Exhibition Weekend Arrives

While the fall sports season winds down, basketball season is just heating up for the Virginia teams. After starting practice in mid-October, both the men's and women's teams take the floor this weekend for exhibition games at the John Paul Jones Arena.

Debbie Ryan's club starts the weekend hoops action with a Friday night contest against DT3 at 7 p.m. The Cavaliers are ranked No. 15 in the preseason Associated Press Top 25. Leading the way is Monica Wright, an exciting and explosive player in the orange and blue. Wright earned the ACC Rookie of the Year Award as a freshman and followed that up as a second-team All-ACC selection as a sophomore. She also received ACC all-defensive team and ACC all-tournament team recognition last year.

Dave Leitao's squad caps off the weekend with a Sunday afternoon game against Shepherd at 2 p.m. The Hoos were picked 12th in the ACC preseason media poll. Still, it should be an exciting season for no other reason than no one truly knows what to expect. Mamadi Diane and Tunji Soroye will look to provide senior leadership while some of Leitao's Virginia recruits like Solomon Tat, Jerome Meyinsse, Mike Scott, and Jeff Jones will try to make the biggest impacts of their young careers.

Tickets to both games are available online at Virginiasports.com. The women's exhibition contest tickets range from $2 to $6, while the men's game costs $10 for a single ticket.

Kris Wright
Editor

This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

A number of prospects were in attendance for Saturday's game against Miami, including top 2009 targets Morgan Moses and Logan Thomas.

Moses, a 6-7, 340-pound offensive lineman out of Meadowbrook High School (Richmond, VA), has been to UVa numerous times and continues to be a top target of the staff. Virginia Tech does not appear to be in the race at this time and there is a decent chance the standout prospect leaves the state to play his college football. Tennessee and West Virginia top the list of out-of-state contenders.

We'll try to check in soon with the U.S. Army All-American selection for more on his recruitment and to find out where the Cavaliers stand in this race. We'll do the same with Brookville's (Lynchburg, VA) talented Thomas, who has also visited Charlottesville on a number of occasions.

The 6-6, 225-pound Thomas lists nine schools, including Clemson, Florida State, North Carolina, Penn State, Tennessee, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, and West Virginia. We believe the edge may still go to Tech, which is where he'll visit this Thursday, but we plan to reach the 4-star prospect for the latest in his decision-making process.

UVa commitments LaRoy Reynolds, a standout athlete out of Maury (Norfolk, VA), and Brunswick (Greenwich, CT) wide receiver recruit Kevin Royal were among the other senior recruits on hand on Saturday. Brookville's offensive lineman Devin Bolling, a prospect UVa is targeting but has not offered, was there as well.

2010 class targets confirmed to be in attendance include Broad Run (VA) wide receiver Adrian Fleming, Woodberry Forest (VA) offensive lineman Chad Kolumber, Brookville defensive end/tight end Zack McCray and Battlefield (VA) quarterback Bo Revell. Stay tuned for more on UVa's junior targets throughout the fall.

Virginia received some outstanding news prior to the weekend, when Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, VA) wide receiver Tim Smith verbally committed to the Cavaliers. The 6-1, 185-pound senior is a big-time addition for Virginia. He has posted over 1,000 yards this season, which is more impressive considering he rarely has played a full game at any point this year. The talented playmaker chose Virginia over Louisville and West Virginia and gives the Cavaliers five players from the talent-rich Tidewater region.

TheSabre.com has yet to get in touch with Smith since he committed, but we'll continue to try this week and hope to have something soon. Virginia now has 21 commitments in the 2009 recruiting class.

Also check out today's article on St. Xavier (Cincinnati, OH) linebacker prospect Luke Kuechly, a prospect Virginia offered last month. The 6-3, 220-pound prospect is also considering Boston College, Duke, and Stanford. He plans to make an official visit to UVa along with teammate Pat Muldoon, who has the Cavaliers in his final five.

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 ...

The Latest on Logan Thomas
Brookville (Lynchburg, VA) star athlete Logan Thomas narrowed down his list of schools in July and he has taken unofficial visits to most of those programs. Is the 6-6, 225-pound senior close to a commitment or, at the very least, close to narrowing his list again?

