansas at 6 p.m. The winners will meet at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 29 with the consolation match to follow
#7 Virginia 7, Richmond 0
Singles competition
- Emma Navarro (VA) def. Emily Dunbar (RIC) 6-1, 6-0
- Elaine Chervinsky (VA) def. Polina Shitikova (RIC) 6-0, 6-0
- Sofia Munera (VA) def. Carly Cohen (RIC) 6-1, 6-2
- Amber O’Dell (VA) def. Helene Heiberg (RIC) 6-0, 6-0
- Sara Ziodato (VA) def. Marta Buendia (RIC) 6-2, 6-1
- Hibah Shaikh (VA) def. Sara Salemyr (RIC) 6-2, 6-2
Doubles competition
- Emma Navarro/Amber O’Dell (VA) def. Emily Dunbar/Sara Salemyr (RIC) 6-0
- Elaine Chervinsky/Natasha Subhash (VA) def. Polina Shitikova/Carly Cohen (RIC) 6-1
- Sofia Munera/Hibah Shaikh (VA) def. Helene Heiberg/Marta Buendia (RIC) 6-1
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (2,1,6,3,5,4)
Attendance: 38 Time:1:40
Virginia sweeps North Carolina in Friday dual
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
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The No. 18/1 Virginia men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams swept NR/24 North Carolina on Friday afternoon at the Aquatic and Fitness Center.
UVA’s women improved to 5-0 in duals with a 168-126 win over UNC, while the men moved to 2-3 with a 171-124 win over the Tar Heels. The Cavaliers won 23 events overall, with the men picking up 12 wins and the women finishing with 11.
Junior Ella Nelson highlighted the day for UVA with a UVA pool record in the 400-yard IM.
Women’s Results
- Virginia’s Kate Douglass, Alexis Wenger, Gretchen Walsh and Reilly Tiltmann, respectively, won the 400-yard medley relay in 3:31.90.
- Alex Walsh won the 100-yard and 200-yard freestyle events. Walsh took the 200 free in 1:46.64 and swam a season-best 48.59 to win the 100 free.
- Gretchen Walsh cruised to a win in the 50 free in 22.03 and completed her individual event sweep with a win in the 100-yard butterfly (52.43).
- Kate Douglass swept the breaststroke events, going 59.48 to win the 100 and 2:05.67 to win the 200.
- Carter Bristow had her first dual meet win with a 4:57.55 in the 500-yard freestyle.
- Maddie Donohoe won the 1000-yard freestyle in 10:16.65.
- Abby Harter won the 200-yard butterfly in 1:58.11.
- Nelson set a UVA pool record with a 4:03.95 to win the 400-yard IM to close out the individual events.
Men’s Results
- UVA took the top two spots in the 400-yard medley relay to open the dual. Justin Grender, Noah Nichols, Max Edwards and Matt King, respectively, finished first in 3:10.01 and Matt Brownstead, Scooter Iida, Josh Fong and August Lamb were second in 3:12.46.
- Brownstead and King took the 50-yard free and 100-yard freestyle, respectively.
- Noah Nichols swept the breaststroke events, with a 53.22 in the 100-yard breaststroke and 1:57.58 in the 200. Scooter Iida finished second to Nichols in both the 100 and 200.
- Jack Wright won the 200-yard freestyle (1:36.56) and 500-yard freestyle (4:31.20).
- Max Edwards clocked in first in the 100-yard butterfly (48.21) and Josh Fong won the 200-yard butterfly (1:46.90).
- Justin Grender swept the 100 and 200-yard backstroke for the second consecutive dual meet.
- Casey Storch closed out the men’s individual events with a win in the 400-yard IM in 3:46.60.
Diving
- Nicholas Sanders scored a season-best and the top score of the season for UVA on the 1-meter with a 309.23. Sanders also had a season-best and NCAA Zone A qualifying score on the 3-meter with a 329.63.
- Walker Creedon led UVA with a 336.90 on the 3-meter board.
- Charlotte Bowen led the UVA women on the 3-meter with a season-best score of 308.92 and posted a season-best 281.93 on the 1-meter to finish third in both events.
- Jennifer Bell was fourth on the 3-meter with a season-high 296.25.
- Lizzy Kaye scored a 270.98 to place fourth on the 1-meter.
Coach Todd DeSorbo
“It was a great start to our weekend, where we are recognizing our fourth years in their last home dual meet of their careers. The day started off great with some really awesome relays, usually relays set the tone for the rest of the meet. I usually know if the relays are good then the rest of the meet will be good and that held true today. Definitely saw a lot of fight and excitement in our team. They were happy to be home competing in front of a good crowd with a lot of family and alumni back in town supporting the team. It was a great atmosphere and great environment. The team swam really well. The goal was to come back from our meet last weekend at VT and just be better. I think we were better today. Really pleased with how we swam and how our diver’s dove. It was a great start to the weekend against a great rival in UNC, in the conference.”
