The Jerry Ratcliffe Show: Lo Davis of Cavalier Futures educates us on NIL
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The problems with the ACC’s 3-5-5 scheduling model
The ACC seems intent on getting rid of the Atlantic and Coastal divisions and changing its scheduling to make its football product more marketable. This won’t be a good thing for Virginia fans, argue Jerry Ratcliffe and Chris Graham on this week’s “Jerry Ratcliffe Show.”
The show also covers:
- Virginia and Tennessee kicking off the 2023 season in Nashville
- Virginia picks up a former four-star running back recruit on the transfer portal
- Virginia Basketball is headed to Italy
- The baseball team looks to solidify its bid to host an NCAA regional
Virginia and Tennessee to open 2023 season in Nashville
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
The Nashville Sports Council in conjunction with Virginia and Tennessee announced today that the Cavaliers and Volunteers will open their 2023 football seasons on Sept. 2 in the Music City at Nissan Stadium. Game time and ticket information will be announced on a future date.
“We are thrilled to welcome the Vols and Cavaliers to Nashville on opening weekend of the 2023 college football season,” said Nashville Sports Council President and CEO Scott Ramsey. “Both programs have a place in Nashville Sports history, having both played in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl. We look forward to hosting them along with their loyal fanbases and once again showcasing Nashville on a national stage.”
Virginia returns to Nissan Stadium for the first time since 2005 when the Cavaliers defeated Minnesota in the then Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl presented by Bridgestone. Virginia won that game 34-31 on a late 39-yard field goal by Connor Hughes. Quarterback Marques Hagans, UVA’s current associate head coach and wide receivers coach, was the MVP of that contest. He passed for a career high 358 yards in the victory.
UVA’s most recent game in Nashville came during the 2018 season when the Cavaliers defeated Ohio 45-31. The Sept. 15 game was moved to Vanderbilt Stadium due to the threat of severe weather in the Charlottesville area from Hurricane Florence.
The game will mark the third time Tennessee has played in a regular season non-conference game at Nissan Stadium since taking on Bowling Green in 2015 and Wyoming in 2002. The Vols last played at Nissan Stadium in December during the 2021 TransPerfect Music City Bowl.
The game will mark the fifth time Virginia and Tennessee have played. The Volunteers own a 3-1 advantage in the series. The last meeting was a 23-22 victory by Tennessee at the 1991 USF&G Sugar Bowl. Prior to that, UVA defeated Tennessee 16-13 in 1980, lost to the Volunteers 41-16 in 1940 and dropped the inaugural meeting 42-0 in 1927. The first three games between the two teams were all played in Knoxville.
University of Virginia and The Brandr Group launch group licensing for Student-Athletes
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
University of Virginia Athletics and The Brandr Group (TBG) have established a group licensing agreement for Cavalier student-athletes covering all 27 UVA teams. This partnership creates new opportunities for the student-athletes to profit off their Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) using the school’s official trademarks and logos.
“We are excited to partner with The Brandr Group to expand the opportunities for student-athletes to maximize their NIL,” said Virginia athletics director Carla Williams. “The program will provide our fans with new ways to support our student-athletes through the purchase of officially licensed co-branded merchandise.”
The collaboration with The Brandr Group allows for the collective use of student-athletes’ NIL in licensing and marketing programs, co-branded with University of Virginia logos and marks. Student-athletes will have the option to voluntarily join a group licensing program. TBG will facilitate group licensing opportunities on behalf of the student-athletes. Participation in the program will not limit any student-athlete’s NIL rights in their individual licensing and marketing activities.
Potential licensees interested in learning more about NIL should contact University of Virginia director of licensing Katie Dittmer (hqv3wu@virginia.edu).
TBG, a brand management, marketing and licensing agency, will manage and administer the program as well as develop licensing opportunities on behalf of the student-athletes. With decades of collective management experience for some of the world’s largest brands, TBG also manages group rights programs for the NFL, NBA and MLB players associations in the college space.
“We are excited about the opportunities for the University of Virginia in the NIL space given their academic and athletic reputation,” said Wesley Haynes, TBG CEO. “We are absolutely thrilled to add them to our family of schools, working closely with their team to craft co-branded opportunities through our group licensing program. This will give Cavalier student-athletes the chance to capitalize on their NIL through a vast merchandising portfolio, while also uncovering new player engagement opportunities for their devoted fans.”
Products that combine team logos and player names and numbers have accounted for a large portion of licensed sports merchandise sales at the professional level for decades, and this program opens the door for similar opportunities for student-athletes at the collegiate level.
While no specific timeline is set, the plan is to introduce merchandise as it becomes available including team jerseys with the name and number of their favorite Cavalier student-athletes who have joined the respective group licensing program once TBG enters into agreements with applicable school trademark licensees.
Verkleeren qualifies for World Team Trials
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
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Jarod Verkleeren qualified for the World Team Trials by claiming a first-place finish at 70kg in freestyle at the USAW Last Chance Qualifier to lead a trio of Virginia wrestlers at the event that ran Friday through Sunday.
Dylan Cedeno took a third-place finish at 65kg, while Justin Phillips also competed and posted a 2-2 record at 79kg.
With his first-place finish, Verkleeren will join Virginia wrestlers Jay Aiello and Michael Battista at the World Team Trials. Aiello and Battista both qualified by virtue of their finishes at the USMC U.S. Open Championships last month.
Verkleeren went 5-0 on the day, cruising through the bracket on the way to the title. He defeated Christian Monserrat who was a 2019 NCAA qualifier at West Virginia and fourth-place finisher in the Big 12 Championships that season in the finals. Verkleeren also posted a win over Mike VanBrill in the semifinals. VanBrill was a two-time NCAA qualifier for Rutgers and finished third at the 2021 Big 10 Championships.
65kg: Dylan Cedeno – Third Place Finish
R16: Bye
QF: Cedeno def. Kyle Hauserman (Penn RTC) by VPO1, 7-4
SF: Brock Zacherl (Clarion RTC) def. Cedeno by VSU, 10-0 (4:50)
Conso. SF: Cedeno def. Danny Buteau (USAW Maine East Wrestling Club) by VSU, 11-0 (1:58)
Third-Place Match: Cedeno def. Kyle Hauserman (Penn RTC) by VPO1, 13-6
70kg: Jarod Verkleeren – First Place Finish
R32: Verkleeren def. Matthew Ryan (Bulls Wrestling Club) by VSU1, 12-1 (1:16)
R16: Verkleeren def. Ryan Anderson (Bearcat Wrestling Club) by VSU1, 12-2 (4:20)
QF: Verkleeren def. Danny Fongara (New York City RTC) by VPO1, 9-8
SF: Verkleeren def. Mike VanBrill (SKWC RTC) by VPO1, 6-4
FINAL: Verkleeren def. Christian Monserrat (New York Athletic Club) by VPO1, 10-1
79kg: Justin Phillips
R32: Andrew Dickson (Patriot Elite Wrestling Club) def. Phillips by VSU1, 14-4 (5:28)
Conso. R16-2: Phillips def. Matthew Benedetti (Husky Elite Wrestling Club) by VPO, 2-0
Conso. R8-1: Phillips def. Marcus Petite (Bulls Wrestling Club) by VPO1, 9-6
Conso. R8-2: Noah Grover (Bulls Wresting Club) def. Phillips by VSU1, 18-7 (5:09)
Virginia’s season ends in NCAA Second Round
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
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The No. 15 Virginia women’s lacrosse team (10-10) ended its season with a 24-2 loss at 1-seed North Carolina (19-0) on Sunday afternoon at Dorrance Field.
