Tennis Duo Wins Title

In the spring, the Virginia men's tennis team had quite a list of accomplishments. The Cavs became the first ACC team to advance to the Final Four and Somdev Devvarman became the first player in school and conference history to win the individual NCAA Championship.

The program isn't showing any signs of slowing down this fall.

Devvarman and Treat Huey teamed up to win the doubles title at the ITA All-American Championships this past weekend on the campus of the University of Tulsa. They are the first ACC duo to win the doubles title at the prestigious tournament. Huey and Devvarman, the preseason No. 1 team in the ITA doubles rankings, took down 20th-ranked Jonas Berg and Erling Tveit of Mississippi in the final, 6-2, 7-5.

"They have played together for a long time and deserve to have this level of success," coach Brian Boland said in news release. "We are proud of their success and we look to them to continue to develop and be tremendous leaders for our team as the season progresses."

This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

Basketball recruiting ...

A week since he made his official visit to Stanford, 6-11, 235-pound center John Brandenburg has yet to make a commitment.

In August, the 4-star De Smet Jesuit (St. Louis, MO) product narrowed his list of schools to Stanford and Virginia. He made an unofficial visit to Stanford in August and followed that up with an official visit to UVa on the weekend of Sept. 9. After struggling to come to a decision from those experiences, Brandenburg decided to make an official visit to Stanford on the weekend of Sept. 29.

A decision could come at anytime, so stay tuned to TheSabre.com to see if anything breaks this week. Brandenburg is a key prospect for the Hoos, as he is one of the top overall prospects on the board. Virginia has already landed one of its top backcourt targets in 6-6, 195-pound Sylven Landesberg, a 4-star recruit out of Holy Cross High School (Flushing, N.Y.)

According to South Kent (CT) head coach Raphael Chillious, 7-0, 230-pound center Assane Sene had a terrific official visit to the University of Virginia last weekend. So much so that Sene was considering a commitment to the Cavs without taking more official visits. Unfortunately for Virginia, the Senegal native reportedly will take at least one more official visit before making a commitment. According to the New Haven Register online, Sene has scheduled an official visit to the University of Connecticut for this upcoming weekend.

Stay tuned, as we will continue to monitor Sene's recruitment. At this point, the University of Virginia figures to be in good shape with Sene, who had been to Charlottesville two times prior to last weekend's visit. He has a large amount of respect for head coach Dave Leitao and has also developed a good relationship with Bill Courtney.

St. George (Memphis, TN) 5-star guard Elliot Williams is a step closer to making his decision. The 6-4 senior made an official visit to Tennessee over the weekend and now just has one more official visit scheduled, a trip to Memphis this coming weekend.

After the Memphis trip, Williams is expected to make a commitment to one of four finalists - Duke, Memphis, Tennessee or Virginia.

The Hun School (Princeton, N.J.) forward Lance Goulbourne made a verbal commitment to Vanderbilt, choosing the Commodores over Marquette and Virginia.

Football recruiting ...

Dunbar (Washington, D.C.) defensive end Ugo Uzodinma added an offer from the University of Illinois prior to making his official visit there on the weekend of Sept. 29. TheSabre.com caught up with the 6-5, 245-pound prospect for the latest on his recruitment, which could come to an end as soon as the end of October.

The University of Virginia was the first to offer the talented prospect. At this point, Illinois and Virginia are the only two programs to offer although Northwestern, Pitt, and Syracuse are also showing interest. Illinois and Virginia are Uzodinma's top two schools right now.

We'll also check in on several other UVa targets making official visit to other schools. Christchurch (VA) wide receiver Deion Walker was scheduled to visit Florida State over the weekend, while St. Xavier (Cincinnati, OH) RB Darius Ashley was scheduled to make an official visit to Louisville.

The weekend visit was the second official visit for the 6-3, 180-pound Walker. It was also the second official visit for the 5-9, 185-pound Ashley, who is expected to decide between Louisville and Virginia soon.