Checking in on Ross Metheny
Sherando (Stephens City, VA) senior quarterback Ross Metheny was unable to play in last Friday's 46-7 win over Brentsville. It was the first full game the 6-3, 190-pound lefty, a 4-year starter on the varsity level, had ever missed as Sherando's starting quarterback. Metheny's prognosis for the rest of the season is questionable, but whether or not he is on the field he still plans to be actively involved with his team.

More recent recruiting updates on The Sabre ...

• McCray Enjoys Success On and Off Field
• Deep Run Star Talks Season, Recruiting
• Sims, Hailes Headline Oscar Smith's 2010 Class
• Has Watkins Firmed Up Commitment?
• Oscar Smith Star WR Makes the Call
• Jones, Smith Major Contributors for Oscar Smith

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Back-To-Back!

Official UVa Media Relations News Release

Ryan Foster won the 2008 ACC Men's Cross Country Individual Title to lead the Cavaliers to their second-consecutive team championship Saturday morning at Ranson-Hamrick Cross Country Course at the University of North Carolina. Foster's first-place finish marks the first-ever individual championship for a Cavalier male. The women's team finished tied for fourth.

"Everyone knew today's championship would be hard won," first-year head coach Jason Vigilante said. "I am pleased that our team ran with character and poise, and was able to come away successful. Ryan Foster has been an ACC Champion before on the track and has also had many setbacks during his career; I'm so proud that he was able to capitalize on this opportunity today. He represented our university well. I also need to give a lot of credit to coach Hunt, our trainers Shelley Blakey and Beth Dalton for contributing so much to our great day today."

Ryan Collins finished sixth in 24:36.1 while Andy Biladeau in 24:37.2 for eighth. Emil Heineking was Virginia's fourth finisher, taking ninth in 24:38.2. Graham Tribble rounded out the scoring Cavaliers, finishing 16th in 24:55.8. No. 14 Virginia won its third championship in four years and fourth overall with a total of 40 points. Foster, Collins, Biladeau and Heineking all earned All-ACC honors for their finish.

In the women's 6K race, Stephanie Garcia and Lauretta Dezubay led the squad to a tie with No. 30 Duke for fourth place; Garcia and Dezubay earned All-ACC honors.

Newslink - Your One Stop Shop for UVa News

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Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