Sophomore Mackenzie Hoeg scored both of Virginia’s goals at the end of the first half. Junior Kiki Shaw had an assist.
UNC led in shots (37-19), draw controls (17-11), ground balls (10-5) and saves (7-2).
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Virginia scored its first goal of the game with three minutes to go in the first half. Hoeg scored on the assist from junior Kiki Shaw.
• Hoeg scored again, this time off a free position, to send UVA into the half down 13-2.
• UNC opened the game on a 13-0 run and closed it on an 11-0 run.
• Graduate student Megan Gordon had two caused turnovers and two ground balls.
• Sophomore Morgan Schwab finished with a career-high four draw controls.
NOTES
• Virginia is 39-31 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
• The Cavaliers extended their NCAA Tournament appearances to 26-straight seasons.
• UVA advanced to the NCAA Second Round for the third consecutive time.
FROM HEAD COACH JULIE MYERS
“Today was obviously not the game that anyone expected. North Carolina is clearly an awesome team, and they did the damage to us, but we didn’t play well in any aspect today. It is hard to end on a game like that because it doesn’t reflect our season, our competitiveness or our talent. My heart hurts four our fourth years that aren’t coming back because it does not reflect their fight and the team they have credited and been such a big part of.
“This season was filled with different challenges, and this was a new one to be so cold against a team that is so hot. There were a lot of different times that we could have caved with injuries, obstacles on the field, tough stretches of unbelievable opponents coming through. There were a lot of times we could have thrown in the towel. I have a lot of respect for my players and staff, they never quit, never gave up. They always showed up and gave their best effort and that is why we were able to play in May. I am grateful we got to play in the NCAA Tournament and got to the second round. I think you get a lot out of sports and our fourth years that are moving on to the professional world are ready to compete and I am super proud of that.”
Clemson evens series with a victory in Game 2
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
Clemson (32-19, 10-15 ACC) scored three runs in the first inning and never looked back in an 8-2 win over No. 12 Virginia (36-13, 15-11 ACC) on Sunday.
Just as it did in game one, Clemson posted three runs in the top of the first inning, collecting four hits and capitalizing on a pair of UVA defensive miscues. The Cavaliers committed a season-high four errors in the contest, the first four-error game since the 2020 season. Including the Clemson series opener, UVA had come back to win in the three previous games an opponent has scored three runs in its first at bat.
The Cavalier offense was limited to eight hits, a combined four coming off the bats of Jake Gelof and Devin Ortiz. Each went 2-for-4 in the contest and Gelof scored one of the two Cavalier runs.
Cormier, Shellenberger spark Virginia over No. 8 Brown as Hoos advance to NCAA lacrosse quarterfinals
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Photo: UVA Athletics
Lars Tiffany’s unseeded Virginia lacrosse team was battling for its postseason life midway through the third quarter of Saturday night’s NCAA first-round matchup at No. 8 seed Brown.
In a wide-open, greyhound’s-pace game, Tiffany was looking for a sea change. Thanks to offensive coordinator Sean Kirwan and some of the less-heralded Cavaliers, the head coach got exactly what he needed.
“It was 9 to 9,” Tiffany recalled in his postgame press conference, and he was wondering when things might change the flow of the game. “And, so what changed that? Petey LaSalla started to dominate.”
LaSalla, who won 20 of 31 faceoffs in the game (including 11 of 15 in the second half) was a key factor, along with the scoring of junior attacker Payton Cormier and freshman goalkeeper Matt Nunes as Virginia broke away from the 9-all deadlock and reeled off eight unanswered goals. The Cavaliers’ defense bottled up Brown’s offense, holding the Bears scoreless for over 20 minutes for a 17-10 win.
With the victory, the two-time reigning national champs remain on the throne for at least another week. UVA, now 12-3, advances to next weekend’s quarterfinals against the winner of Sunday’s Maryland vs. Vermont game. Maryland, the tournament’s No. 1 seed and undefeated after 14 games, defeated the Cavaliers in a previous meeting this season by a 23-12 score in D.C.
“I think Petey and Gable Braun won every faceoff in the fourth quarter and we just exerted ourselves,” Tiffany said. “Brown was causing us to be discombobulated and that created turnovers in the first quarter. They were creating turnovers near the top of our box and we didn’t have anyone back there.”
Brown, which finished the season 10-5, battled to a 7-7 halftime draw and tied things up again at 9-all with 8:08 to play in the third quarter.
Kirwan, who has spent the last eight seasons (the last six at Virginia) at Tiffany’s side, assured his boss that adjustments were beginning to turn the tide.
“Sean started dissecting [Brown’s] defense and really understanding what [Brown coach Mike Daly] was doing,” Tiffany said. “At halftime, I said to [Kirwan], ‘Hey, are we getting comfortable?’ Sean said every possession has gotten more and more comfortable and that although we haven’t scored enough, we’re getting close.
“There’s no one I trust more to run offense in this world than Sean Kirwan, and then I saw that happen in the second half.”
Tiffany did indeed, as the Cavaliers went on a scoring parade. Xander Dickson broke the 9-9 tie with 5:39 to go in the third, then Jack Peele, Cormier and Matt Moore added to the tally for a 13-9 lead heading into the final quarter, which had to be a bit of comfort to the coaching staff because Virginia was 11-0 this season when leading after three periods.
Cormier, who finished with five goals on nine shots, added back-to-back scores early in the fourth quarter, including an impressive left-handed shot (assisted by Shellenberger) for a 15-9 lead, another indication that UVA would be victorious. The Cavaliers are now 23-0 all-time when scoring 15 or more goals in the NCAA Tournament. It was Cormier’s 48th goal of the season.
Shellenberger, the sensational UVA sophomore and a finalist for the Tewaaraton Award (lacrosse’s Heisman), posted a career-high eight points, including four goals on six shots. He had three assists in the second half.
Shellenberger, a product of Charlottesville’s St. Anne’s-Belfield School, has played his way out of an injury and was inspired by the hostile environment at Brown and the moment.
“I think when you get in the month of May, these games are just different,” Shellenberger said. “When you sit down and realize that you could go home tomorrow and the thing that you love so much, and that you’ve prepared for your whole life, could be over the next day, there’s a little bit different motivation going into that game. A different emotion and passion comes out, so I think that’s why everyone loves the month of May.”
Nunes recorded 16 saves and had a .615 save percentage. Brown took 44 shots (26 on goal) compared to UVA’s 46 and 26, respectively. No one appreciates Nunes more than his coach.
“First off, he’s really talented,” Tiffany said. “He’s a very good goalie. Second, he’s got the right mental and emotional approach. Brown got a couple of goals there in the first quarter and got some more in the second quarter. I talked to him at halftime and it’s, ‘I’m good.’
“He wants the big moments. He doesn’t shy away from it, so that’s what it really comes down to … the unknowns. You’re a first year, your first NCAA Tournament game where there’s no tomorrow guaranteed. For him to make 16 saves against a team that can bring some serious heat, that was a real key going into this game because we knew Brown was going to keep shooting.
“Despite him not getting off to a great start, the composure he showed, we’re absolutely fortunate to have him be our last line of defense.”
Game Notes
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
- With the win, Virginia improved to 57-33 (.633) all-time in NCAA Tournament contests.
- UVA made its 41st NCAA Tournament appearance, which is No. 3 nationally among Division-I programs all-time.
- UVA won its ninth consecutive NCAA Tournament game, a streak that began in 2019. Its nine straight tournament wins are a program record.
- Virginia is 9-1 all-time under the direction of head coach Lars Tiffany.
- UVA improved to 13-2 all-time against Brown and earned the program’s first true road win at Stevenson-Pincince Field.