“Really want to shout out to our fourth years in their last weekend of home dual meets. Really special time for them having been here and contributed, supported and put a lot into this program the last four years. So, excited for them and excited for them to compete again tomorrow and continue for the rest of the season.”
“Looking forward to tomorrow, an even bigger challenge with NC State in town. A great friend of mine, Braden, their head coach, so excited to welcome them back to town and I know NC State will battle hard and give us a great challenge. Certainly, we look forward to that as we prepare for the postseason that is coming up really quickly.”
Up next
Virginia hosts NC State in its final dual meet of the season on Saturday. Diving begins at 10 a.m. and swimming begins at 2 p.m.
Football spring game set for April 23 at Scott Stadium
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
Virginia fans can now save the date for the debut of Cavalier football under Fralin Family Head Football Coach Tony Elliott.
Virginia announced that the program will host its annual Spring Game on Saturday, April 23 at Scott Stadium. Admission to the event will be free and open to the public.
Counting the spring game, the Cavaliers will have 15 total practices. The first practice is set to begin on Tuesday, March 22. Additional details for the event, including start time, will be announced at a later date.
First-time season ticket holders can now place a deposit for the 2022 season. Fans can make their $50 deposit to secure season tickets at this link. A representative of the Virginia athletics ticket office will respond with options regarding seating location and pricing.
Virginia will open its 2022 season on Saturday, Sept. 3 when the Cavaliers host Richmond at Scott Stadium.
Saturday road contest at NC State next for Cavaliers
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
Virginia (11-7, 5-3 ACC) travels to NC State (9-10, 2-6 ACC) for an ACC contest on Saturday, Jan. 22. Tipoff at PNC Arena is set for 4 p.m. on ACC Network.
For Openers
- UVA has an 11-game winning streak at PNC Arena.
- UVA is 3-3 on the road and 5-3 away from JPJ.
- NC State guard Casey Morsell season played two seasons at Virginia before transferring after the 2020-21 season.
Broadcast Information
- The Virginia-NC State game will be televised on ACC Network and streamed online at WatchESPN.com and ESPN App.
- The game will also be broadcast on Virginia Sports Radio Network, VirginiaSports.com and Virginia Sports app.
- Live statistics will be available on VirginiaSports.com and Virginia Sports app.
The Head Coach
- Dean and Markel Families Head Men’s Basketball Coach Tony Bennett has a 306-110 (.736) mark in 13 seasons at UVA and 375-143 (.724) career mark in 16 seasons as a head coach.
- Bennett won his 300th game at Virginia with the 61-43 victory against Lehigh on Nov. 26, 2021.
- The three-time National (2007, 2015 and 2018) and four-time ACC Coach of the Year (2014, 2015, 2018 and 2019) guided the Cavaliers to their 10th ACC regular-season championship in 2020-21.
- In 2018-19, Bennett led the Cavaliers to their first NCAA national championship, a share of their ninth ACC regular-season title and a school-record 35 wins.
- Bennett has led UVA to 10 consecutive postseason appearances (2012-21) and seven consecutive NCAA tournaments (2014-21).
- UVA is 154-65 (.703) in ACC play (86-23 at home & 68-42 away), 173-34 (.836) at home and 152-45 (.772) in non-conference action (86-9 at JPJ) under Bennett.
- Bennett ranks third all-time in winning percentage (.703) among ACC head coaches with 100 or more ACC wins.
Hoo Are These Cavaliers?
- The Cavaliers play defense, take good shots, share and take care of the basketball, rebound, and play more defense.
- UVA is led by its returning backcourt of Kihei Clark (9.1 ppg & 4 apg) and Reece Beekman (8.1 ppg, 4.8 apg, 3.6 rpg & 2.2 spg), and the additions of transfers Jayden Gardner (14 ppg & 7 rpg) and Armaan Franklin (12.2 ppg).
- The Cavaliers added transfers Gardner (East Carolina) and Franklin (Indiana) to fill the void left by standouts Sam Hauser (16 ppg), Jay Huff (13 ppg) and Trey Murphy III (11.3 ppg).
- Gardner averaged 18.5 points and 8.9 rebounds in 79 career games at East Carolina, while Franklin averaged 11.4 points and shot 42.5 percent from 3-point range in 2020-21.
