Hoos Eye Fourth Straight Title

Virginia Athletics Media Relations, Official Release

The top-ranked Virginia men's tennis team reached the ITA National Team Indoor final with a 4-1 win over No. 4 Ohio State Sunday in a semifinal match at the Nordstrom Tennis Center. The Cavaliers (13-0) will look for an unprecedented fourth consecutive National Team Indoors Championship on Monday as they meet No. 2 Tennessee in a rematch of last year's final. In doubles, the Cavaliers' new doubles combinations once again worked well to give them a 1-0 lead. Drew Courtney and Steven Rooda topped Matt Allare and Ille Van Engelen 8-5 at No. 3. At the top spot, Michael Shabaz and Alex Domijan downed sixth-ranked Chase Buchanan and Blaz Rola 9-7 to clinch the first point of the match.

In singles, the top of the lineup delivered the Cavaliers' ticket to the final. Sanam Singh quickly doubled the advantage with his 6-1, 6-2 win over Van Engelen at No. 3. After Ohio State cut the lead in half as Devin McCarthy defeated Courtney at No. 5, Domijan made the score 3-1 with his 6-4, 6-3 win at No. 2 over Chase Buchanan. Shabaz closed out the match as he completed a 6-4, 7-5 win at the top spot over Rola.

Virginia is looking to become the first school to win four consecutive National Team Indoor titles. Stanford is the only other school to win three straight championships, winning the first three events in the mid-1970s.

Monday's championship final will begin at noon PT (3 p.m. ET).

This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

"Weekend News and Notes" returns this week with a recap of last Wednesday's junior day. Get the latest on Pennsylvania QB Brendan Nosovitch (UVA offer), Thomas Dale (Chester, VA) CB/RB Lorenzo Fields, Wilson (Portsmouth, VA) ATH Der'Waun Green, Dinwiddie (VA) WR/DB Drakar Harvell and Richlands (VA) OL Josh Hess, who all were in attendance for the event.

Bayside (Virginia Beach, VA) wide receiver/safety Anthony Cooper was not able to be in Charlottesville last Wednesday, but he plans on making a visit to UVa this spring. Cooper, who has drawn scholarship offers from Virginia, Virginia Tech and Tennessee, is one of the top skill position prospects in the state of Virginia's 2012 class.

"Virginia was the first school to offer," Cooper said. "It was a good feeling. They came and talked to my coach a lot about me during the school year. They said if I kept doing what I was doing I'll eventually get an offer."

Virginia has secured commitments from two Bayside standouts over the course of the past two recruiting classes. Linebacker Henry Coley will be a red-shirt freshman linebacker this upcoming season, while Trey Nicholson, the state's Gatorade Player of the Year in 2010, will be a freshman cornerback in 2011.

In case you missed it, check out the EDGE feature on Virginia basketball recruit Paul Jesperson. Merrill (WI) head coach Kurt Soderberg had the following to say about the 2010/2011 season performance of the 6-7, 190-pound wing ...

"He has the ability to put our entire team on his back and carry us," Soderberg said. "When it's time, he goes to another gear. We've seen junk defenses all year. When you've got one and two guys draped, it's hard, but he has been putting up good points. Certainly, he has gotten more and more vocal as he has matured. As a freshman, he just had to play his role. This year, he is more of a vocal leader. A lot of times in the huddle, when I'm done, he has stuff to say too. At times, when he is coming off the court, I'll tell him what I'm thinking and get his input. He's almost like an extra assistant coach. There is only one other kid I've coached in 24 years I had the same feeling about. When you have somebody like that, I think it's important to get their opinion."

Merrill earned a No. 1 seed in the Region 2 quarterfinals, which begin next Tuesday, March 1. Jesperson is averaging more than 20 points, nine rebounds and about four assists per game this season.

Stay tuned for more basketball recruiting news throughout the week as well, including info on visitors from this past 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 ...

Skilled Jesperson Driven To Succeed
The second youngest of seven children (four brothers, three sisters), Paul Jesperson took an early interest in basketball, an interest fueled by older brothers Jason and Jimmy, who took their younger brother to parks and gyms to play. Jason, who played collegiately in North Dakota and coached Paul on the AAU circuit (Wisconsin Playmakers) for three years, recognized his younger brother's potential early on.

Q&A: Dave Glenn Talks ACC
TheSabre.com caught up with Dave Glenn, Editor/Lead Writer of the ACC Sports Journal/ACCSports.com, for his thoughts on the ACC's 2011 football recruiting classes. In addition to giving his take on Virginia's haul, Glenn answers questions on the overall talent level in the ACC, Florida State, North Carolina and more.

More recent recruiting updates on The Sabre ...

• Clover Hill's Caleb Talks Recruiting
• Virginia First To Offer PA Signal Caller

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UVa Football Schedule

Virginia released the 2011 football schedule last week. TheSabre.com set up its football schedule page for fans; remember that each game will have a game information page once the season begins.

A Post Worth Reading

TheSabre.com basketball message board hummed with excitement this weekend after the Cavaliers swept the rival Hokies. Below is one of the more interesting posts on the future of UVa hoops. Read the whole thread here.

