Tennis Season Arrives

It's hard to believe, but the spring sports season is underway. Yes, even though it's January. The women's tennis team wraps up play in the UVa Winter Invitational at the Boar's Head Sports Club on Monday, while the men's tennis team hits the courts on Tuesday for a home match against William & Mary that begins at 6 p.m. Admission is free.

The Virginia men have nine matches at home to open the season. The Cavaliers have won 74 straight matches at home. On Friday, the Hoos host No. 16 Illinois at 6 p.m. That matches features a jersey retirement ceremony for former All-American Brian Vahaly.

The men's and women's teams are expected to be among the nation's best in 2011. The Cavalier men open the season ranked No. 1 for the third time in the past six years; the Hoos have five players ranked in the nation's top 30 in the individual rankings. Freshman Alex Domijan (3), senior Sanam Singh (10), junior Drew Courtney (17), sophomore Jarmere Jenkins (19) and senior Michael Shabaz (27) all place highly in those rankings. The Hoos are seeking their first ever National Championship as they continue to build on the program's recent success. Virginia has won three consecutive ITA National Team Indoor Championships, six ACC Championships, and seven ACC regular season titles in the past 10 years under Brian Boland. The Cavaliers have reached the NCAA Tournament Semifinals three times.

The Hoos are coming off of an oustanding 2009-10 season. The Cavaliers won the ITA National Team Indoor Championship and posted a fourth consecutive undefeated ACC run. Virginia set a school record for wins in a season with a 39-2 mark and reached the NCAA semifinals for the third time in the past four seasons.

The Virginia women open 2011 as the No. 24 team in the nation as the program tries to take the next step in its growth. Over the past five seasons, the Cavaliers advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament four times. The Hoos have a school-record five players nationally ranked in singles - sophomore Erin Vierra (29), junior Lindsey Hardenbergh (56), sophomore Hana Tomljanovic (73), Emily Fraser (88), and sophomore Maria Fuccillo (111). UVa ends the week with a pair of matches on Saturday against Brown and Richmond.

This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

Weekend developments

• Last week, Hermitage (Richmond, VA) head coach Patrick Kane told TheSabre.com that 5-star linebacker Curtis Grant would make official visits to Florida and UNC but not UVa prior to making a decision. This time of year, though, things can change quickly. Over the weekend reports surfaced that Virginia will indeed get an official from the 6-3, 220-pound prospect. Grant reportedly will make an official to UVa this weekend and is scheduled to visit UNC the weekend before Signing Day. The Panthers star took an official visit this past weekend and has also taken an official to Ohio State. Florida, North Carolina, Ohio State and Virginia make up the final four schools on Grant's list.
• Gilman (Baltimore, MD) athlete Darius Jennings took an official visit to Wake Forest. Barring a change, this official will be the last for the 6-0, 175-pound speedster, who is considering Ohio State, Virginia and Wake.
• Bowie (MD) defensive back Jeremiah Hendy took an official visit to N.C. State this past weekend and now lists the Wolfpack in his top three along with Iowa and Virginia. The 6-1, 190-pound senior will take an official visit to Virginia this weekend and is scheduled to visit UCLA the weekend of Jan. 28. Maryland is also in contention for the physical cornerback.
• Irving (TX) defensive end Horace Arkadie is off the board after committing to Arkansas.

Huge recruiting weekend

Three of Virginia's top remaining targets - Grant, Hendy, and Osbourn (Manassas, VA) athlete Dominique Terrell - are scheduled to make official visits to Charlottesville this weekend. They won't be alone. Nineteen of Virginia's 24 commitments are also set to make official visits as well, making certainly for a big-time football recruiting weekend.

I'll have another "Final Stretch" piece posted this week with more details on the weekend and how Virginia looks with those remaining targets. I'll also have an article on defensive end commit Marco Jones, who claims to be solid in his decision after flirting with Maryland last month. The 6-3, 250-pound senior will make his official to UVa this weekend.

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 ...