- Kadin Shedrick (6.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg & 2.7 bpg) and Francisco Caffaro (4.1 ppg & 3.6 rpg) anchor the paint. Shedrick started the first 16 games, while Caffaro has started the last two contests.
- Kody Stattmann (35.5% 3FGs), Taine Murray (42.1% 3FGs), Igor Miliĉić Jr. (36.4% 3FGs) and Carson McCorkle (33.3% 3FGs) provide perimeter depth.
Virginia All-Time vs. NC State
- Virginia is 68-83 all-time vs. NC State in the series that dates back to 1912-13.
- UVA has a seven-game road winning streak in the series.
- The Cavaliers are 13-1 in their last 14 regular-season games against NC State and 14-3 in their last 17 games including a pair of losses in the ACC Tournament.
- UVA has limited the Wolfpack to 57 or fewer points in nine of the last 10 games in the series.
- Tony Bennett is 14-3 vs. NC State as head coach at Virginia.
Last Time vs. The Wolfpack
- Sam Hauser and Trey Murphy III each tallied 18 points to lead then-No. 14 Virginia past NC State, 64-57, on Feb. 3, 2021, in Raleigh, N.C.
- Jay Huff added 12 points and team-high six rebounds for UVA (12-3, 8-1 ACC).
- Kihei Clark added a game-high six assists and Reece Beekman chipped in eight points, five rebounds and two blocked shots.
- UVA sank 20 of 22 free throws and went 19 of 41 from the field.
- Jericole Hellems had a game-high 23 points for NC State (7-7, 3-6 ACC).
Last Time Out
- Reece Beekman scored a team-high 19 points and added a career-high eight assists to lead Virginia (11-7, 5-3 ACC) to a 66-61 victory at Pitt (8-10, 3-4 ACC) on Jan. 19.
- Virginia utilized a 10-0 run in the first half and scored nine unanswered in the second half.
- Kadin Shedrick and Francisco Caffaro fouled out down the stretch, but Virginia led for the final 16:52.
- Virginia’s victory marked the eighth consecutive win over the Panthers as the Cavaliers also swept the season series.
- Jayden Gardner scored 14 points and Kadin Shedrick matched a career best with 12 points on 6 of 6 shooting.
- Both teams shot 50 percent and the Hoos outscored the Panthers 36-30 in the paint.
- John Hugley led Pitt with a game-high 23 points.
On The Horizon
- Virginia hosts Louisville in an ACC Big Monday contest on Jan. 24. Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN.
Beekman is becoming the player we all thought he would be
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Reece Beekman. Photo courtesy Atlantic Coast Conference.
Prior to Wednesday night’s Virginia win at Pitt, the last time a Cavalier posted as many as 19 points and 8 assists in a game was seven years ago when point guard London Perrantes accomplished the feat.
When Reece Beekman was informed he had just become the first Wahoo to put up equal numbers to Perrantes’ 2015 game, Beekman was flowing with appreciation.
“I used to watch London on TV, him shooting 3’s and making plays,” Beekman said. “Having stats matching his is a great feeling.”
Beekman was a key figure in UVA’s win at Pitt as he led the Cavaliers with that 19 and 8 performance. He knocked down 8 of his 11 field goal attempts, was 3 for 5 from behind the arc and was solid on defense. It was just another example of how the sophomore from Baton Rouge (he will quickly remind you that he’s really from Milwaukee) has developed his game this season.
Beekman is now becoming exactly who we thought he was when Virginia grabbed him out of Louisiana two years ago. Perhaps everyone was a little guilty of expecting too much his freshman season, but he has moved beyond that and is now ready to take over this team.
We already knew he was an elite defender, something that Pitt coach Jeff Capel pointed out in last week’s ACC coaches virtual conference, but Beekman has otherworldly on-ball skills at the point of attack and a great sixth sense for stealing the basketball.
He is the only player in the country to make at least 40 steals and 15 blocked shots this season. He leads the ACC in steals per game and is in the top three in assists (he has 15 over the past two games, and more than point guard Kihei Clark for the season).
“The last handful of games, Reece has really trended in the right direction,” Virginia coach Tony Bennett said. “He’s continuing to grow. That’s what you love to see as a coach, a level of belief in themselves.”
While Pitt’s Capel was well aware of what damage Beekman could do defensively, he wasn’t quite as concerned about the other end of the floor. Big mistake.
In fact, Capel’s game plan was to play off Beekman, knowing that the Virginia guard was making only 25.8 percent of his 3-point attempts and was almost gun-shy in terms of shooting.
There was some justification in that theory because during the first nine games of the season, Beekman was only 2 of 17 from the arc (12 percent). Since then, he’s 9 for 17 (53 percent) and blistered the Panthers from Bonusphere on Wednesday night, knocking down his first three triples.