• Virginia Set to Face Duke in ACC Tournament: The 13th-ranked Virginia field hockey team (12-7, 2-3 ACC) earned the No. 4 seed and will play fifth-seeded Duke (14-4, 2-3) in the first round of the ACC Tournament on Thursday in Durham, N.C. First and second round games of the event will be shown live on ACC Select. The Cavaliers and host Blue Devils tied for fourth in the final conference standings, but after UVa edged No. 4 Duke 4-3 in the regular season finale over the weekend, the head-to-head advantage gave Virginia the higher seed. Floor Vogels scored the game-winner on a penalty corner with 13:07 to play in the game.
• Cavaliers Fall to Wake 1-0 on Senior Day: The No. 11 Virginia women's soccer team closed out its 2008 regular season with a 1-0 loss to Wake Forest Sunday at Klöckner Stadium. Amy Smerdzinski's goal in the 60th minute was the only score of the game as the Cavaliers fall to 12-4-2 overall and 6-3-1 in the ACC.
• Virginia Edged By No. 4 Maryland, 2-1: The Virginia men's soccer team was edged by fourth-ranked Maryland, 2-1, Friday night at Klöckner Stadium. Terrapin midfielder Graham Zusi's penalty kick in the 68th minute was the difference in the game. Ross LaBauex had UVa's goal.
• Cavaliers Fall at Georgia Tech: The Virginia volleyball team concluded a tough away weekend with an 0-3 (19-25, 22-25, 16-25) loss at Georgia Tech Saturday evening, but Shannon Davis joined elite company in that her two blocks saw her become just the fifth Cavalier in program history to reach the 1,000 kill and 400 block career marks. Davis, currently sitting at 1,052 career kills and 400 blocks, joins former teammate and Cavalier All-American Katie Oakes (2007), 2004 grad Alexis Geocaris, Deanna Zwarich (2000), and Jessica Parsons (1999) as the only Cavaliers to reach the plateau.
• 2009 Baseball Season Tickets On Sale Now: General Admission season tickets, Pick 10 Mini-Packages and Sunday Family 4 Packages for the 2009 Virginia baseball season will go on sale today at the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office. Fans may purchase tickets online at VirginiaSports.com or by calling the UVa Athletics Ticket Office at (800) 542-8821. Seating for new season tickets and packages will follow that of existing season ticket holders.
• Cavaliers Win Pair of Titles at Hokie Fall Invitational: The Virginia women's tennis team concluded play Sunday at the Hokie Fall Invitational at the Burrows-Burleson Tennis Center. The Cavaliers won one singles title and one doubles title on the final day. In singles, Neela Vaez won the Flight B title with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over No. 110 ranked Yasmin Hamza of Virginia Tech. In doubles, the team of Emily Fraser and Maggie Yahner won Flight A with an 8-4 win.
• Rowing Wins 5,000-Meter Race At Blue Island Challenge: The Virginia women's rowing team, competing Sunday at the Blue Island Challenge in Chicago, Ill., came away with a victory in the 5,000-meter race and a second-place finish in the 2,000-meter race. The crew of Cristine Candland, Lauren Shook, Helen Tompkins, Lauren Hutchins, Amanda Chase, Desiree Burns, Augusta Stratos, Marie Long, and Claudia Blandford finished the 5,000-meter race in first place with a time of 16:16.7.
• UVa Finishes 2nd in Stroke Play Portion of Match Play Championships: The No. 7 Virginia women's golf team advanced to the championship bracket at the National Golf Coaches Association's Match Play Championships after finishing second in the 16-team field after 36 holes of stroke play Sunday. The Cavaliers shot rounds of 4-over 292 and 4-under 284 for a two-round total of 576. Only top-ranked UCLA bettered UVa's score, finishing first at 567. The top eight teams from stroke play will compete in the match play tournament's championship bracket starting today.

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

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Issue No. 321 - Dec. 10, 2007

Long Piles Up Honors

Virginia senior defensive end Chris Long had a busy week last week as a wave of postseason recognition was sent his way. Long earned All-American recognition from The Football Writers Association of America, The Sporting News, CBSSports.com, and the Walter Camp Football Foundation. Those honors followed an All-American nod from the American Football Coaches Association.

Long also received two more individual trophies to go with his ACC Defensive Player of the Year Award. He won the 2007 Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year Award, making him the third Cavalier player to win a national individual football award. In 1941 Bill Dudley was named the Maxwell Award winner as the Collegiate Player of the Year. In 2004 Heath Miller was voted the Mackey Award as the nation's top tight end.

Long also captured the 2007 Dudley Award as the state's top collegiate player. Long was a unanimous selection, marking just the third time in the history of event that has occurred. The Dudley Award is named after former University of Virginia standout "Bullet" Bill Dudley and has been presented annually since 1990 to the player of the year at a state school. Long joins Virginia's Shawn Moore (1990) and Virginia Tech's Lee Suggs (2000) as the only previous unanimous selections. Matt Blundin, Mike Frederick, Tiki Barber, Anthony Poindexter, and Billy McMullen are the other Cavalier players who have won the Dudley Award.

"I'd like to start by saying all of the candidates are deserving of this award," Long said in a news release. "As a representative of the University and the state of Virginia, I am proud to accept this prestigious award. It is truly an honor and I couldn't have done any of this without my family, teammates and coaches. I am humbled to accept this award. I would like to thank the voters and congratulate the other players for their outstanding performances this year."

UVa's standout defender also learned that he finished 10th in the Heisman Trophy voting.

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:

• Looking Ahead To Wake Forest: The Sabre brings you pregame coverage and analysis for the football team's game with Wake Forest this weekend.
• Looking Back At Miami: Our analysts and columnists take a look at the Hoos' overtime loss.
• Cavalier Conversation: Jed Williams caught up with Boo Williams to talk hoops, UVa, and more.