Football Recruiting's Final Stretch
Just over three weeks remain until National Signing Day, and head coach Mike London still has room in what is his first full recruiting class as Cavaliers head coach. The class is already highly regarded, coming in the top 30 nationally by ESPN.com (#21), Scout.com (#22), and Rivals.com (#28), but there is work left to be done.

Phoebus Notes: Romero's UVa Career To Start Soon
With former Phoebus (Hampton, VA) DE/LB Daquan Romero's career at the University of Virginia about to begin, Phantoms head coach Stan Sexton reflects on Romero's outstanding high school career and discusses several other subjects in this latest "Notes" segment.

More recent recruiting updates on The Sabre ...

• Notes: Coach Updates Grant's Status
• Catching Up With Duke Green

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Issue No. 27 - March 7, 2002

Mason and Watson earn second-team All-ACC

Virginia men's basketball guard Roger Mason, Jr. and forward/center Travis Watson are second-team selections to the 2002 All-Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Team. Forward Elton Brown and guard Keith Jenifer are honorable mention selections to the 2002 ACC All-Freshman Team.

Teamer named Rookie of the Year

Virginia women's basketball forward Brandi Teamer has earned the 2002 Associated Press ACC Rookie of the Year accolade, the Atlantic Coast Sports Writers Association announced on Wednesday.

The 6-0 forward was also named to the All-ACC second team and ACC All-Freshmen Team last week after helping UVA to a third-place finish in the ACC standings.

Check Out SabreMail #27.

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:

• Sabre Roundtable: The Sabre is working on a football roundtable with some media partners. Stay tuned for answers to some UVa football questions!
• Hoops Analysis: TheSabre.com gives you the inside look at the Cavaliers like no one else.

In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles since the last SabreMail

Duke Deals Loss To Virginia
The Virginia men's basketball team led at halftime for the third time in three ACC games this season, but for the second straight Saturday the Hoos didn't hold the advantage. This time around, Duke spoiled UVa's upset hopes with a devastating second half scoring punch, which helped turn a six-point deficit at intermission into a 76-60 win. The Cavaliers fell to 1-2 in ACC play with the loss.

Photo Galleries: LSU, Howard, Iowa State
The Virginia men's basketball has a tough road trip to Duke on the schedule for this weekend as the ACC contest tips off at Cameron Indoor Stadium at 2 p.m. Get ready for the showdown with the Blue Devils with three photo galleries of the Hoos, who picked up wins against LSU and Howard with a setback against Iowa State. There are 113 images in all.

Preparing For Duke
While Coach K's defenses have gotten him the most praise during his time in Durham when watching Duke on film it is the offense that drives coaches crazy. I've said in some of these articles before that great offenses are those that can constantly test your defensive discipline and I'm not sure if any halfcourt attack in the country does it better than Duke.

Understanding Box Split
In the final 30 seconds of Saturday's game with North Carolina, Virginia faced a 58-56 deficit with possession of the ball under UNC's basket. Going into a timeout called by the Tar Heels, UVa coach Tony Bennett had decisions to make. Go for the win or tie? Who takes the shot? In the end, Virginia's second-year coach settled on a play familiar to his team that has been used throughout his tenure in Charlottesville. Let's take a closer look

Scott Plans On Another Year At UVa
Senior forward Mike Scott elaborated Tuesday on the scope of his season-ending injury, and affirmed his desire to return for a fifth season. Scott has struggled with ankle problems at times during his career at Virginia; a high ankle sprain limited his production as a freshman and the lingering effects of that previous injury have contributed to his troubles this season.

Offense Made Strides In 2010
In addition to a brand new defense, head coach Mike London started his tenure at Virginia with the goal of introducing a new offensive scheme. It was a welcome change after the Hoos had languished near the bottom of the FBS in offensive production. After finishing the 2009 season ranked 118th out of 120 teams in total offense, Virginia jumped to No. 56 in the nation in 2010 under first-year offensive coordinator Bill Lazor.

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