- For his career as a head coach, Tiffany improved to 44-23 (.657) at Stevenson-Pincince Field.
- Virginia improved to 4-0 in night contests this season.
- Matthew Nunes became first UVA freshman goalie to win an NCAA Tournament game since Derek Kenney helped the Cavaliers go 3-0 in the tournament en route to winning the program’s second NCAA title in 1999.
- Shellenberger is currently averaging 3.60 goals per game, 2.80 assist per game and 5.60 points per game in five career NCAA Tournament appearances. His goals-per-game average and point-per-game average currently leads UVA all-time, while his assists-per-game average is currently good for No. 4.
- Payton Cormier became the 21st player in program history to post five goals in an NCAA Tournament game, which is tied for fourth all-time in UVA history.
- Matt Moore finished with two goals and two assists. In 10 career NCAA Tournament games, Moore is now tied for seventh in UVA history with 22 goals and tied for fourth with 41 points.
- With 12 ground balls, Petey LaSalla became UVA’s career leader in ground balls in NCAA Tournament games. In his ninth NCAA Tournament appearances, LaSalla (57 GBs) topped David Jenkins’ previous record of 54.
No. 5 Virginia knocks off No. 12 Oklahoma State 4-1 to move on to NCAA Quarterfinals
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
The No. 5 Virginia women’s tennis team advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2022 NCAA Women’s Tennis Team Championship with a 4-1 victory against No. 12 Oklahoma State on Saturday at the Charlottesville Super Regional. Sophomore Hibah Shaikh clinched the victory with a three-set win on court five.
Virginia (23-5) advances to take No. 4 Texas (23-4) on Friday, May 20, at the Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex in Champaign, Ill. It is the third time in program history that the team has advanced to the quarterfinals.
The match started outdoors with the Cavaliers taking the doubles point but was completed indoors due to a rainstorm that arrived midway through singles.
The Cavaliers started hot with a pair of dominant doubles victories with freshman Elaine Chervinsky and junior Natasha Subhash winning 6-1 on court two. Seniors Amber O’Dell and Sofia Munera followed with a 6-3 win on court three to clinch the point.
The match turned in favor of the Cowgirls (20-6), who won four of the six first sets in singles.
Sophomore Emma Navarro was unaffected by the momentum shift, racing through a 6-1, 6-1 victory against No. 20 Lisa Marie Rioux to give UVA a 2-0 lead. Oklahoma State’s Oona Orpana topped Munera 6-2, 6-0 on court four to get the Cowgirls on the board.
The Cavaliers rallied in their second sets with Subhash, Chervinsky and Shaikh all forcing third sets in their matches.
As soon as the action moved indoors, sophomore Sara Ziodato won her match 6-3, 6-2 against Alana Wolfberg on court six to give UVA a 3-1 advantage.
Subhash, Chervinsky and Shaikh all took leads in their third sets, but it was Shaikh who raced to a 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 victory against Ayumi Miyamoto to seal the victory.
Shaikh has clinched all three matches for the Cavaliers in the NCAA Championship.
FROM HEAD COACH SARA O’LEARY
“I think that this team is extremely resilient. They’ve shown that time and time again throughout this entire season. They’ve learned to embrace the tough moments and there was definitely a tough moment there and outside when we lost four first sets pretty handily. But this team, you can’t ever count them out. They believe in themselves. They understand they may have to change strategies and they’re willing to do it. They’re willing to adjust and they’re willing to just stay out there in those uncomfortable moments. That’s what they did today and it paid off.”
MATCH NOTES
- This is the first time that the Cavaliers have advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals since 2016 and the first time under head coach Sara O’Leary
- This is the third time that both the men’s and women’s teams have advanced to the quarterfinals
#5 Virginia 4, #12 Oklahoma State 1
Singles competition
- #1 Emma Navarro (VA) def. #20 Lisa Marie Rioux (OSU) 6-1, 6-1
- #44 Natasha Subhash (VA) vs. #31 Mhai Sawangkaew (OSU) 2-6, 6-4, 3-2, unfinished
- #72 Elaine Chervinsky (VA) vs. Martina Zerulo (OSU) 1-6, 6-3, 4-1, unfinished
- Oona Orpana (WOSU22) def. Sofia Munera (VA) 6-2, 6-0
- Hibah Shaikh (VA) def. Ayumi Miyamoto (OSU) 2-6, 6-1, 6-1
- Sara Ziodato (VA) def. Alana Wolfberg (OSU) 6-3, 6-2
Doubles competition
- #3 Emma Navarro/Hibah Shaikh (VA) vs. #12 Lisa Marie Rioux/Ayumi Miyamoto (OSU) 3-4, unfinished
- #62 Elaine Chervinsky/Natasha Subhash (VA) def. #75 Mhai Sawangkaew/Martina Zerulo (OSU) 6-1
- #73 Sofia Munera/Amber O’Dell (VA) def. Oona Orpana/Dariya Detkovskaya (OSU) 6-3
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles (1,4,6,5)
NCAA Charlottesville Super Regional – Round of 16
Matched started outdoors and moved indoors midway through singles
A-326
Romero wins gold as Virginia closes out ACC Championships
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
The Virginia men’s and women’s track and field programs finished off the final day of competition at the ACC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, where Claudio Romero led the way as he repeated as ACC Champion in the discus on Saturday in Durham, N.C.
Romero entered the Discus competition as the clear favorite to win. The reigning champion in the event owned the top mark in the field at 67.02m (219’10”) which ranks second in the NCAA.
The Chilean lived up to his high standard as he uncorked the farthest throw in the history of the ACC Championships reaching 66.21 meters (217’2”) and secured the gold medal for the second-consecutive season. The mark also stands as a Morris Williams Stadium record.
Jacob Lemmon placed seventh in the discus to pitch in two points of his own as the Cavaliers took 13 total points from the event.
A trio of Wahoos combined to score a total of 13 points on the women’s side of the discus as well. Ashley Anumba placed third as the graduate transfer hurled the disc a distance of 53.58m (175’9”) to earn first team All-ACC honors. Maria Deaviz (52.46m / 172’1”) and Thelma Kristjansdottir (51.43m / 168’8”) finished fifth and sixth to make second team All-ACC.
On the track, Wes Porter once again showed his prestige as a runner for the Cavaliers in a thrilling 1500-meters. The sophomore stand-out sat in fifth as the pack rounded the corner entering the bell lap. Porter held his move until the final 200 meters when he shifted into the outside of the pack and blazed to the finish line to take the silver at 3:42.44. Following in fifth place for the Hoos was Ka’eo Kruse who helped his team lock down 12 total points in the event.
On the women’s side of the 1500-meters, Mia Barnett tallied points for her team and secured second team All-ACC honors with a fourth-place finish at 4:12.23.
After setting a personal-best time in the 400-meter prelims on Friday, Jordan Willis turned in another spectacular showing in the finals.
Coming down the final straightaway, Willis found himself in a battle with Florida State’s Dae’Qwan Butler and Sean Watkins. With a nod across the finish line, Willis edged Watkins by .04 seconds to take the silver medal and record the fastest time in Virginia history.
In the 800-meters Conor Murphy tallied two points for the Hoos with his seventh-place finish and a personal-best time of 1:48.51 that ranks eighth in Virginia History. Sydney Coppolino crossed the finish line at 2:07.45 to finish eighth.
Alex Sherman picked up a point for the men in the 400-meter hurdles. After earning the final qualifying spot on Friday, the freshman raced to a personal-best time of 52.42 seconds. The time ranks fifth all-time amongst UVA freshmen.
In the women’s 200-meter dash Jada Seaman took seventh place as she crossed the finish line with the clock reading 23.44.