Subject: I wish Tony and the boys could hear all the things being said around Durham/CH
Posted by: Mr Wahoo on Sun Feb 20 2011 8:56:12 AM
Message: Not talking about the general week to week fanbase smacktalk etc. - I am talking about the in depth conversation about programs, coaching, development, and the future.

There is a TREMENDOUS amount of respect coming from long-time Heels and Devil fans. I have a few large donors as clients. To a man, they all think TB is THE MAN. They LOVE what they are seeing, even in the losses. A lifelong Dukie told me yesterday that UVa is his 2nd team now, and he's never had one before. One guy, who played with UNC years ago, and is now mayor, says he thinks if UVa can hold on to TB, that within a short while the discussion won't be whether or not TB is one of the top 4, but whether he is the TOP coach in the ACC. In fact, he says right now, his opinion is TB's "better than Ole' Roy."

Hoozier and BEASTHOO are privy to a lot of talk where they work in Chapel Hill - every day, folks find out they are Hoos and begin spouting off about how much they love Tony Bennett and the kind of players he is bringing in.

Old Woody Durham has seen them all for years and he gushes over Tony. Hoozier talks to him fairly regularly. Sat in a business club meeting in Chap Hill last week, was quiet while they talked of Tarheels, but when I mentioned I was a UVa guy - the focus shifted to me exclusively and it was all praise for UVa - it sure was nice baby.

On Dave Glenn's ACC show last week, some guy calls in and asks if Tony Bennett would be a fit at NCSU - Dave said "WHAT!!?? Tony is already one of the top 4 coaches in the league hands down! He is getting the attention of top recruits. UVa has the best facilities in the nation and is a top destination for many reasons! Why would anyone think he would do that? No folks, Tony Bennett is going to be at UVa FOREVER !! Get used to it! - And if I was a UVa fan I would be extremely excited about the future." He was very animated about this and it sure felt good to hear.

Win or lose yesterday, or next game, Tony has got this thing running the right way. These players, shorthanded, have all bought into a strong, principled system of basketball. They will be singing Tony's praises to recruits.

Something really good is cooking in CVille and all the neighbors can smell it.

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Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

• Virginia Makes History with Fourth Consecutive ACC Crown: The Virginia women's swimming team made history Saturday, collecting its fourth consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference championship. The Cavaliers trailed by 37 points entering the final session to rival North Carolina, but was able to fight back to claim the crown. UVa's Class of 2011 - Katya Bachrouche, Claire Crippen, Hannah Davis, Amanda Faulkner, Jennings Grant, Kristen Moores, Anne Summer Myers and Liz Shaw - become the first group to depart with four conference titles.
• No. 13 Virginia Baseball Tops Arkansas State, Sweeps Weekend: The No. 13 Virginia baseball team finished off a perfect weekend at the Auburn Tournament with an 8-2 victory over Arkansas State Sunday at Plainsman Park in Auburn, Ala. Virginia went 3-0 in the tournament, with wins in the first two days over UAB and No. 23 Auburn. For the weekend Virginia's starting pitchers fired 18.2 innings and gave up just one earned run and 10 hits.
• UVa Softball Defeated By Hofstra 2-1: The Virginia softball team (6-3) was defeated by Hofstra (6-3) by a score of 2-1 Sunday in the final game of the East Carolina Pirate Classic. The Cavaliers finished the tournament with a record of 3-2.
• No. 1 UVa's triumphs over No. 18 Drexel: Chris Bocklet tallied five points on four goals and Shamel Bratton added a hat trick as the No. 1 Virginia Cavaliers (1-0) topped the No. 18 Drexel Dragons (0-1) on Saturday evening, 12-9, inside Klockner Stadium in both teams' season openers.
• No. 12 Loyola Hands No. 7 Virginia a Tough Loss in Season Opener: The No. 7 Virginia women's lacrosse team dropped a tough season opener to No. 12 Loyola Saturday afternoon at the Ridley Athletic Complex, 15-8. Juniors Charlie Finnigan and Julie Gardner led Virginia's attack with three points on two goals and one assist, while redshirt junior Ainsley Baker added two goals.
• Virginia Dumps Old Dominion For Record Win: The Virginia wrestling team won its school-record 19th match as it concluded the regular season with a 25-11 road victory over Old Dominion Sunday at the Ted Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk. Spurred by the return of 141-pounder Nick Nelson to the lineup, the Cavaliers won seven of 10 bouts, including the final six, to claim the team win.
• Virginia Falls to Boston College, 73-50: The Boston College women's basketball team defeated Virginia, 73-50, Sunday afternoon at John Paul Jones Arena. The Cavaliers were led by Ariana Moorer, who scored 11 points and grabbed five rebounds.
• Women's Tennis Tops Northwestern 4-0 at National Team Indoors: The Virginia women's tennis team concluded play at the 2011 ITA National Team Indoor Championships with a 4-0 win over No. 20 Northwestern Sunday in a consolation match at the Boar's Head Sports Club. The No. 23 Cavaliers, the lowest ranked team in the field, went 2-1 in the event, after topping No. 3 Baylor on Friday and being edged 4-2 by No. 6 Duke 4-2 on Saturday.

