On To The Final Four

A pair of Virginia teams earned Final Four spots over the weekend, continuing UVa's traditionally strong showing in the spring season. The No. 1 ranked and seeded men's tennis team advanced to the semifinal round for the second straight season with a 4-2 match win over Baylor on Sunday. One day earlier, the second-seeded men's lacrosse team overcame a three-goal deficit to defeat Maryland 8-7 in overtime.

On the tennis courts in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Hoos picked up the four points they needed to advance by winning the doubles point and the matches at No. 1, No. 3, and No. 5. No. 3 player Dominic Inglot clinched the match win in the third set, while Michael Shabaz cruised to a straight set win at No. 5. At No. 1, Somdev Devvarman destroyed Lars Poerschke, ranked No. 8 nationally, 6-3, 6-2.

"Somdev is playing great tennis," Cav coach Brian Boland said in a news release. "He has been a team leader for us all year. He continues to go out with enthusiasm and energy and the other guys feed off that. I haven't seen him play better than this and he has a lot of confidence out there."

The tennis team doesn't get much time to savor the accomplishment as it returns to action today. The Cavaliers face No. 4 Georgia, the defending National Champions, tonight at 6 p.m. It will mark the third consecutive season that the teams have met in the NCAA Tournament with the Cavaliers looking for their first ever win against the Bulldogs (0-13 all-time).

The lacrosse team has a little more time to prepare for its Final Four showdown with Syracuse. UVa has advanced to the semifinals three times in the last four seasons. The Cavaliers (14-3) and Cuse meet on Saturday.

It wasn't easy for Dom Starsia's team to make it back to championship weekend. The Cavaliers needed to rally from a three-goal deficit early in the second half to overcome Maryland. Trailing 7-4, Danny Glading and Rhamel Bratton cut the lead to one before the fourth quarter. Ben Rubeor took over from there, scoring the final two goals of the game - the first with 8:43 remaining in regulation to tie the game at 7-7 and the second produced the OT win with 31 seconds to play.

The win proved to be Virginia's fourth overtime win of the season and its eighth win by one or two goals.

So what do Hoo fans think about the teams' chances to win it all? Share your thoughts on the tennis message board and the lacrosse message board.

This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

Football recruiting

Tucker Windle's commitment gives the Virginia football staff seven for the 2009 class, though the status of running back Alex Owah is certainly in question. The 6-3, 220-pound Charlotte Catholic (Charlotte, N.C.) star, who projects as an outside linebacker at the University of Virginia, is Virginia's second commitment on the defensive side of the ball, joining hard-hitting safety Corey Lillard.

Virginia is in great shape as the Evaluation Period nears an end. The Cavs projected recruiting number for this class is probably in the low 20s right now, though most feel that the staff could go the allotted 25. Regardless, the staff is almost one-third of the way finished with this class, starting off things the right way with some very talented prospects. For example, the latest commit also had offers from Duke, N.C. State, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, and Wisconsin.

Should the Cavaliers decide to offer St. Ignatius (Cleveland, OH) wide receiver Connor Ryan, it would not be a surprise if a commitment followed soon after. Ryan is one of many prospects still being evaluated by the staff, but Ryan is not shy about the way he feels about UVa and how he fits into the University. He had a terrific camp experience last summer and is considering a return trip to Charlottesville for next month's Elite Junior Day, which likely will take place on June 14.

Another prospect getting a hard look from UVa is Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, VA) safety Perry Jones, who should also know soon what Virginia's plans are for him. Head coach Rich Morgan indicated that new Virginia defensive coordinator Bob Pruett, who now recruits the Chesapeake/Peninsula areas, "loves" Jones, a first-team all-state linebacker last season. Jones lacks size at only 5-9, 185 pounds, but he is a big-time tackler and playmaker for the Tigers.

This week, we'll continue to watch the situations of those recruits the staff is monitoring as well as take a look at some of the targets currently holding an offer. Today, I'll feature Lafayette (Williamsburg, VA) defensive end Will Hill, who is one of the staff's top defensive targets. Will has made a decision regarding when he plans to enroll in college, so stay tuned to find out what that is as well as the latest on his recruitment.

Also, we'll profile 2008 class signee Rodney McLeod, a plus athlete out of DeMatha Catholic.

Basketball recruiting

In case you missed it, or in case you don't subscribe to the EDGE, you need to check out Paul Montana's coverage of the Southern Invitational. A couple of 2009 class targets - guard C.J. Harris and guard Sherrod Wright - were the focus of individual articles, but there is also an overview of the entire AAU event as well as an article on two top future targets in Malcolm Gilbert and Dez Wells. Although several top AAU teams including Boo Williams 17U did not participate, a solid number of Virginia targets, ranging from the 2009 class to the 2011 class, were in action.

For all you need from the 2008 Southern Invitational, check out the Sabre EDGE.