In the high jump Bex Hawkins delivered a sixth-place finish as she reached a height of 1.73 meters (5’8”) to secure 2.5 points for the Cavaliers and second team All-ACC honors.
The UVA women’s 4×100 team of Zoe Rice, Jada Seaman, Alix Still and Kayla Bonnick won their heat with a season-best time of 45.15 and placed fifth overall in the event.
The men scored a point in the 4×100 as a quartet of Tavares Kelly, Alex Sherman, Jay Pendarvis and Jordan Willis clocked in at 40.83 seconds.
In the 4×400 the women’s team of Anzhelika Parenchuk, Emily Alexandru, Alahna Sabbakhan and Keara Seasholtz won their heat with a season-best time of 3:42.46 and placed seventh overall.
Running on the men’s side of the 4×400 Jay Pendarvis, Alex Sherman, Nigal Davis and Jordan Willis also put down a season-best for the Hoos as they combined for a time of 3:09.69 and a sixth-place finish.
Earlier in the week Virginia won two more ACC titles in the throwing events. Ethan Dabbs became just the fourth competitor ever to win the ACC javelin title in three consecutive seasons while Maria Deaviz won her first Outdoor ACC title in the shot put.
“Yeah, it was a great meet. Our teams did an excellent job in all event areas,” said Director of Track & Field Vin Lananna. “Overall, we got a real sense of what a championship team looks like and we will be back next year.”
Team Scores
The Virginia men placed third overall with 83 points. It is the third time in as many seasons that the Cavaliers have finished in the top-three at the ACC Championships. Florida State won the men’s competition with 149 points.
The Cavalier women placed seventh, collecting 54.25 points. Miami claimed that championship.
UP NEXT
The NCAA Regional Championships will be held in Bloomington, Ind. from Thursday, May 26 through Saturday, May 28.
No. 12 Virginia claims 11-6 series-opening win over Clemson; Game 2 pushed to Sunday morning
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
Photo: UVA Athletics
A seven-run rally in the fourth and a four-run output in the seventh powered No. 12 Virginia to an 11-6, series-opening win over Clemson at Disharoon Park on Saturday. The first 4.2 innings of the contest were played on Friday night before weather forced the two teams to suspend play.
Game two of the series will take place on Sunday at 10 a.m. Game three is currently scheduled to follow approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of game two. A final decision on the date/time of game three will be announced on Sunday morning. Gates to Disharoon Park will open at 9 a.m. The remaining two games will air on ACCNX. Game two will not be broadcast on WINA and an audio broadcast of game three is to be determined.
Virginia (36-12, 15-10 ACC) trailed 4-0 after the first three innings Friday and rallied for a total of seven runs in the fourth inning, the 10th time this season the Cavaliers have scored seven or more runs in an inning. The Hoos scored four runs on Friday night to tie the game before the game was suspended with two outs and runners on second and third. Virginia tacked on three more runs when the game resumed on Saturday and never relinquished the lead.
The Cavalier bullpen trio of Matthew Buchanan, Jay Woolfolk and Brandon Neeck did not allow a run over the final 4.1 innings to preserve the victory. Buchanan was credited with his third win of the season needing just 11 pitches to record three outs. Woolfolk recorded his second hold in as many games with three strikeouts in 1.2 innings of work. Neeck earned his third save of the year, allowing just one runner in the final 1.2 innings.
Clemson (31-19, 9-15) scored three runs in its first turn at the plate, two came on a two-out home run by Tyler Corbitt. The long ball was his 11th of the season. The Tigers quickly made it 4-0 with in the top of the second with a lead-off homer by Jonathan French, his eighth of the year.
Virginia sent 12 batters to the plate in the game-changing fourth inning. Ethan Anderson brought home the first two runs on his second triple in as many games. Clemson reliever Jackson Lindley walked in the third run of the frame and Max Cotier scored on a wild pitch to tie game.
The game resumed on Saturday with back-to-back walks issued to Alex Tappen and Jake Gelof. Freshman Griff O’Ferrall scored the go-ahead run in on Gelof’s bases loaded free pass, the 69th RBI of the season for the Cavalier third baseman. Devin Ortiz capped the rally with a two-run, two out single through the right side to make the score 7-4.
The Tigers immediately responded and made it a one-run game on a two-run homer by Max Wagner, the second batter of the top of the fifth inning. UVA sent nine men to the plate in the eighth, taking advantage of three more Clemson free passes. Freshman Casey Saucke delivered the knockout blow in the frame with a two-run double into right center field.
As the rain began to fall again in the top of the ninth inning, Cotier made diving stop up the middle, flipped the ball to O’Ferrall at second base to record the final out of the game.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- UVA is 5-4 in ACC series openers this season, and the Cavaliers have not lost a conference series in which they won the opening game.
- The comeback victory was Virginia’s 11th of the season. Opponents have scored three runs in the opening inning three times this season and UVA has come back to win all of them (4/3 vs. GT; 4/20 vs. Georgetown; 5/14 vs. Clemson)
- It marks the 22nd time this season Virginia has scored double-digit runs, 20 of those efforts have occurred at Disharoon Park.
- Tappen went 3 for 4 with two runs scored in the contest. He is 11 for 13 with five runs scored, three home runs and nine RBI in his last four games.
- Kyle Teel made his 100th consecutive start dating back to last season. He has started all 48 games this season at catcher.
UP NEXT
As mentioned, game two of the series is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Sunday, while game three is currently scheduled to follow approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of game two. A final decision on the date and time of game three will be announced on Sunday morning.
TICKET INFORMATION
Fans with tickets to either game two or game three will be granted entry to the ballpark on Sunday. Game two tickets will use their assigned seat Sunday morning. Fans with tickets to game three can attend Sunday morning’s game in general admission seating.
TEXT ALERTS
For the most up-to-date information on weather delays and rescheduled game times, sign up for text alerts by texting HOOSBASE to 226787.
ACC Baseball Standings and Schedule
No. 15 Cavaliers claim 12th consecutive ACC Championship
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
No. 15 Virginia won four of five grand finals to claim its 12th consecutive ACC Rowing championship Saturday morning on Lake Hartwell at Clemson.
Virginia finished with 98 points followed by Syracuse (83), Duke (82), Clemson (60), Miami (52), Louisville (43), Notre Dame (29), Boston College (26) and North Carolina (21).
The Cavaliers have won 21 of the 22 ACC championship regattas and 86 of the 95 championship races.
“Every day I’m so proud of the character of this team and today so proud of them as racers,” Virginia head coach Kevin Sauer said. “Especially Syracuse and Duke were formidable opponents today and we are very fortunate to win this championship. Many thanks to Clemson for hosting.”
UVA’s Third Varsity Eight started the grand finals by defeating runner-up Duke by over five seconds, 6:39.820-6:45.170. Clemson finished third at 6:51.306.
Duke topped UVA in the Second Varsity Four 7:11.587-7:16.043 and Syracuse, finished third at 7:21.519.
UVA’s Varsity Four (7:10.892) edged Duke (7:12.901) in a close Varsity Four race. Syracuse placed third at 7:16.046.
The Cavaliers’ Second Varsity Eight rallied past Syracuse 6:26.132-6:28.109. Duke finished third at 6:31.047.
In the premier race of the championship, Virginia’s Varsity Eight secured the team title by defeating runner-up Syracuse in a hotly-contested race 6:23.415-6:25.351. Duke placed third at 6:29.505.
UVA’s Varsity Eight was named ACC Crew of the Year and Sauer was named ACC Coach of the Year for the 14th time.
