Not long ago, lacrosse was the dominant sport every spring at the University of Virginia. The consistent excellence of the men's and women's teams captured the interest of Cavalier fans craving a national title or two.

These days, however, UVa fans have the luxury of following a growing number of nationally competitive teams. Baseball, men's tennis and women's rowing all are ranked in the top 10 of various polls, and all three are getting ready for the big stage of the NCAA championships. First, the baseball team, coming off its best regular season, will compete in the ACC tournament next week. The rowing team, fresh off winning the Central/South Region Sprints, was one of 12 crews invited to next weekend's NCAA regatta. And the tennis team, after winning two NCAA tournament matches at home, is in Tulsa, Okl,, for a Sweet 16 matchup with Ohio State on Saturday.

The women's lacrosse team, as usual, is back in the Final Four. Julie Myers' bunch will play Georgetown in the NCAA semifinals tonight for the right to face Princeton or Vanderbilt in Sunday's title game. The biggest shock of the spring is that the men's lacrosse team did not qualify for the NCAA tournament. But with so many other Wahoo squads picking up the slack, there are plenty of reasons for UVa fans to be excited this time of year.

Read all about the remaining teams, plus the latest recruiting news, in this edition of SabreMail!

Football combines...

Deveon Simmons

The Pilot-Online compiled a list of top performers from the Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and Newport News combines held over the past few weeks. Landstown LB/DB Deveon Simmons, who posted a 4.39 in the 40-yard dash during the Virginia Beach combine, came out on top and was ranked No. 1. Oscar Smith's Greg Boone and Salem's Antonio Appleby were rated Nos. 2 and 3, respectively, while UVa commit and Kempsville High School tight end Jason Fuller was rated No. 4 on the list.

Fuller, who chose UVa over an offer from Syracuse and interest from Virginia Tech, was timed at 4.45 in the 40, according to the Pilot. Fuller is an excellent athlete who usually averages around a 4.65 in the 40, which is excellent for his 6-5, 230-pound frame. He also benched 185 pounds 24 times.

A sleeper prospect to keep an eye on is Wilson High linebacker Sam Daniels. Daniels, who is 6-3, 240 pounds, benched 185 pounds an astounding 35 times and posted a 4.8 in the 40. He plays along both lines for coach Roscoe Coles, Sr. He likely projects as a defensive end on the next level.

Liberty (Bealeton, VA) running back Justin Carrington made a statement during the Nike Camp at Penn State. The 6-1, 200-pound prospect ran a 4.47 in the 40 and posted a 4.08 time in the 20-yard shuttle. Carrington is a big-time sleeper prospect who is getting looks from UVa, Marshall, UNC, Kentucky, Syracuse, and Boston College, among others. He has no offers to date.

Rockbridge County prospect and UVa commit Aaron Clark reportedly made a good showing during the PSU camp, as did St. Christopher's tight end/lineman Richard Graham. Graham is a 6-6, 250-pound prospect who is getting looks from Vanderbilt, Clemson, UVa and Virginia Tech.

Other football news...

Hermitage QB Jameel Sewell picked up his third offer a few days ago when Maryland offered. The Terrapins join UVa and Syracuse with official offers.

UVa has offered two Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, NJ) standouts in OL Brian Roche and Ath Michael Ray Garvin. Roche, who has over 20 offers, has visited UVa unofficially. Garvin boasts over 40 offers.

Please show your support and look to your local Advance Auto Parts store for all you automotive needs in 2004. See the link below to find a location nearest you and current store specials.

As always, thank you very much for actively supporting the sponsors of TheSabre.com. Their support directly contributes to the future growth and improvement of our unique online community.

UVa coach Brian O'Connor

Virginia's last baseball game of the regular season seemed pretty remarkable. Down 3-0 to Liberty, the Cavaliers rallied to tie the game in the seventh inning. After falling behind again, they won it 5-4 on Joe Koshansky's two-run homer in the eighth. But no one at Davenport Field was surprised. After all, such dramatics have been the norm for Brian O'Connor's club all season.

"That game right there has been our season and is our team," said O'Connor, who has directed Virginia to a 42-11 record in his first year as a head coach. The Cavaliers set a school record for regular-season wins, 11 of which came on comebacks in the eighth inning or later.

At 18-6 in the ACC, UVa will be either the first or second seed in next week's ACC tournament in Salem, Va., depending on how Georgia Tech (15-5 ACC) fares in its three-game series at Maryland this weekend.

"We're all going to be Maryland fans, at least for a few days," said shortstop Mark Reynolds.

For more information on UVa baseball, please see the link below.

Shopping with TheSabreShop.com is secure and easy, and we offer three shipping methods through UPS. On average, most packages ordered using UPS Ground within the state of Virginia only take one business day to arrive at your doorstep (on orders placed prior to noon the previous business day).

If you need assistance with your order, we'll be happy to help you. Just email our friendly customer service staff at [email protected].

In addition to the latest recruiting news, Sabre Edge subscribers can check out the links below for last week's stories. To become a subscriber, see sign-up information below.

Every month, Sabre Edge provides you with exclusive articles, columns, special features, interviews and recruiting news, including weekly recruiting updates. There's even a special message board just for subscribers. And to top it off, you get 10 percent off all of your online purchases through TheSabreShop.com during your subscription.

Still not convinced? Well, we've made it even easier for you to subscribe. We offer three subscription options, including a yearly rate of $34.95, a quarterly rate of $10.95 and a 'what the heck is this thing all about' monthly rate of $4.95. So, if you're unsure, check us out for a month and see what we are offering.

If you're a true Wahoo, then the Sabre Edge is right for you. Check it out!