Some Phoebus (Hampton, VA) targets are among the prospects expected in Charlottesville for Saturday's contest versus Connecticut. Senior CB/WR Reid Evans and junior QB Tajh Boyd are scheduled to be at Virginia. The Cavs, led by primary recruiter Mike London, are seriously recruiting Evans but have not yet offered. Boyd is a top prospect for the 2009 recruiting class.

Game ball

Hackensack (N.J.) star Ausar Walcott rushed 22 times for 235 yards in a 20-8 win over Plainfield. The win was Hackensack's first of the 2007 season, moving the Comets to 1-3 on the year.

The 6-3, 210-pound Walcott ran for a 6-yard score in the win. A terrific athlete, he is being recruited by Virginia as a safety or possible outside linebacker prospect.

Chris Horne, our resident recruiting expert, provides updates throughout the week for Edge subscribers about UVa's commitments and recruiting targets in football and men's basketball. To sign up for an Edge subscription, please check out the Sabre Edge Sign Up and Information Page. If you're already on board as an Edge subscriber, click the links below to catch up on recruiting.

Sabre Edge recruiting updates from the past week ...

Commit Profile: Friendly DB Devin Wallace
5-11, 200-pound defensive back Devin Wallace has played for Friendly High School's (Fort Washington, MD) varsity football squad since the 10th grade. He helped Friendly capture a state championship in his junior season and is looking to lead the Patriots to back-to-back state titles in this his senior season. Next year, he plans to wear the orange and blue of the University of Virginia.

Ruff Details UVa Visit
Norview (Norfolk, VA) defensive lineman recruit Klinton "Buddy" Ruff, fresh off his team's first victory of the year last Friday night, made an unofficial visit with his parents on Saturday to check out his future team...the Virginia Cavaliers. Ruff, a 6-4, 290-pound prospect that could play either defensive end or nose guard in Virginia's 3-4 set, was on hand for Virginia's 44-14 thumping of Pitt.

UVa Impresses Sene
The big man on Virginia's campus this past weekend was 7-0, 230-pound Assane Sene, a top center prospect out of South Kent School in Connecticut. The senior had a great time on his official visit, which was his third overall visit to Charlottesville this year. South Kent head coach Raphael Chillious provided the latest on Sene's experience as well as where the decision making process will go from here.

Other updates since the last SabreMail ...

• UVa Continues to Monitor Phoebus CB/WR
• Class of '09 Profile: Brookville's Logan Thomas
• Class of '09 Profile: Orange's Quintin Hunter

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Post of the Week

This post from CLC-UVA drew quite the response on the EDGE message board. Read the entire thread.

Subject: Negativity?
Posted by: CLC-UVA on Sun Oct 7 2007 8:37:31 AM
Message: We've all seen this movie before, and we know how it ends -- with a barrage of back-and-forth posts that all fall into two general categories:

1. Those who are frustrated/concerned/pessimistic, and come to the Sabre to voice those views...with varying degrees of constructiveness and/or drunkenness.

2. Those who want to focus only on the positives, and resent any criticisms, dismissing them as petty, uninformed, or simply impossible to please.

We know that we have some posters who are purely and consistently negative. People who form an irrational dislike for a player or coach or scheme, and spend the entire season flogging their favorite whipping post, with no regard for context or the most recent facts at hand. Clearly, these folks are a one-trick pony, and make for dreary reading.

But the opposite extreme holds true, too. There are posters on this board who are ready to pounce on any and every expression of frustration or concern, and I think that these folks are as irrational in their nothing-but-sunshine mandate as the gloom-and-doomers are in their bile.

Isn't this an opinion board? Isn't the whole point of the Sabre to bring together people who agree on where we want the Hoos to go, but are free to talk and disagree about where we are, and what path we're taking? We're flawed fans rooting for a flawed team (and program), which we want desperately to do better, so we are going to be frustrated. If we can't come to the Sabre to voice those concerns, and engage in semi-rational debate about them, then what on earth is the point of this site? Information, yes; but beyond that, is it just an ongoing pep rally?