“We stepped up big when it mattered the most, individually and as a team,” UVA captains Liv Kimche and Abbie Bird added. “We are so proud of the grit this team shows every day and what we were able to do this weekend. Nothing has come easy for us this spring and this victory is exceptionally special.”
The Cavaliers return to action at the NCAA Rowing Championship on May 27-29 in Sarasota, Fla. The NCAA DI Rowing Selection Show is set for Tuesday, May 17 at 5 p.m. on NCAA.com.
Hoos set to face No. 8 Brown in NCAA First Round
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
Virginia travels to eighth-seeded Brown tonight in the First Round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament. Opening faceoff from Stevenson-Pincince Field is set for 7:30 p.m., as Drew Carter (play-by-play) and Matt Ward (analyst) will have the call on ESPNU.
The Cavaliers (11-3) are ranked No. 4 in the USILA coaches poll and No. 3 in the Inside Lacrosse media poll, while Brown (10-5) is seventh in the coaches poll and fifth in the media poll.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
3 — Virginia is seeking to become just the third NCAA men’s lacrosse program to win three consecutive national titles in 2022, which would put itself in a category with Princeton (1996-98) and Johns Hopkins (1978-80).
8 — Having claimed national championships in consecutive opportunities (2019 & ’21), Virginia has won its last eight NCAA Tournament contests and have out-scored its opponents 114-84, a 3.75 average margin of victory.
15 — With its most recent game against Lafayette on April 28, the Cavaliers will look to take advantage 15 consecutive days off until its First Round matchup at Brown.
THE SERIES VS. BROWN
- Virginia leads the all-time series against the Bears, 12-3.
- The two teams met in 2019 (at UVA) and 2020 (at Brown) with both teams winning at home, 14-13.
- The Cavaliers and Brown met once before in the NCAA Tournament in the 1995 quarterfinals in Charlottesville as UVA knocked off the then-seventh seeded Bears, 16-13. Doug Knight became the first UVA player to score a program-record six goals in a single NCAA Tournament game.
VIRGINIA IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
- Saturday’s game marks Virginia’s 41st all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament and 90th NCAA Tournament game.
- Only Johns Hopkins (47) and Maryland (44) have been to the tournament more times than UVA.
- The Cavaliers are 56-33 (.629) all-time in NCAA Tournament games and have won their last eight, dating back to 2019.
- Only Johns Hopkins (71), Maryland (66) and Syracuse (65) have more NCAA Tournament wins than Virginia.
LAST TIME OUT
- Virginia will look to take advantage of 15 days off since it last played.
- The Cavaliers defeated Lafayette (April 28), 20-10, at Klöckner Stadium on Senior Night.
- Against the Leopards, Matt Moore posted a season-high eight points (2g, 6a) to pass Steele Stanwick on Virginia’s all-time points list.
- Goalie Miles Thompson, who got the nod as starting netminder, earned his first career win after totaling 13 saves in 52:48 of action.
THE NIGHTTIME IS THE RIGHT TIME
- With Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. start time from Stevenson-Pincince Field, Virginia will look to improve to 4-0 this season in night contests.
- The Cavaliers won at North Carolina and at home against Quinnipiac and Lafayette in night contests.
- Virginia was originally scheduled to play at 8 p.m. at Duke, but the game was moved to 1 p.m. due to threatening storms in the Durham area.
THIRD TIME UNSEEDED
- For just the third time out of Virginia’s 41 NCAA Tournament appearances, Virginia is unseeded in this year’s NCAA Tournament.
- The Cavaliers were unseeded in 1988 and ultimately fell in the semifinals to Cornell in Syracuse, N.Y.
- The last time Virginia was unseeded was in 2018 when it fell 14-12 to Loyola (Md.) in Baltimore, Md.
LARS TIFFANY AT STEVENSON-PINCINCE FIELD
- Virginia head coach Lars Tiffany, who was head coach at Brown from 2007-16, has an all-time record of 43-23 (.652) at Stevenson-Pincince Field.
- He is 0-1 as UVA head coach at Stevenson-Pincince Field after the Cavaliers fell 14-13 in what ended up being the 2020 finale due to the onset of COVID-19.
2022 ACC CHAMPIONS
- With its win at Syracuse (April 23), Virginia now has 19 ACC championships, including two (2019 & 2022) under Lars Tiffany.
- The Cavaliers won 11 titles (1962, 1964, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1975, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1986) prior the ACC establishing a tournament from 1989-2019 to determine the champion.
- Virginia has won seven ACC Tournament championships: 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2010 and 2019.
- In the last ACC Tournament, which was held in 2019, UVA defeated Notre Dame 10-4 in the finals at Klöckner Stadium.
- From 1989-2019, Virginia won 14 regular-season titles (1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2019), more than any other ACC School.
VIRGINIA IS UNDEFEATED WHEN…
- The Cavaliers are 11-0 when leading after three quarters. UVA has combined to out-score its opponents 183-114 in the first three periods this season, which is an average lead of 4.9 goals entering the fourth period.
- The Cavaliers are 10-0 this season when leading at halftime.
- Virginia is 11-0 when dishing out more assists than its opponent. In the Cavaliers’ 11 wins this season, UVA has 108 assists compared to its opponents’ 49.
20-20-20
- For the first time since 1982, Virginia has posted at least 20 goals in three consecutive games.
- In their last three games, the Cavaliers won 21-9 vs. Quinnipiac (April 16), 21-15 at Syracuse (April 23) and 20-10 vs. Lafayette (April 28).
- In 1982, UVA defeated Washington & Lee 22-8 (April 18), Navy 26-15 (April 24) and Virginia Tech 27-1 (April 27).
SHELLENBERGER NAMED TEWAARATON AWARD FINALIST
- On May 12, Connor Shellenberger was named one of five Tewaaraton Award finalists.
- Shellenberger’s recognition as a finalist marks the 11th instance in program history.
- Other UVA finalists include: Steele Stanwick (2011-12), Ken Clausen (2010), Danny Glading (2009), Ben Rubeor (2007-08), Kyle Dixon (2006), Matt Ward (2006), Chris Rotelli (2003) and Conor Gill (2002).
- Stanwick (2011), Ward (2006) and Rotelli (2003) were recipients of the award.
- Virginia and Syracuse are the only schools in the nation to have three recipients of the award. Only Duke (13) and Syracuse (12) have had more finalists than UVA (11).
CAVALIERS DOMINATED ACC AWARDS; FIVE EARN ALL-ACC HONORS
- Cole Kastner (Defensive Player of the Year), Matthew Nunes (Freshman of the Year) and Lars Tiffany (Coach of the Year) claimed three of the four possible ACC postseason awards, the league office announced Thursday.
- In addition to Kastner, Connor Shellenberger, Matt Moore, Jeff Conner and Petey LaSalla earned All-ACC honors.
- UVA’s five All-ACC selections tied for a league best with Duke.
- The award was Tiffany’s second of his career, having also won it in 2019.
- Kastner is the first UVA defensive player to garner player-of-the-year honors since Mark Koontz did so in 2002.
- Nunes is just the second goalie in UVA history earned ACC freshman-of-the-year honors, which Tillman Johnson achieved in 2001.
VIRGINIA IS A GROUND BALL MACHINE
- The Cavaliers are currently first in the nation in ground balls (38.14 per game).
- In 2021, Virginia led the nation with 41.94 ground balls per game.
- Entering 2022, UVA has led the nation in ground balls eight of the last 13 years, including the last five seasons under Lars Tiffany.
- UVA is the only school in the nation to finish in the top-5 nationally in ground balls per game 12 times over the last 13 seasons.
- The only school in 2016 to finish with more ground balls per game was UVA head coach Lars Tiffany’s 2016 Brown team.