“[Beekman] had a spectacular game,” said Panthers guard Jamarius Burton. “We followed the scouting report and he made us pay.”
Music to Beekman’s ears.
“It feels good,” Beekman said. “I’ve been working hard on improving my offensive game and it’s coming together.”
He told a media gathering back in October at the ACC’s Basketball Tipoff something similar, about how much time he has devoted to his shot. Now, it’s paying dividends.
Does that mean Beekman will put up 19 points a night going forward? No. Sometimes he will, sometimes he won’t.
Still, he’s the most explosive player that Bennett has coached at UVA, which is saying something considering Justin Anderson was pretty athletic. What’s surprising about Beekman’s ability to attack the basket, is that he’s not getting to the free throw line. He hasn’t even attempted a free throw since Dec. 20 when Clemson beat the daylights out of Virginia in Charlottesville.
However, Beekman’s rapid development is turning him into the “complete” kind of player that Bennett cherishes in his program.
He’s becoming the guy we all thought he would be and it couldn’t come at a better time.
Women’s Basketball: Virginia falls 61-52 at No. 20 North Carolina
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
Photo courtesy UVA Athletics.
The Virginia women’s basketball team (3-12, 0-5 ACC) fell 61-52 at No. 20 North Carolina (15-2, 5-2 ACC) on Thursday (Jan. 20) at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, N.C.
The Cavaliers cut a once 17-point deficit down to six points, 58-52, with 42.3 seconds remaining, but could not complete the comeback.
Junior guard Taylor Valladay scored a career-high 18 points and matched her career-high in rebounds with eight. Sophomore guard Kaydan Lawson grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds.
Deja Kelly led North Carolina with 18 points. Kennedy Todd-Williams scored 15 points.
North Carolina pulled out to an early 8-4 lead, but the Cavaliers used buckets from four different players, juniors Carole Miller, London Clarkson and Valladay and grad student center Eleah Parker, in a 1:48 span to pull ahead 12-8. UNC answered with an 8-0 run of its own, halted by a steal and fastbreak layup from Valladay with 35.2 seconds left in the quarter. UVA went into the second trailing 20-16, but the Tar Heels opened the low-scoring frame on a 10-2 run to build up a 30-18 advantage. Parker scored a putback basket with 2:07 remaining in the half, one of just two made field goals for the Cavaliers in the quarter. The Tar Heels, who went 3-of-16 from the field in the second, went into the break leading 32-20.
The Cavaliers kept pace with the Heels in the third period, with each team scoring 14 points until a layup made with 0.1 seconds left on the clock gave UNC a two-point edge in the quarter.
The Cavaliers mounted a rally in the fourth with a three-pointer and a jumper from grad student guard Amandine Toi followed by a free throw line jumper from Lawson narrowing the gap to single digits, 50-41, with 7:37 remaining. The Tar Heels converted an and-one on the opposite end to halt UVA’s run. The Cavaliers continued to battle with a second-chance jumper from Valladay building back up UVA’s momentum. Virginia trailed by 10, 55-45, with five minutes left in the game. Valladay pulled the Cavaliers again to within single digits when she made one free throw, missed her second, but stole the ball back from UNC after they had rebounded it, and made a quick jump shot to make it 55-48. UNC’s Carlie Littlefield hit a three-pointer with 2:46 remaining, the last field goal UNC would make. UVA chipped away with a turnaround jumper in the key from Valladay with 42.3 seconds remaining pulled the Cavaliers to within six, 58-52, but the Tar Heels went 3-of-4 from the free throw line down the stretch while the Cavaliers couldn’t convert on the offensive end as the Tar Heels held on for the victory.
Postgame: UVA coach Tina Thompson
“I think that we fought really hard. That second quarter kind of did us in. It was just really tough for us to score. I think that we defended well. We played against a high-power offensive team and definitely held them below their scoring average. Our kids fought. I’m proud of that. But, we have to put four quarters together in order to win in this league. We’re getting there. We’re growing with each outing. We’re definitely going to have to put four quarters together to get what we want out of this. And what we want is wins.”
Elliott names Cox, Lamb to complete football coaching staff
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
Virginia football coach Tony Elliott announced today the hiring of Curome Cox and Taylor Lamb to complete the UVA coaching staff. Cox will serve as the Cavaliers’ defensive backs coach and defensive passing game coordinator while Lamb will coach the Virginia quarterbacks.
Curome Cox
Curome Cox. Photo courtesy UVA Athletics.