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 ...

Windle Reflects on Commitment to UVa
Following an outstanding visit to the University of Virginia on February 24th, Charlotte Catholic (Charlotte, N.C.) outside linebacker recruit Tucker Windle seemed destined to become the next Cavalier commitment. A commitment didn't materialize that quickly for the Cavaliers, but it didn't matter as the talented 6-3, 220-pound junior prospect gave his pledge to the staff last Friday.

C.J. Harris Runs the Show for CP3
Most AAU squads play offense as if they were playing against an NBA shot clock. The game is dominated by fancy dribbling, one-on-ones, and can-you-top-this dunks, often only one or two passes into possessions. The CP3 All-stars, however, aren't a typical AAU team; they swing the ball when it should be swung, move the ball inside and out, pound the glass, and play good defense. That is why, at the Southern Invitational in Charlottesville over the weekend, it was CP3 who went undefeated at 3-0 in its round-robin games before winning the 17U championship.

Wright Drawing East Coast Attention
Some guys know what it's like to play inside. They get down on the block on offense, and rebound and get big on defense. Others prefer to hang out on the perimeter. They're the slashers, the shooters, the ball-handlers. Sherrod Wright has done both. A shooting guard out of Mount Vernon, N.Y., that Virginia has its eye on, Wright put all of his skills - of which there are many - on display over the weekend at the Southern Invitational in Charlottesville for his AAU team, Playaz Gold.

More recent recruiting updates on The Sabre ...

• Recruiting Notes: Oscar Smith H.S.
• The Latest on Javanti Sparrow
• Young Guns Impress at Southern Invitational
• Talent Flows At Southern Invitational

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License Plate section is up in Wahoowa!

A few weeks ago, SabreMail made a request for anyone who had license plates that reflected your status as a Hoo fan. The responses have started to trickle in and the Plates Photos are up and running the Wahoowa! section of the site. The Wahoowa! section of the Sabre is dedicated to all things associated with UVa Fan-dom. There are various fan-related areas including desktop wallpaper, Fan of the Week photos, V-Sabres Worldwide, and more. If you have suggestions for new and interesting things in the Wahoowa! section, please email us at [email protected] with the header: Wahoowa! suggestion.

We'd like to keep adding photos to the section so if your license plate shows that you're a Hoo fan, let us know so we can include you in our gallery. All you need to do is snap a picture of your license plate and email a jpeg version of the photo to [email protected] with the email header: License Plate Photo.

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Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

• Miclat, McAnaney Named to All-ACC Baseball Team: Virginia's Greg Miclat and Pat McAnaney have been named to the 2008 All-Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Team, the league office announced. Miclat was a first-team selection at shortstop, while McAnaney earned second-team honors as a starting pitcher.
• ACC Baseball Championship Bracket Announced: The 2008 ACC Baseball Championship bracket was announced Sunday by the conference office. Virginia, the tournament's No. 6 seed, will compete in the Division 'B' bracket and play No. 3-seed North Carolina at 8 p.m. Wednesday, No. 2-seed Florida State at 5 p.m. Friday and No. 7-seed Wake Forest at 8 p.m. Saturday. The tournament will be contested Wednesday through Sunday in Jacksonville, Fla., at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.
• Georgia Tech Wins 2 of 3: No. 25 Georgia Tech withstood a late Virginia rally to earn a 9-7 win Saturday in the deciding contest of the three-game series at Davenport Field. Greg Miclat, Patrick Wingfield, and Dan Grovatt all recorded three hits for Virginia.
• No. 9 Virginia Wins Team Title And Varsity Eight At South/Central Regionals: No. 9 Virginia rowing finished with 407 points, including a victory in the Varsity Eight, to capture the overall Aramark South/Central Regional Championship and the South Region Championship Sunday at Melton Lake in Oak Ridge, Tenn. Virginia has now won the South Region's Varsity Eight race five times in the last six years (2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008) and the South/Central team championship four times in the last five seasons (2004, 2005, 2007, 2008). "In a competition like this, getting a win is a big deal and the Varsity Eight rowed a great race," coach Kevin Sauer said. "Winning the team title, it's obvious everyone contributed."
• Cavalier Men and Women Finish Second at ECAC/IC4A Championships: The Virginia men's and women's track and field teams both finished second at the ECAC/IC4A Championships Sunday in Princeton, N.J. The men's 4x100m relay defended its 2007 title, winning the event in 41.03 and anchored the men's team into second place with 55 points, just seven behind Liberty's 62. For the women, Ayla Smith turned in a time of 1:00.08 to win the ECAC 400m hurdles, leading the squad to second with 53 points. Connecticut's women won the championship with 83 points.
• Echko smashes 14-Year Old School Record in 100m Hurdles: Lauren Echko smashed a 14-year old school record in the ECAC 100m hurdles, finishing the semifinals in a time of 13.72, while Yemi Ayeni competed in the discus and broke the IC4A meet record with a first-place throw of 59.79m at the ECAC/IC4A Championships on Saturday afternoon.
• Garcia Wins ECAC Steeplechase Title: Stephanie Garcia led the Virginia track and field team in the opening day of the ECAC/IC4A Outdoor Track and Field Championships by winning the ECAC steeplechase. The sophomore led a pack of 10 runners who met NCAA Regional Qualifying times, while her time of 10:19.74 was almost 12 seconds faster than the second place finisher.
• Cavaliers Stage Huge Rally to Earn Berth to NCAA Championships: The unranked Virginia men's golf team staged a miraculous rally during the final round of the NCAA East Regional Championships to finish 10th and earn the final berth from the regional to the National Championships. The tournament takes place May 28-31. The Cavaliers entered Saturday's final round in 16th place, nine shots out of 10th place. Virginia shot 8-under 276, the day's second best score, and finished 10th in the 54-hole event at 3-under 849.
• Pair of Cavaliers Named to All-ACC Academic Wrestling Team: The Virginia wrestling team is represented by two of its student-athletes on the 2007-08 All-ACC Academic Wrestling Team, announced by league commissioner John D. Swofford. Jack Danilkowicz and Nick Nelson each were named to the squad. To be eligible for consideration, a student-athlete must have earned a 3.0 grade point average for the fall 2007 semester and maintained a 3.0 cumulative average during his academic career.
• Twenty-Three Cavaliers Qualify for U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials: The Virginia swimming team will be represented by 23 members, 13 from the men's squad and 10 from the women's squad, at the 2008 United States Olympic Trials, set for June 29 through July 6 in Omaha, Neb. "This very large team of athletes will be well-prepared physically for the challenge that is the USA Swimming Olympic Trials," Virginia head coach Mark Bernardino said. "They have prepared diligently the past 15 months and our expectation is that multiple athletes will be finalists and semi-finalists. We look forward to this greatest of swim competitions and to representing our university with distinction."