- Lars-Tiffany-coached teams have led the nation in ground balls in seven straight seasons, including the 2015 and 2016 seasons at Brown.
ON THE HORIZON
- The winner of Virginia-Brown will face the winner top-seeded Maryland and Vermont (which square off in College Park on Sunday) at noon in the quarterfinals.
- The quarterfinals matchup between the aforementioned teams will be held at Ohio Stadium next Sunday at either noon or 2:30 p.m. on ESPNU.
No. 5 Virginia hosts No. 12 Oklahoma State at 1 p.m. in NCAA Round of 16
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
Emma Navarro (Photo: NCAA/USTA)
The No. 5 Virginia women’s tennis team hosts No. 12 Oklahoma State in the Round of 16 of the 2022 NCAA Women’s Tennis Team Championship at 1 p.m. at the Virginia Tennis Facility at the Boar’s Head Resort.
The Charlottesville Super Regional winner will advance to the NCAA Quarterfinals which will be held on Friday, May 20, at the Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex in Champaign, Ill.
Today’s match is scheduled to be played outdoors. Please monitor the team’s social media accounts for weather-related updates.
HOW TO FOLLOW
- All matches will stream live on the TennisOne App
- Live scoring will be available through links posted on VirginiaSports.com
TICKET INFORMATION
- $5 for general admission and $3 for students with a valid ID per day
- Ages 2 and up are required to have a ticket
- Tickets will be available for purchase online, over the phone, or at the Bryant Hall ticket office and can be picked up at the courts
NOTING THE CAVALIERS
- The Cavaliers (22-5) head into the championship 11-1 in their last 12 matches including three wins over teams then-ranked in the top-3 of the ITA Rankings
- Emma Navarro retained her No. 1 singles ranking in the final regular-season ITA rankings and earned the top seed in the NCAA Singles Championship. Navarro is 22-1 this season and has won her last 11 completed matches
- Natasha Subhash leads the team with 26 singles victories this season, going 14-4 on the No. 2 court
- The Cavaliers are a combined 41-7 on the top two courts this season
- Sara Ziodato is 8-1 in her last 10 matches (with one abandonment) with a 22-11 overall record
- Hibah Shaikh is 24-11 in singles this season with an 18-5 mark in dual matches
- Navarro and Shaikh are ranked No. 3 in the latest ITA doubles rankings with an 11-5 record at No. 1
- Subhash and Elaine Chervinsky are 9-1 at No. 2 doubles this season
VIRGINIA & THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Virginia is the No. 5 seed in the championship. This is the second-highest seeding in program history after its No. 3 seed in the 2014 tournament
- Virginia is making its 21st appearance in the NCAA Women’s Tennis tourney and fourth-consecutive under head coach Sara O’Leary
- Virginia has advanced to the Round of 16 seven times advancing to the quarterfinals twice (2014 and 2016)
- Virginia is the only school hosting both men’s and women’s Super Regionals this weekend
- UVA is one of six schools to have both men’s and women’s teams advance to the Round of 16 (North Carolina, NC State, Texas, Stanford and Florida are the others)
- Virginia is looking to advance its men’s and women’s teams to the quarterfinals for the third time in school history (2014 and 2016)
SCOUTING OKLAHOMA STATE
- Oklahoma State (20-5) advanced with a 4-2 win against No. 20 UCLA in last week’s NCAA Regional
- This is their fifth time advancing to the Sweet 16 in the last seven championships
- Oklahoma State is looking for its first trip to the quarterfinals since 2017
- The Cowgirls advanced to the 2016 NCAA Final, falling to Stanford 4-3 in the championship match
- The Cowgirls have been ranked as high as No. 7 this season and were in the top-10 as recently as the April 27 poll
- Big 12 Freshman of the Year Mhai Sawangkaew is 19-2 in dual matches this season, playing primarily at the No. 2 court
- Lisa Marie Rioux and Ayumi Miyamoto are 19-3 in doubles this season
- Oklahoma State won the only previous meeting between the two schools in 2019
ON THE HORIZON
The men’s and women’s semifinals will take place next Saturday, May 21, in Champaign with the championship matches contested on Sunday, May 22. NCAA Singles and Doubles will take place May 23-28 in that same location
UVA-Clemson suspended in 4th, will resume Saturday morning at 11
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
Photo: UVA Athletics
Friday’s series opener between Virginia and Clemson was suspended due to weather. The game is scheduled to resume on Saturday at 11 a.m. The second game of the series will played shortly after the conclusion of game one.
Friday’s game was halted with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning with the score tied at 4-4 due to lightning in the area. After a two-hour and 37 minute delay, the game was suspended.
Both contests are scheduled to air live on ACCNX as originally planned.
TICKET INFORMATION
Fans with tickets to either game one or game two will be granted entry to the ballpark on Saturday. Those with tickets for either game that cannot attend because of the rescheduled date and time can bring their ticket to the box office on Sunday in exchange for a General Admission ticket to Sunday’s game.
TEXT ALERTS
For the most up-to-date information on weather delays and rescheduled game times, sign up for text alerts by texting HOOSBASE to 226787.
No. 7 Virginia downs No. 10 South Carolina 4-0 to advance to NCAA Quarters
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
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The No. 7 Virginia men’s tennis team (25-5) advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2022 NCAA Men’s Tennis Team Championship with a 4-0 victory against No. 10 South Carolina (23-7) on Friday at the Charlottesville Super Regional.
The match started outdoors with the Cavaliers taking the doubles point, but moved indoors midway through singles after a passing rain shower made the courts unplayable. After a 30 minute delay, play resumed with Virginia picking up wins on the bottom three singles courts to take the match. Grad student Bar Botzer clinched the victory with a win on court six.
In doubles, senior Gianni Ross and sophomore Jeffrey von der Schulenburg opened the match with a 6-4 win on court three. The Gamecocks evened it with a 6-3 victory on court one. Senior Ryan Goetz and sophomore Iñaki Montes won a deuce point to close out a 6-4 victory on two to give UVA the 1-0 lead.
In singles, each team had won two first sets when play was moved indoors. Goetz closed out his first set 6-4 shortly after play was resumed. Sophomore Chris Rodesch took the nation’s top-ranked singles player, Daniel Rodrigues, to a tiebreaker in the first set, but Rodrigues pulled out the 7-5 win to split the first sets 3-3 between the two teams.
Both Montes and Botzer, who had dropped their first sets, won their second sets to force deciders.
Ross gave the Cavaliers a 2-0 lead by closing out a 6-4, 7-5 win against James Story on court five. Goetz followed with a 6-4, 6-1 win against Raphael Lambling on four. Botzer took his third set 6-2 against Casey Hoole to clinch the victory.
Virginia will take on either No. 2 Florida or No. 15 North Carolina on Thursday, May 19, at the Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex in Champaign, Ill.
FROM HEAD COACH ANDRES PEDROSO
“South Carolina is a top-10 team. They’ve got top-five wins, so we knew we were going to have our hands full. I thought the guys handled it well. There were some ups and downs. Going from outdoors to indoors is always challenging, but, our guys were total pros out there. So I’m proud of them. We competed until the end and played solid. Whatever came our way, we were ready for.”
“Over the years at UVA, we’ve always taken pride in just having a really solid four or five and six. And you know, a lot of great teams, that’s where they win most of their points if you look at college tennis over the last 10, 20, 30 years. Those guys count just as much as the guys at the top of the lineup and the doubles point. Those guys have done a great job for us all year.”
“I just want to thank everyone here in Charlottesville and the UVA community that came out to cheer us on. For this to be our last match this year here in Charlottesville and to have the crowd that we had, it’s just awesome. We love playing in front of them. They make it special for us to play in the orange and blue.”