Cox spent the past two seasons as the defensive backs coach at Air Force. He joins John Rudzinski on the Cavaliers’ staff, who was recently named UVA’s defensive coordinator after working the last 14 seasons at the Academy, including the past four seasons as the Falcons’ defensive coordinator.
This past season, Air Force went 10-3 and defeated Louisville 31-28 in the SERVPRO First Responders Bowl. Air Force shared the Mountain West Conference’s Mountain Division title with a 6-2 league mark.
The Falcons finished the 2021 campaign fourth in the nation in total defense, allowing just 296.5 yards per game, was ninth in rushing defense (102.2 ypg.) and was 19th in passing yards allowed (194.4 ypg.). Air Force’s top three tacklers all came from Cox’s secondary players. The trio of free safety Trey Taylor, defensive back Tre Bugg and strong safety Corvan Taylor accounted for 182 total tackles, six interceptions and 19 pass defenses.
In 2020, Cox’s first season at the Academy, two of the team’s top three tacklers came from the secondary. That defense ranked No. 3 nationally in scoring defense (15.0 ppg.) was No. 6 in total defense (303.3 ypg.), No. 5 in passing yards allowed (166.8 ypg.) and No. 4 in red zone defense (.692).
Cox coached four Falcons who received postseason all-star invitations including Bugg who played in the 2022 Hula Bowl.
A standout defensive back at Maryland who went on to play 43 NFL games with the Denver Broncos and Houston Texans, Cox coached at Connecticut from 2017-18, where he also mentored the Huskies’ defensive backs.
Cox coached both defensive backs and special teams at Coastal Carolina from 2013-2017, helping the program to Big South Conference championships in 2013 and 2014. In 2016, Coastal led all of the Football Championship Subdivision in interceptions.
Cox started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Maryland for two years beginning in 2010. As a player, Cox was part of Terrapin squads that played in the 2002 Orange Bowl, 2003 Peach Bowl and 2004 Gator Bowl. In the Peach Bowl, he returned an interception 54 yards for a touchdown. Cox still ranks seventh on Maryland’s all-time list for career interceptions with 10.
Cox played three NFL seasons. First signed by the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2004, he was part of Broncos teams that won the 2005 AFC West Title and reached the 2006 AFC Championship Game. He started five games for the Broncos over those two seasons, recording two interceptions along with 46 tackles and five passes defended.
A standout special-teams player, he was a finalist for the 2006 AFC Special Teams Player of the Year Award. In 2007, he played in seven games with the Texans as part of one of the top kickoff return units in the league.
Taylor Lamb
Taylor Lamb. Photo courtesy UVA Athletics.
Lamb joins the Virginia staff after working at Gardner-Webb the past two seasons. He coached the Bulldogs’ quarterbacks both years and served as the team’s offensive coordinator in 2021. Lamb previously served as a graduate assistant coach at South Carolina working with Gamecocks’ offense for the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
A dual-threat quarterback, Lamb had an exceptional career as the signal caller at Appalachian State. He finished his college career ranked first in Mountaineers’ history with 90 touchdown passes in 51 games (49 starts). He also ranked first in Sun Belt Conference history by the end of his time in Boone.
Lamb passed for nearly 10,000 yards (9,786), rushed for 2,008 yards and accounted for 113 total touchdowns. He finished his time at Appalachian State second to Armanti Edwards in the school’s record books with 11,794 yards of total offense and 36 wins.
As a senior he was named Offensive MVP of the Dollar General Bowl. It was the third of three consecutive bowl wins for Lamb as the Mountaineers’ quarterback.
Lamb was named Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year in 2014 after shattering several freshman passing records. He threw for 2,381 yards and 17 scores that season to start his career.
Lamb graduated from Appalachian State with a degree in physical education in December of 2017.
As a high school senior at Calhoun (Ga.) High, Lamb was named Georgia’s Gatorade Player of the Year and was rated as a three-star prospect by 247Sports.com. A MaxPreps second-team small school All-America selection that season, Lamb passed for 3,498 yards and 26 touchdowns as a senior under his uncle Hal Lamb. While at Gardner-Webb, he served on the staff with his cousin, Tre Lamb, who was the Bulldogs’ head coach.
Lamb’s father, Bobby Lamb, coached at Furman from 1986 to 2010 (the last eight years as head coach) and was the first head coach at Mercer University in 2011. He was named the first coach at Anderson University (S.C.) in 2021 for a program that will field its inaugural team in 2024.
Lamb and his wife, Halie, have a son named Cooper.