One point on a common tactic used to dismiss "negative" posts: Yes, the coaches no doubt see and know more than most of us. But guess what -- coaches can and do make poor decisions all the time. Some blow recuiting opportunities. Some fail to develop talent. Some make bad staffing decisions. Some choose ineffective schemes. Some hurt their team with bad in-game decisions. Every coach who does these things probably "knows more" than most of us on the Sabre. But guess what: the coaches who do these things repeatedly, and to the team/program's detriment, eventually get fired.

That is not a "Groh must go" statement. It's just pointing out the absurdity of rendering people in power -- coaches, politicians, military leaders, parents -- immune from criticism because they ostensibly know more than us.

Another common argument: Expressing any kind of concern following a win is mean-spirited, a sign of being impossible to please, and "unbelievable." This one truly baffles me, on a sports board. One of the most time-honored themes in sports is "not being satisfied," and the most common form it takes is in the ageless post-game formula: criticize after a win, build up after a loss. So post-win critiques are a staple. But a game like last night takes this to another level altogether.

Yes, we won the game. Yes, I'm happy for the kids, and will "take the W." But what's "unbelievable" to me is that people could watch (or follow) last night's game and NOT have tremendous concerns about what those events and trends foretell for our future. That's what sports fans do: watch games, form opinions about the effectiveness of what your team is doing now, and voice optimism/pessimism for the future.

If we can't bring these concerns to the Sabre, where we can commiserate with those who who feel the same, or engage in actual debate with those who disagree, then what is the Sabre for?

The Sabre's Game Week Coverage

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Diehard football fans know that preparing for the game starts a long time before Saturday. That's where the Sabre has you covered! Our game info pages are stocked with all the information you need for the Hoos' next game. That means you can get the essentials (time, place, TV, postgame stats, weather forecasts, preview articles, depth charts, roster cards, etc.) in one convenient location.

The links to each game are available through our schedule on the Football Info page (Click here for Football Info page.); all you have to do is click on the game of interest and the information is all on that game page! Check out the Connecticut page now!

That doesn't even include the articles you get as part of our premium EDGE coverage. Each week, you'll receive features, columns, and analysis on the Hoos' next game. If you want to be "in the know" and impress your buddies at the next tailgate, the EDGE is the place to be. To sign up for an EDGE subscription, please check out the Sabre Edge Sign Up and Information Page.

UVa Bookstores' 2007 Virginia Football Pick 'Em

Pick 'em is simple. The first contestant who picks the winner and comes closest to predicting the final score wins. In case of ties, the earliest entry will be awarded the prize. Entries must be received by 12:00 a.m. EST game day. Entries received after 12:00 a.m. (midnight the night before the game) are ineligible. Limit one entry per person.

The prizes for the Pick ' em are awesome! The Virginia vs. UConn contest this week will reward a Barber Brothers Book Collection to first place and a 1-Year Cavalier Corner Magazine subscription to second place.

For the full information or to enter, click here!

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Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

• Women's Soccer Keeps Streak Going: The fifth-ranked Virginia women's soccer team extended its unbeaten streak to nine games with a win and a draw last week. On Thursday, Sarah Senty fired a shot just inside the far post for her first goal of the year - that tied the score at 1-1 with Florida State and the teams played to a draw. On Sunday, Shannon Foley's goal in the 107th minute gave Virginia its second conference win of the season. UVa is 8-1-3 overall and 2-0-2 in the ACC.
• Men's Soccer Tops UNC: The No. 4 Virginia men's soccer team recorded its first ACC win of the season by defeating North Carolina 2-1 on Saturday night. Yannick Reyering and Chris Tierney scored for the Cavaliers, who improved to 7-1-2 overall and 1-0-2 in the ACC.
• Field Hockey Goes 2-1 During Busy Week: The Virginia field hockey team won two out of three games this week, defeating California 3-0 and Rutgers 2-1 before falling to Louisville 2-1. Devon Burnley's 10 saves keyed the shutout win over the Bears and Inge Kaars Sijpesteijn scored both goals in the win over the Knights. In the loss to the Cardinals, Jamie Mulhare tallied the goal for the Cavaliers (7-6).
• Nielson, Krog Post Top-10 Finishes At UNC: Behind the 10th-place finishes of freshman Calle Nielson and junior Lene Krog, the Virginia women's golf team placed ninth in the 18-team field at the Lady Tar Heel Invitational. Duke, ranked second, won the tournament at 13-over 877. Duke's Amanda Blumenherst, the two-time National Player of the Year, won the tournament.
• Volleyball Wins 2 ACC Matches:The Virginia volleyball team (10-6, 5-2 ACC) posted a 3-0 sweep over Maryland and a 3-1 win against Boston College. Against the Terps, Sarah Kirkwood paved the way with a match-high 25 kills. Rookie Kelly Irvin tallied 47 assists against Maryland. Against BC, Kirkwood again paced the Hoos with a match-high 21 kills. Shannon Davis added 12 kills and Irvin had a career-high 50 assists.