NOTING THE CAVALIERS
- This was the Cavaliers’ 20th straight win
- The Cavaliers have advanced to the quarterfinals in 15 of the last 17 championships
- Virginia has won all three of its NCAA Championship matches this year by a 4-0 score
- Chris Rodesch was leading 5-2 in the second set against No. 1 Daniel Rodrigues when play was abandoned
ON THE HORIZON
- The men’s and women’s semifinals will take place on Saturday, May 21 in Champaign with the championship matches contested on Sunday, May 22
- NCAA Singles and Doubles will take place May 23-28 in that same location
#7 Virginia 4, #10 South Carolina 0
Singles competition
- #30 Chris Rodesch (VA) vs. #1 Daniel Rodrigues (SC) 6-7 (5), 5-2, unfinished
- #39 Inaki Montes (VA) vs. #82 Toby Samuel (SC) 3-6, 6-4, 3-2, unfinished
- #45 J vd Schulenburg (VA) vs. Connor Thomson (SC) 6-2, 2-6, 3-2, unfinished
- #96 Ryan Goetz (VA) def. Raphael Lambling (SC) 6-4, 6-1
- Gianni Ross (VA) def. James Story (SC) 6-4, 7-5
- Bar Botzer (VA) def. Casey Hoole (SC) 2-6, 6-2, 6-2
Doubles competition
- #18 Daniel Rodrigues/Connor Thomson (SC) def. #61 Bar Botzer/Chris Rodesch (VA) 6-3
- Ryan Goetz/Inaki Montes (VA) def. Raphael Lambling/James Story (SC) 6-4
- Gianni Ross/J vd Schulenburg (VA) def. Casey Hoole/Toby Samuel (SC) 6-4
Match Notes
South Carolina 23-7; National ranking #10
Virginia 25-5; National ranking #7
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (5,4,6)
NCAA Charlottesville Super Regional – Round of 16
Match started outdoors but moved indoors midway through singles
A-418
Cavaliers explode on Day 2 of ACC Championships
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
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The Virginia men’s and women’s track and field teams continued competition at the ACC Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Friday where Ethan Dabbs and Maria Deaviz took gold in the javelin and shot put.
Dabbs entered the meet with the nation’s second-best mark. With his first throw of the afternoon, he set both an ACC Championship record and a facility record at Morris Williams Stadium but did not stop there. After setting a new personal-best in his second attempt, his third throw of the series reached a distance of 82.92m (272’0”). Dabbs was able to pass on his final three attempts as his best mark places him atop the NCAA and secured his third consecutive ACC title.
Maria Deaviz entered the shot put as the ACC’s reigning indoor champion in the event. On her fifth attempt of the night, Deaviz heaved a throw that reached a mark of 17.08m (56’0.5”) to edge Virginia Tech’s Essence Henderson for the ACC crown and secure 10 points for the Cavaliers.
Also making his way on to the podium was Owayne Owens who took home the silver in the triple jump for the Cavaliers reaching a mark of 16.18m (53’1”) and secured eight points for the men. The reigning ACC indoor triple jump champion claimed first team All-ACC honors for the fourth time in his career and second time this season.
In the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase Yasin Sado threw down an incredible performance. The sophomore won the silver medal in the event with a time of 8:33.39. The time was a personal best for Sado and ranks as the second-fastest time in Virginia history and the fastest all-time amongst UVA freshmen. Following Sado in fouth place was Nathan Mountain who also clocked a personal best of 8:39.42. The Hoos combined for a massive 13 points in the final event of the day to vault the men’s team into third place in the team standings.
On the women’s side Helena Lindsay placed fifth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and recorded a personal-best time of 10:05.68 which ranks fifth in Virginia history.
Colin Duignan recorded a personal-best mark in the men’s pole vault. Climbing to a height of 5.03m (16’6”), Duignan placed sixth and earned second team All-ACC honors. Duignan’s performance will go down as the seventh-best mark in UVA history.
The Cavaliers also put themselves in a position to accumulate more points on Saturday.
Conor Murphy raced to a victory in his heat of the 800-meters. The sophomore battled through a physical race posting a time of 1:51.26 and securing an opportunity to score points for the Cavaliers on Saturday.
On the women’s side of the 800-meters Sydney Coppolino placed third in here heat throwing down a personal-best time of 2:06.15 which ranks 10th in Virginia history and booked her place in Saturday’s final.
Jordan Willis also snatched a place in the finals of the men’s 400-meters on Saturday. The veteran sprinter blazed to a second-place finish recording a huge personal-best time of 45.97 which ranks third in Virginia history.
Alix Still finished off the women’s heptathlon with a day of impressive performances. She began the day with a sixth-place finish in the long jump before launching a personal-best javelin throw that reached 35.52m (113’3”).
Still saved her best performance for the competition’s final event. Coming into the final straightaway of the 800-meters, Still chased down Wake Forest’s Addison Berry to go from fifth place into first and record a personal-best time of 2:15.76. The performance secured sixth place in the heptathlon overall with a total of 5,481. The total is a personal best for Still and ranks second in Virginia history.
In the men’s decathlon Derek Pekar claimed seventh place with his total of 6,658 points. Pekar’s top performance of the day came in the pole vault when he cleared a height of 4.55m (14’11”) and finished second in the event.
Team Standings
The Virginia men sit in third place overall with a total of 42 points while the women sit in ninth place with their 23.75 total points.
In the battle for the Commonwealth Clash point between Virginia and Virginia Tech, the Cavalier men lead the Hokies while the women trail Virginia Tech after two days of competition.
On Opening Day
Rohann Asfaw (10,000-meters), Evangelos Fradelakis (hammer throw) each scored points for the Cavalier men. Jada Seaman and Jordan Hardy tallied points for the women in the long jump while Trina Barcarola, Maya Maloney and Gabriella Recce all tied for eighth in the pole vault.
The Hoos also gave themselves a chance to score points on the final day of competition. The Virginia men qualified more runners for the 1500-meters than any other school as Ka’eo Kruse, Conor Murphy and Wes Porter all booked their places in Saturday’s final.
On the women’s side Mia Barnett recorded a facility record time (4:16.51) in the 1500-meters at Morris Williams Stadium as she and Anna Workman each qualified for the finals. Jada Seaman (200-meters) and Alex Sherman (400-meter hurdles) also secured the opportunity to score points in Saturday’s finals.
From Head Coach Vin Lananna
“Today was an excellent day for our team. We saw amazing performances from Ethan Dabbs, who won his third straight ACC title. Maria and Owayne were outstanding in their events and it was just a spectacular way to end the day with Yasin Sado and Nathan Mountain placing second and fourth in the steeplechase. We are looking forward to another chance to compete tomorrow.”
Up Next
The Cavaliers are back in action tomorrow (May 13) for the final day of competition beginning with the men’s discus at 11 a.m.
Virginia tops USC to advance to NCAA Second Round
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
Sophomore Morgan Schwab tied a UVA single-game record with seven assists as No. 15 Virginia (10-9) won 13-11 over No. 18 USC (13-5) on Friday afternoon at Dorrance Field.
Schwab had an assist on five of UVA’s first six goals of the game. Freshman Rachel Clark led Virginia with four goals and one assist, freshman Kate Miller had three goals and an assist and redshirt senior Ashlyn McGovern had three goals. Junior Ashley Vernon finished with eight saves in the net for the Cavaliers.
UVA led 30-25 in shots and both teams finished with 11 ground balls. USC had a 14-13 edge in draw controls. The Cavaliers were 20-for-20 in clears.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Virginia went on a 7-0 run after USC scored the first goal of the game.