Staff Assignments
Here are the specific coaching assignments for the Virginia Staff:
Defense
- John Rudzinski – Defensive Coordinator / Defensive Backs
- Curome Cox – Defensive Backs / Defensive Passing Game Coordinator
- Kevin Downing – Defensive Tackles
- Clint Sintim – Linebackers
- Chris Slade – Defensive Ends
Offense
- Des Kitchings – Offensive Coordinator
- Keith Gaither – Running Backs
- Marques Hagans – Wide Receivers
- Taylor Lamb – Quarterbacks
- Garett Tujague – Offensive Line
Five Cavaliers named Preseason All-Americans by Inside Lacrosse
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
(© Augustas Cetkauskas – stock.adobe.com)
Inside Lacrosse announced that Virginia men’s lacrosse players Connor Shellenberger, Matt Moore, Petey LaSalla, Grayson Sallade and Cade Saustad have been named 2022 Preseason All-Americans.
Shellenberger was named a First Team recipient, while Moore and LaSalla garnered Second Team honors. Sallade was tabbed a Third Team selection and Saustad was named to the Honorable Mention list.
At the conclusion of the 2021 season, Shellenberger was named a Second Team All-American by Inside Lacrosse. The Most Outstanding Player of last season’s NCAA Tournament, Shellenberger led the Cavaliers after tying for a tournament-best 24 points on 14 goals and a tournament-high 10 assists. His 24 points during the tournament was the most by a Cavalier in program history during a single NCAA Tournament run. Shellenberger finished the season fourth in the nation in both total points (79) and assists (42), both of which were also UVA freshman records. Shellenberger also registered at least one point in all 18 games and tallied at least two assists in 13 games.
Moore was named an All-American Honorable Mention by Inside Lacrosse last season. He finished the 2021 season 10th in the nation in points (67) and became just the fifth Cavalier all-time to register at least 100 goals and 100 assists in a career. Moore scored 33 goals and dished out 34 assists on the season to finish second on the team in points. His eight NCAA Tournament goals, including five in the national championship showdown against Maryland, earned him NCAA All-Tournament honors.
LaSalla, an Inside Lacrosse Second Team All-American in 2021, was one of the nation’s best faceoff midfielders. Last season, LaSalla led the country with 277 faceoff wins, which was also a single-season program record. He also set a program record after finishing third in the nation with 137 ground balls. LaSalla’s 62.4 winning-percentage at the center X was good for 12th in the nation. In 2021, he became the first player in UVA history to tally five games with at least 20 faceoff wins in a single season, which is also a career best for LaSalla.
One of the nation’s best short-stick defensive midfielders, Sallade was a work horse for the Cavaliers, appearing in all 18 of UVA’s games in 2021. Last season, he collected 54 ground balls, including eight in Virginia’s NCAA semifinals matchup against North Carolina, and caused 13 turnovers on the season. In addition to Moore and Saustad, Sallade has been named one of three team captains this season.
Saustad was named a USILA All-America Honorable Mention after starting in all 18 games and finished third on the team with 17 caused turnovers. In last year’s NCAA Tournament, Saustad and the Cavaliers defense held Georgetown standout Jake Carraway scoreless in the NCAA Quarterfinal round, snapping the longest active scoring streak (44 games) in the nation at the time. Saustad also held Tewaaraton Trophy winner Jared Bernhardt to just two goals in the NCAA title game, both of which came off slides. For his performance last season, Saustad was named to the VaSID All-State Team.
Men’s Tennis: No. 7 Virginia opens season with sweep of Liberty
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
(© s-motive – stock.adobe.com)
The No. 7 Virginia men’s tennis team opened the 2022 dual match season with a 7-0 sweep against Liberty on Thursday at the Boar’s Head Sports Club.
Virginia was scheduled to play a doubleheader, taking on Richmond (0-0) in the second match of the day, but that contest has been rescheduled for Saturday, Jan. 22 at 11 a.m.
The Cavaliers won all three doubles matches against Liberty and took five singles matches in straight sets. Sophomore Chris Rodesch preserved the sweep with a three-set victory on court one. Rodesch dropped the first set 6-3 against Nicaise Muamba, but won the second 6-3 to force the decider. The players were knotted 4-4 when Rodesch won a deuce point to go up a break. He then won another deuce point to hold serve and close out the match.