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

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Issue No. 243 - May 26, 2006

Virginia Ready for Final Four Weekend

Michael Culver and the Cavs' defense will try to slow down Syracuse on Saturday.

The Virginia men's lacrosse team has rolled to a 15-0 record this season, but the coaches and players won't be satisfied without two more victories this weekend in the NCAA Tournament's Final Four. UVa faces Syracuse in the semifinals on Saturday, a team it defeated earlier this season, 20-15.

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 soon:

• Take 5: Sabre Editor Kris Wright takes a look at five things on his mind about the football team.
• National Championship? The men's tennis team and the men's lacrosse team try to win a National Championship this week. The Sabre will follow up on the seasons in the coming weeks.
• Ask The Experts: The Sabre is planning to bring back "Ask The Experts" in the coming weeks so keep an eye out for question requests on the boards and for the feature to hit the site.

In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles since the last SabreMail

Barrow Helps Hoos' Defense
When senior Will Barrow scoops up a groundball or receives an outlet pass for the Virginia men's lacrosse team, the next several seconds are among the most exciting moments of the afternoon. He accelerates and runs by opponents attacking with their sticks. He jukes, cuts, bursts, and slips through seams to start the Cavaliers preferred transition game. It really resembles the return game on the football field, which is convenient since Barrow excelled in and was recruited for both lacrosse and football.

Q&A - Tennis Team's Dynamic Duo
The postseason guide for Virginia men's tennis states it pretty clearly: Either Somdev Devvarman or Treat Huey now owns every Cavalier career record. The team has won a school-record 30 matches for two straight seasons as well. The last box on the checklist? A National Championship. Devvarman and Huey, along with fellow senior Ted Angelinos, will try to help Virginia accomplish that feat in Tulsa starting on Friday. The dynamic duo is in the spotlight for this Question & Answer session.

Around The Horn: Struggling Down The Stretch
Over the past four years the Virginia baseball team has consistently ended the regular season on a positive note, averaging 7.75 wins in its final 10 regular season outings. But that is not the case this season as the Hoos complete the 2008 regular season with a crucial three-game series against Georgia Tech starting tonight at 6 p.m. at Davenport Field. The Jackets arrive as winners of 9 of their last 12 games while Virginia staggers into its ACC season finale as losers in 6 of 10. But are the Hoos, winners of 35 games so far, in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament?

Quick Take: Brian Boland
The top-ranked and top-seeded Virginia men's tennis team begins play in the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 on Friday when it takes on Michigan at noon in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Cavaliers defeated the Wolverines 5-2 earlier this year. UVa is 30-0 on the season after a pair of home wins over the weekend. Brian Boland took time to meet with the media on Tuesday and this "Quick Take" helps prepare you for the stretch run of the season.

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