For more Hoo news or to read full releases, check out Virginiasports.com.

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Issue No. 198 - July 15, 2005

This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

Virginia added two more commitments this week, giving the Hoos 11 total.

Deep Run (Glen Allen, VA) star Sean Gottschalk was the first player to commit this week. The 6-5, 250-pound defensive end chose Virginia over Boston College, Georgia, Miami and Ohio State - all had offered. Gottschalk had received close to 20 Division 1A offers up to this point.

As a junior last season, Gottschalk, a good athlete who also plays basketball, finished with 56 tackles and six sacks. A tight end and defensive end for former UVa player and current Deep Run head coach Lenny Pritchard, he projects as a defensive end in Al Groh's scheme.

An excellent student, he carries a 3.7 grade point average and earned all-academic honors.

Virginia's second verbal of the week came from a player very new to the targets list. On Thursday, the Cavaliers extended an offer to 6-3, 195-pound Monsignor Bonner (Lansdowne, PA) quarterback Marc Verica. UVa quarterbacks coach Mike Groh asked for a quick decision and got one, as Verica committed shortly thereafter. He chose Virginia over an official offer from Wisconsin and a verbal offer from Michigan State.

As a junior last season, Verica threw for 1,700 yards and 10 touchdowns in a run-oriented version of the west coast offense. He turned in impressive performances at the Nike camp at State College and at UVa's summer camp. Verica says a strong arm (can throw the ball 70 yards in the air), quick feet (ran a 4.25 in the shuttle at Nike) and poise in the pocket make him stand out over other quarterbacks. He is looking forward to the 2005 season and a more passer-friendly offense.

Coming Soon

The Sabre has you covered when it comes to Hoo news. Here are a few of the articles to expect on the site in the coming days:

• Game Week Previews The Sabre has adjusted its game week coverage to fit a more streamlined format while also adding content. Stay tuned each week to get ready for the upcoming opponent.
• Connecticut The Sabre breaks down the Huskies' special teams, offense, and defense.
• Looking Back at Middle Tennessee State Each week, the Sabre breaks down the previous week's contest. Stay tuned for JHoo's 10 Things I Learned Against Middle Tennessee State, Greg's Game Grades, Inside the Game, and more.

In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles since the last SabreMail

Gould's Kick Lifts UVa To Win
Survived. Escaped. Squeaked, eked, and tiptoed to victory by the hair of a chinny chin chin. Call it what you want, but the Virginia football team won its fifth straight game Saturday when it slipped past Middle Tennessee State, 23-21. Chris Gould delivered the game-winning points when his 34-yard field goal split the uprights with eight seconds remaining. The victory represents UVa's first non-conference road win since defeating Syracuse in 2005 and the program's first back-to-back road wins since 2004.

UVa At MTSU Scouting Report: Special Teams
On paper, Virginia is the clear favorite against Middle Tennessee State this weekend. The Hoos have the edge in virtually every statistical category. That's a fact that extends to special teams where UVa holds a statistical advantage in field goals, net punting, punting, punt returns, and kickoff returns. Will the Cavaliers be able to take advantage of the situation?

Wes' Ways To Win - MTSU
The two non-conference road games on Virginia's 2007 schedule immediately jumped out to some as dangerous. Call 'em trap games if you will, but something about those two dates in those two locations made Hoo fans nervous. In Wyoming, those fears were realized as the Cowboys picked up the win. Now it's time for Middle Tennessee State. How will the Cavaliers fare this time around?