#7 Virginia 7, Liberty 0
Singles competition
- #27 Chris Rodesch (VA) def. Nicaise Muamba (LIBERTYM) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
- #52 Inaki Montes (VA) def. Josh Wilson (LIBERTYM) 6-3, 6-0
- #71 Bar Botzer (VA) def. R. Marques Da Silva (LIBERTYM) 6-4, 6-3
- #66 J vd Schulenburg (VA) def. Christiaan Worst (LIBERTYM) 6-2, 6-3
- #27 Ryan Goetz (VA) def. Deji Thomas-Smith (LIBERTYM) 6-2, 6-4
- Gianni Ross (VA) def. Goncalo Ferreira (LIBERTYM) 6-0, 6-1
Doubles competition
- Chris Rodesch/William Woodall (VA) def. Deji Thomas-Smith/Christiaan Worst (LIBERTYM) 6-3
- Inaki Montes/Ryan Goetz (VA) def. Nicaise Muamba/R. Marques Da Silva (LIBERTYM) 6-4
- Bar Botzer/J vd Schulenburg (VA) def. Goncalo Ferreira/Josh Wilson (LIBERTYM) 6-3
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (6,2,4,5,3,1)
Beekman leads the way as Virginia sweeps Pitt, 66-61
By Scott Ratcliffe
Photo: UVA Athletics
Virginia went up to Pittsburgh and completed the season sweep Wednesday night, making it eight wins in a row against the Panthers with a 66-61 victory. Second-year guard Reece Beekman led the Cavaliers (11-7, 5-3 ACC) with 19 points, as UVA kept itself a game and a half out of first place in the conference standings.
Kadin Shedrick matched a career high with 12 points — on 6-of-6 shooting — and Jayden Gardner added 14, as the Wahoos won their third ACC road game of the season.
Armaan Franklin’s basket with 26 seconds left made it a two-possession game, and Pitt couldn’t convert on the ensuing trip, as Kihei Clark sealed the contest with a pair of free throws with 9.3 ticks left.
The Hoos connected on seven of their first 10 shots to start the second half and took a 43-36 lead on an easy Beekman jam off an inbound feed from Clark with 13:45 to play.
Pitt responded, trimming it to 45-44 as the game went under the 10-minute mark, but the Hoos turned it on offensively, scoring the game’s next nine points, capped by a Clark 3-pointer to push the lead to double digits for the first time all night.
All three Cavalier big men — Gardner, Shedrick and Francisco Caffaro — had picked up four fouls coming out of the final media timeout, making things interesting down the stretch. Both Caffaro and Shedrick fouled out, leaving just Gardner to man the middle.
The Panthers (7-11, 2-5) wouldn’t throw in the towel, cutting it to 62-59, but Mouhamadou Gueye and Femi Odukale each missed layups with under a minute to go.
Virginia shot 60 percent in the second half (15 for 25) and 50 percent for the game (27 for 54), connecting on just 4 of 17 from 3-point land. The Hoos scored 21 points off of Pitt’s 15 turnovers.
Beekman finished the game missing only three of his 11 field-goal attempts, dishing out a career-high 8 assists in the process. He’s the first Cavalier with 19-plus points and 8-plus assists in a game since London Perrantes in 2015.
The Panthers shot 50 percent overall (21 for 42), including just 1 of 6 (17 percent) from long distance, and outrebounded Virginia, 29-25. Pitt’s John Hugley led all scorers with 23 points in the losing effort.
FIRST HALF
As the teams traded punches in the early going, the Cavalier defense forced four Panther turnovers in the first nine minutes, but couldn’t get things going on the offensive end. Virginia misfired on five of its first 16 shots to open the contest.
Pitt grabbed a 14-10 lead midway through, the largest lead for either side up to that point. The Hoos went ahead with their first 3-pointer of the night, as Beekman got one to drop after the team missed on their first five tries.
The lead continued to see-saw back and forth before Pitt went up by five, but the Hoos hung around and knotted it up at 22-all on Beekman’s second triple of the half. Gardner followed that up with a jumper, and then Beekman sank another from downtown to cap off a 10-0 UVA run to make it 27-22 with 1:12 remaining.
Beekman was 3 for 3 from beyond the arc in the first half, while the rest of the Hoos combined to miss all seven of their 3-point attempts.
Hugley converted a three-point play with 46 ticks left, but Clark’s bucket on the ensuing end gave the Cavaliers a 29-25 edge at the break, in a half that saw four ties and eight lead changes.
Team Notes
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
- Virginia improved to 11-7, 5-3 ACC
- UVA is 3-3 on the road
- UVA shot 50 percent, including 60 percent in the second half (15 of 25)
- UVA owned a 36-30 advantage in the paint
- UVA used a 10-0 run to gain a 27-22 lead
- UVA led 29-25 at the half
Series Notes
- Virginia is 19-4 all-time vs. Pitt in the series that dates back to 1957-58.