In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles since the last SabreMail

Fumbles Seal Cavaliers' Fate
After a disappointing 24-17 overtime loss against Miami on Saturday, Virginia coach Al Groh noted that the Cavaliers had several chances to pick up another win but "it was kind of like sand in our hand; we had it but we couldn't wrap our hands around it". Groh wasn't directly referring to turnovers in that statement, but he could have been. After all, two uncharacteristic fumbles somehow slipped out of Hoo hands and ended any chance of pulling off another late-game win.

Canes Shock Cavaliers In Overtime
As Maurice Covington watched the ball slip out of Cedric Peerman's normally sure hands Saturday afternoon, taking with it with it the Cavaliers' four-game win streak and handing Miami the 24-17 win, he was stunned. Peerman's fumble, certainly not characteristic of him (the first lost fumble of his career), seemed to signify what went wrong for the Cavaliers. Quite simply, it just slipped away.

Miami Scouting Report: Offense & Kicking
Miami leads the ACC in scoring offense by averaging 32.0 points on average in league play. They are 38th nationally in scoring offense (30.5 points per game) as well. But is it because they're really good or because their defense and special teams make scoring a lot easier? Read on to find out.

Best Seat In The House: Cedric Peerman
The Virginia football team has won four straight games and a big part of the success has been senior running back Cedric Peerman, who has rushed for more than 100 yards in three of the wins. Jay James met up with Peerman this week for a one-on-one interview for The Best Seat in the House. Check out the free audio interview with Peerman as well as another audio update with Ahmad Hawkins.

Miami Scouting Report: Defense & Punting
For the second consecutive week, the Cavaliers will face one of the top defenses in the nation when Virginia meets 5-3 Miami this Saturday in Scott Stadium. The Hurricanes hit the road for the first of three road games in the month of November to take on the ACC Coastal Divisional leader. UM is coming off a 16-10 win over Wake Forest to run its winning streak to three games.

The Hawk's Nest - Ogletree One-On-One?
The Hurricanes will try to put a stop to the Cavs' winning ways by doing what they have been known to do over the years and that is playing physical on defense. I think the Canes will come in geared to slow down Cedric Peerman and the Cavs' strong running game by stacking the box, thus leaving the Cavalier wideouts matched up one-on-one with the defensive backs. The wideout I feel that can excel the most during these one-on-one battles is the Cavs' leading receiver Kevin Ogletree.

Tuesday Press Conference Notes '08 - Miami
Riding high on their four-game win streak, the Cavaliers have made the transition from the cellar of the ACC to No. 1 in the Coastal Division in just four weeks. A win against Miami this weekend would put the Hoos in excellent position to make a run at the conference title and would make them bowl eligible. But, no Cavalier, including head coach Al Groh, is looking past anyone on the schedule, including Miami this weekend.

Inside The Game - GT
After losing three games by more than 25 points earlier this season, the Virginia football team has put together a remarkable turnaround in the last four weeks. UVa has won four straight games and ascended to the top of the ACC's Coastal Division standings. Without question, one key to the Cavaliers' resurgence has been the improvement on offense.

10 Things I Learned ... GT
There is no way to be surprised by a fourth straight win, is there? After all, having won three in a row, can a fourth really surprise you that much? Apparently so given this week's UVa win on the road over a ranked Georgia Tech squad. There are a lot of adjectives that can describe a game like this one ...

Cavalier Call-In Highlights '08: Show 10
The Cavalier Call-In Show kicked off with a radio replay of Cedric Peerman's game-winning touchdown against Georgia Tech on Saturday before diving into the weekly format. Peerman, of course, dove to the pylon and scored to give UVa the 24-17 victory on Saturday. Dave Koehn used the audio to ask coach Al Groh about the game, the team's fourth straight win. Groh responded that it was "enjoyable" to come out on top.

Greg's Stock Report '08: GT
Unlike the Dow Jones, this week's stock report is all good on The Sabre. Virginia is showing progress in several areas. Individuals and units are logging better execution grades. And the best news is that UVa is doing all that while winning games en route to the Coastal Division lead. How did it all shake out against Georgia Tech? Let's take a look.

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