Best Seat In The House: MTSU's Rick Stockstill
It's a big week for the Virginia football team as the Cavaliers look for their second straight road win, something they haven't accomplished since 2004. To get back-to-back victories away from home, however, UVa will have to deal with Middle Tennessee State, a team that will be gunning for the BCS Cavs. Blue Raiders coach Rick Stockstill joined The Best Seat in the House to talk about Saturday night's contest and he had some kind words about the Hoos' Chris Long.

UVa At MTSU Scouting Report: MTSU Offense
Injuries on the offensive line and at quarterback have forced Middle Tennessee State to make changes, changes that have altered the dynamic of the offense thanks to the insertion of freshman QB Dwight Dasher. The Blue Raiders used more spread sets with multiple receivers last week and the result was one of the most productive first halves in program history.

UVa At MTSU Scouting Report: MTSU Defense
For the third week in a row, the Cavaliers will face an attacking style of defense that uses speed and schemes more than brute force to get to ball carriers. Like Georgia Tech, the Blue Raiders (1-4) will blitz 80% of the time be it against the run or pass. But if they don't get the big play, offenses can take advantage. Will Virginia capitalize when it has the ball?

The Hawk's Nest - Receiver Blocking
Most wide receivers feel that they are on the field to catch passes and score touchdowns. In most cases, that is the true description of what a receiver is supposed to do during a football game. But there are times in the game when a running back is what we call "one block away" from a touchdown. This is where blocking as a receiver is essential.

Tuesday Press Conference Notes - MTSU
The Virginia football team heads out on the road again this week where it will be looking for its second consecutive road victory. For a team that's won four straight games, that may not sound too daunting. But it is. The Cavaliers haven't won a non-conference road game since defeating Syracuse in 2005 and they haven't won back-to-back road games since 2004.

Greg's Game Grades '07: Pitt
Say what you want about Pitt's poor execution, devastating turnovers and sloppy play, but make no mistake this was a game where one team was simply overmatched by another. On paper there may not be a huge gap between the Hoos and Panthers, but between the ears, between the rib cage, and between the lines, there is a huge difference. But the grades weigh both execution and subjective analysis - so how did the Hoos do?

Photo Gallery: Virginia 44, Pitt 14
Virginia poured it on in a 44-14 rout against Pittsburgh on Saturday night at Scott Stadium. In the contest, the Hoos scored 27 points in the first quarter and never looked back. Relive the action from the 30-point win with this photo gallery featuring 113 images, including photos of Rashawn Jackson's touchdown, Jonathan Stupar, John Phillips, Clint Sintim, Vic Hall, and much more.

Notes From The Upper Deck: Night Lights
After some scorching-hot home games, Charlottesville finally delivered one of those perfect early autumn days. And after some noon starts, the schedule finally delivered a late kickoff that allowed us all to enjoy it. Students were at their cocktail parties. The rest of us were hanging out with friends in the parking lots, passing the time with some food, beverages, and conversation. Ah, enjoying a Saturday at the University the way Thomas Jefferson would've wanted it to be enjoyed ... had he known about football and parking lots.

10 Things I Learned Vs. Pitt
I remember watching last year's game at Pitt. Nice field, good food, nice to see Nate Lyles return. After that, I cannot remember many positives from the day. It was a long night in the Steel City. This year, a different story. Really different. What did we learn from Virginia's 44-14 blowout against the Panthers on Saturday? Here's a hint: Ras-I Dowling was active on special teams once again.

Inside The Game: Pitt
Jameel Sewell, who admittedly struggled in the third quarter, had one of his best days as a Cavalier quarterback against Pitt on Saturday. He finished 16-of-31 passing for 169 yards. That showing included a career-high 3 touchdown passes and 0 interceptions or sacks. While it wasn't a perfect wire-to-wire outing - Sewell had a couple of errant throws and nearly tossed a couple of interceptions - it was another positive step.

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