To read the full stories or gather more information on Virginia athletics, check out Virginiasports.com.

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Issue No. 24 - Feb. 14, 2002

Words from Tony Franklin

TheSabre.com caught up with Tony Franklin recently and got his impressions on his recruiting process and his thoughts on playing at Virginia next season. Franklin, 5-11, 175 (St. Peter Chanel HS, Bedford, OH), is one of the top running backs from the state of Ohio. Here's what he had to say .

On Head Coach Al Groh

"When I talked with Coach Groh, we had real good conversations and he pretty much is the reason I committed to Virginia. He came off to be a pretty fair and honest guy. He was pretty aggressive in the recruiting process and I liked the way he recruited me."

On committing to the Hoos so early (June, 2001)

"I didn't want to make this a long process. I only had three top schools: Ohio State, Georgia Tech and Virginia. Once I visited Ohio State and Virginia, I pretty much made my decision where I wanted to go. [With] Ohio State, I really didn't want to stay that close to home. Plus, they have a large stable of running backs, whereas at Virginia, they were not as deep at running back. [I liked] the quicker opportunity to be able to play at Virginia.

"I sent [Virginia] a highlight tape of me before they actually came after me. I pretty much went after them. Once I committed, I was pretty sure and I never really thought about changing [my decision]."

On Virginia

"I liked the campus and on my official visit [Dec. 7], I felt really comfortable with a lot of the players that are on the team: Jonathan Ward, Antwoine Womack, Marques Hagans. They're pretty cool guys. They showed me around a good time when I was down there on campus. It seemed like a place I can fit in."

On his speed

"My speed really helps me a lot. Once I get in the open field, nobody really can match my speed on the high school level. I just run by everybody and that's how I'm able to create big plays. I got the Division [Five] Player of the Year [award] in Ohio. I had 3,400 yards this year and 43 touchdowns."

Check Out SabreMail #24.

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:

• Recruiting Roundtable: The Sabre pulled together a panel to provide opinions on the Hoos' latest football recruiting class.
• 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

Cavaliers Clip Virginia Tech
Finally, one went the way of the Wahoos. Tony Bennett's beleaguered Cavalier team managed to hang on to sweep rivals Virginia Tech for the first time since 2006. Despite a late-game rally from the Hokies, the Hoos managed to hold on to a 61-54 win in front of a raucous home crowd at the John Paul Jones Arena.

Kris: Sweep Of Hokies Provides Some Relief
It's not a cure for everything that has ailed this Virginia basketball program this season, but it helps. Boy does it help. The season's 'almost had it' wins and low-scoring losses took an afternoon hiatus on Saturday as the Cavaliers swept rival Virginia Tech in front of a lively, and thankful, John Paul Jones Arena crowd.

UVa Eyes Elusive Title Run
The seniors of this year's Virginia men's lacrosse team are on a mission. Thus far, the Cavaliers' super-hyped senior class has made three trips to the Final Four, but has no hardware to show for it. Will the championship trophy finally make its way back to Charlottesville in 2011?

5 Key Storylines For O'Connor's Hoos
The process of building a baseball power continues in Charlottesville as Brian O'Connor, Kevin McMullen and Karl Kuhn enter their eighth season at the helm in Charlottesville. Virginia loses some key arms, key bats and, like every other NCAA club, will need to adjust to a new college baseball offensive dynamic. With that, TheSabre.com takes a look at five key factors that will likely determine if the Hoos make a third consecutive Super Regional appearance or possibly another visit to Omaha.

Duke Grinds Out Win Over UVa
The Duke Blue Devils certainly didn't play like the No. 5 team in the nation on Wednesday night, but luckily for head coach Mike Krzyzewski, they didn't have to. Tony Bennett's cold-shooting Cavaliers just couldn't find the net, and set a record-low point total in John Paul Jones Arena for the second time this season.

Myers, Hoos Ready For New Season
The tragic loss of a teammate, the end of a season and school year marked by sadness, heading home with heavy hearts ... the healing process will continue into the 2011 season for the Virginia women's lacrosse team, but the outlook is bright. Coach Julie Myers is optimistic about the Cavaliers' prospects this season, and is ready for her team to take the field.

UVa Must Deal With Duke Next
Maybe it is because they have a lot of star power or because they play a winning brand of basketball. Maybe it is because they're the team everyone loves to hate. Maybe it's because everyone loves to throw a few barbs the way of the coach. Whatever it is, when the Duke Blue Devils come to town, fans are excited about the arrival. With all of that in mind, there are three key areas that I'm keeping an eye on in this match-up and the Hoos will need to be competitive or win all three categories to have a chance to pull off the upset.

Baseball Team Eyes Strong Season
11-0. It's a number that is emblazoned on the minds of each and every one of the Cavaliers. That was the final score in Game 3 of the Super Regionals right here in Charlottesville in front of a sellout crowd at Davenport Field, probably the most important game the Virginia Baseball team has ever played at home. Losing on that kind of stage has stuck with the players as they prepare for the 2011 season.

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