- UVA has won eight straight contests vs. the Panthers and swept the season series
- Virginia has won 15 of the last 16 games against Pitt, including an 8-3 record in Pittsburgh
- UVA is 12-1 against Pitt since 2013-14 when the Panthers joined the ACC
- The Cavaliers have a three-game winning streak against the Panthers at Petersen Events Center
- Tony Bennett is 12-2 all-time vs. Pitt
Player Notes
- Double Figure Scorers: Reece Beekman (19), Jayden Gardner (14), Kadin Shedrick (12)
- Beekman reached double figures for the sixth time (9th career)
- Beekman has an eight-game steal streak
- Beekman had a career-high eight assists
- Beekman matched career highs in 3-pointers (3) and blocks (2)
- Gardner reached double figures for the ninth time (82nd career)
- Shedrick matched a career high with 12 points
- Shedrick reached double figures for the fourth time (6th career)
- Shedrick (2 blocks) had his 14th multi-block game
UP NEXT
Virginia travels to Raleigh to take on NC State at 4 p.m. Saturday on ACC Network before returning home for a Monday-night showdown with Louisville (7 p.m., ESPN).
Catching up with all-time Virginia Football great Ray Roberts
All-time Virginia Football great Ray Roberts joins “The Jerry Ratcliffe Show” to talk about his days on Grounds, new coach Tony Elliott, and his work with Special Olympics.
Virginia tabs Gardner-Webb’s Taylor Lamb as new QB coach
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Sources have told Football Scoop that Virginia’s Tony Elliott has landed his new quarterbacks coach in Taylor Lamb, offensive coordinator and QB coach for Gardner Webb University.
Lamb has been GW’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for one season after serving the previous two years as a grad assistant working with South Carolina’s offense.
Lamb is a former record-setting dual threat quarterback at Appalachian State, accumulating nearly 12,000 yards of total offense during his career in Boone. He passed for 9,786 yards and rushed for 2,008 more and accounted for 113 career touchdowns.
He ranked first in Sun Belt Conference history at the end of his career with 90 TD passes in 51 yards, while leading the Mountaineers from FCS to FBS status.
Women’s Basketball: Virginia falls in a Smithfield Commonwealth Clash contest
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
The Virginia women’s basketball team (3-11, 0-4 ACC) suffered a 69-52 loss at Virginia Tech (13-4, 5-1 ACC) in a Smithfield Commonwealth Clash game on Tuesday (Jan. 18) at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Va.
Virginia Tech took advantage of a second-quarter scoring drought by the Cavaliers to turn a one-point game into a double-digit lead. Virginia was not able to mount a long enough run to overcome the deficit.
The Cavaliers had three players finish the game in doubles figures. Junior guard Taylor Valladay scored a career-high 16 points. Grad student guard Amandine Toi scored 15 points. Grad student center Eleah Parker scored 12 points with six rebounds and three blocked shots.
Elizabeth Kitley led the Hokies with 24 points, 10 rebounds and six blocked shots.
Owens named ACC Men’s Field Performer of the Week
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
Owayne Owens of Virginia’s men’s track and field program was recognized as the ACC Men’s Field Performer of the Week.
The defending ACC triple jump champion opened his indoor season with an impressive performance in the event as his mark of 16.23m (53’3”) ranks No. 1 nationally. He finished as the top collegian amongst a field of 14 competitors at the Virginia Tech Invitational.
Owens is one of just three athletes to clear 16 meters (52’6”) in the young season.
In the Virginia record books Owens ranks third on the all-time indoor performance list in the triple jump. He achieved the status after a sixth-place performance at the 2021 NCAA Indoor Championships where he posted his personal best mark of 16.53m (54’2.75”).
Brennan Armstrong among 13 UVA VaSID All-State honorees
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
UVA quarterback Brennan Armstrong celebrates one of his two rushing touchdowns in the win over Georgia Tech. (Photo: Matt Riley, UVA Athletics)
Quarterback Brennan Armstrong was named the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) Offensive Player of the Year and was among 13 Cavaliers to earn All-State honors.
UVA led the state with nine first team selections.
Armstrong led the ACC and ranked fourth in the country with 4,449 passing yards in 2022. He was responsible for 427.3 yards of total offense per game and 22.5 points per game both the second most in the country. He went on to capture third team All-ACC honors and was an honorable mention on the Prof Football Focus and Phill Steele All-America Teams.
A Cavalier has garnered the organization’s offensive player of the year award in three of the last four seasons (Bryce Perkins – 2018 & 2019).
Armstrong was joined on the first team by wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks, tight end Jelani Woods, offensive lineman Chris Glaser, center Olu Oluwatimi, linebacker Nick Jackson, cornerback Anthony Johnson, safety Joey Blount and punter Jacob Finn.
Second team honorees included wide receivers Billy Kemp and Keytaon Thompson along with offensive lineman Bobby Haskins and cornerback Nick Grant.