- Schwab assisted five of UVA’s first seven goals and six of the first seven were assisted.
- Clark scored the first goal for the Cavaliers to tie it up 1-1.
- Schwab connected with Miller for back-to-back goals, then she found sophomore Mackenzie Hoeg to put UVA up 3-1.
- Clark assisted McGovern’s first goal of the afternoon.
- Schwab then connected with junior Jaime Biskup to two-straight goals as UVA took a 7-1 lead.
- The Trojans scored five-straight to close out the second quarter to cut it to 7-6 at halftime. The Cavaliers had held USC scoreless for nearly 10 minutes before the 6-0 run.
- USC tied it up 7-7 coming out of the half.
- UVA stopped the run with a goal from Miller as Schwab notched her sixth assist of the afternoon.
- McGovern scored her second to give the Cavaliers a 9-7 lead with 6:07 to go in the third quarter. UVA led 9-8 heading into the final quarter.
- Virginia extended its lead to 11-8 with the first two goals of the second quarter.
- Schwab tied the UVA single-game record with her seventh assist of the afternoon on Clark’s goal to make it 10-8.
- McGovern picked up a ground ball in front of the net to give the Cavaliers a 12-9 lead with 8:12 remaining.
- Clark scored on the assist from Miller to keep UVA up by three. The Trojans scored the final goal with three seconds to play.
FROM HEAD COACH JULIE MYERS
“It is a huge opportunity to come in and play a quality team like USC. I am glad that we had just enough to come out on top. I think there were some things we did really well and others we need to address on film and learn from them as we move forward in this tournament. Super proud of the girls to be one of 16 teams still playing and really excited for the opportunity.”
UP NEXT
Virginia will play 1-seed North Carolina on Sunday, May 15 at noon at Dorrance Field.
Virginia rally comes up short against No. 3 Florida State
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
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The Cavaliers pushed three runs home as part of a seventh-inning rally but couldn’t complete the comeback as Virginia (27-24) fell to No. 3 Florida State (50-5) by a score of 5-3 in quarterfinal action at the ACC Tournament on Thursday.
Florida State got on the board in the fourth inning with a sac fly to left center from Mack Leonard that brought home Sydney Sherrill from third. Sherill had reached on a double before taking third on a groundout to set up the score on the fly ball. The Seminoles then added a second run when Devan Flaherty reached on a double to left and scored on a single through the right side from Jahni Kerr.
The Seminoles pushed a third run home in the fifth inning as Virginia conceded a run for an out on a groundball to short with one out.
A pair of home runs in the sixth inning gave the Seminoles a 5-0 advantage heading into the final frame.
Virginia put together a rally in the seventh with the eight batters coming to the plate. Back-to-back hits from Sarah Coon and Tori Gilbert put two on before Kailyn Jones singled to first to bring the first run home. Two batters later, Arizona Ritchie singled to short to score Gilbert as the Hoos cut the lead to 5-2. Virginia’s final run came with a double to right center from Leah Boggs before Florida State would grab the win with a fly out to right and two in scoring position for the Cavaliers.
Molly Grube (2-4) took the loss for the Cavaliers, allowing two runs on four hits with a walk and two strikeouts in 4.0 innings of work.
Kathryn Sandercock (27-1) picked up the win as she worked seven innings and gave up five hits while striking out three on the night. She was not charged with a run as she left the game in the seventh, but reentered after Mack Leonard gave up the three runs on three hits without recording an out in the seventh inning.
NOTES ON THE GAME
- UVA sent eight batters to the plate in the seventh inning and had two in scoring position when the game ended.
- It was the 19th meeting between the teams in the ACC Tournament and FSU now leads 15-4 in those meetings.
- Tori Gilbert was 2-for-3 with two doubles and a run scored, while Kailyn Jones was also 2-for-3 with a run scored.
- Virginia out-hit the Seminoles, tallying eight hits on the night to seven for Florida State.
FROM HEAD COACH JOANNA HARDIN
“I’m really proud of our team. We came out with energy and were fired up from the first pitch. We were seeing pitches well and disciplined at the plate. We had some balls we hit hard that they tracked well and played good defense. We kept sticking with it and it came together there in the seventh. We hit some balls hard on the screws and we stayed with our approach when Sandercock came back into the game in the seventh.”
“Molly Grube gave everything we asked of her today. She was mixing speeds and keeping them off balance. Any time you can be one swing away from going ahead in a game like that is really great. We came here expecting to play until Saturday, so it’s disappointing, but we have a lot to be proud of today. We’re out of the tournament, but we have positive momentum and you can see that considering we played FSU just four weeks ago and the result today was very different. I love coaching this team, am proud of this team and wouldn’t trade them for any player on any list from any other team. I love these girls and we’ll enjoy being together for the rest of the season – however long we have left.”
Virginia’s 1500m runners impress in opening day at ACC Championships
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
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The Virginia men’s and women’s track and field teams opened competition at the ACC Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Morris Williams Stadium in Durham, N.C. where the Cavaliers put on a strong showing.
On the track Virginia dominated the 1500-meters on both the men’s and women’s sides. Mia Barnett, who came into the race with the second-best time in the nation, led the way for the Cavaliers as she won her heat with a time of 4:16.51. The first-place finish not only booked Barnett a place in Saturday’s finals, but set a Morris Williams Stadium record as well. Anna Workman finished fifth in the same heat and qualified for the finals with her time of 4:23.85.
On the men’s side Ka’eo Kruse recorded the second-fastest qualifying time (3:44.58) finishing second in the final heat. Conor Murphy placed third in his heat (3:46.13) while Wes Porter won his (3:49.32) to secure qualification for Saturday’s finals. The Virginia men qualified more competitors for the 1500-meter finals than any other team.
Jada Seaman qualified for the 200m finals as she finished second in her heat with a time of 23.36. Seaman also placed sixth in the long jump to secure three points for the Hoos. Freshman Jordan Hardy also chipped in a point for the Cavaliers in the long jump with an eighth-place finish and a personal-best mark.
Battling through the elements, Rohann Asfaw persevered through a testing 10,000-meters despite a pouring down rain and difficult conditions. Showing off his ability to adapt and compete at a high-level despite outside factors, Asfaw secured a hard-earned point for his team as he clocked a time of 29:00.92
In the 400m hurdles Alex Sherman threw down a personal-best performance to claim the eighth spot in the final. His time of 52.57 is the fastest by a Cavalier this season and is just .05 seconds from cracking the top-five amongst Virginia freshmen all-time.
Graduate transfer Evangelos Fradelakis entered the ACC Championships with the eighth-best seed mark in a competitive field. After qualifying for the finals, Fradelakis delivered a personal-best effort of 64.22m (210’8”) which ranks fifth in UVA history. The mark secured fourth place for Fradelakis to earn him his first All-ACC honors.
Trina Barcarola, Maya Maloney and Gabriella Recce all tied with North Carolina’s Alex Potts for eighth place in the women’s pole vault reaching a height of 3.94m (12’11”) to earn .75 points for their team
In the women’s heptathlon Alix Still ended the day in seventh place with a total of 3,263 points. Her top performance of the day came in the opening event where the senior finished third in the 100-meter hurdles clocking a time of 13.84.
Derek Pekar also finished the decathlon in seventh place after the first five events of the competition with a total of 3,595 points. Pekar finished second in the long jump soaring to a distance of 6.91m (22’8”).
Team Standings
The Virginia men end the day tied for sixth place with six points while the women sit in ninth place with 4.75 points.
In the battle for the Smithfield Commonwealth Clash points, both the Virginia men’s and women’s teams trail the Hokies. Virginia Tech’s women sit in fifth place and the men end day one in fourth.
