Harris Suffers Bone Fracture

Virginia Athletics Media Relations official release

Virginia sophomore guard Joe Harris fractured a bone in his left hand in the Cavaliers' 70-52 loss at North Carolina on Saturday (Feb. 11).

The stable fracture will be managed without an operation at this time. Harris' hand will be protected when he plays and he will be closely monitored.

Harris has started all 24 of the Cavaliers' games this season. He is averaging 12.5 points and 4.1 rebounds a game.

Virginia's next game is at Clemson on Tuesday (Feb. 14). The game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

(Editor's Note: Virginia coach Tony Bennett said Monday that Harris would be a game time decision at Clemson.)

This Week In Recruiting

UVa football plans to host two junior days this month, and the first is being held this Saturday, when the men's basketball team takes on rival Maryland at the John Paul Jones Arena.

Briar Woods (Ashburn, VA) junior linebacker Matt Rolin, who is approaching double-digit scholarship offers, plans to attend the Feb. 18 event. Read more on the 6'4", 205-pound linebacker in an EDGE article posted last week.

Two other juniors - Lovejoy (Hampton, GA) tight end Arshad Jackson and Warhill (Williamsburg, VA) offensive tackle prospect Parker Osterloh - were also featured on the EDGE last week. Jackson and Osterloh plan to attend the Feb. 25 junior day event.

Jackson was offered by the Cavaliers after his performance at last summer's 7-on-7 tournament in Charlottesville. Osterloh, who stands 6'7" and weighs 260 pounds, was offered just last week.

This week on the recruiting beat, I'll preview the Feb. 18 junior day event. I'll also provide updates and breaking news from the event throughout the weekend. Also, I will provide a full report on Virginia's 2012 recruited walk-on group.

On the basketball front, I'll check in again with UVa's 2012 men's basketball class for an update on how they are doing in this, their final year on the high school level.

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 since the last SabreMail ...

2013 LB Scores Major Offers
Recruiting has become a regular part of life for Briar Woods (Ashburn, VA) junior Matt Rolin. No question, the recruiting process and all that comes with it (communicating with coaches, interviews, etc) can be at times overwhelming for some. Rolin, though, is enjoying the process so far, and he is in no rush to make his college choice.

More recent recruiting updates on The Sabre ...

• 2013 Report: UVa Has Offered One From Lovejoy
• Warhill OL Scores Two Big Offers
• Strategy Session: The 2013 Class

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Volleyball, Field Hockey Add Assistants

From Virginia Athletics Media Relations official releases

A pair of Virginia programs added assistant coaches to their ranks.

On the volleyball front, Virginia coach Dennis Hohenshelt has named Stevie Mussie, an NC State assistant the past two years, as an assistant coach with the Cavaliers. Mussie will serve as recruiting coordinator and will oversee the Hoo offense and work primarily with outside hitters, back-row players and passers. Prior to her time in Raleigh, N.C., Mussie spent 2009 with Team Complete Athlete, a high-profile club volleyball program based in Newport Beach, Calif. Mussie was an assistant coach at Colorado in 2008.

"I am very excited about the opportunity to work at such a distinguished institution and having the opportunity to work with Dennis," Mussie said. "Helping this volleyball program progress will be an exciting experience."

The field hockey program added former Penn State standout Annie Zinkavich as an assistant coach. At Virginia, Zinkavich will coach the goalkeepers and assume the recruiting coordinator role along with alumni outreach efforts. She replaces former assistant coach Alexandra Street. Zinkavich arrives in Charlottesville after spending the past six seasons as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Penn State. With the Nittany Lions, she worked primarily with the goalkeepers and assisted in the day-to-day operations of the program. Zinkavich helped Penn State to five NCAA Tournament appearances and coached the Nittany Lions in the 2007 national championship game.

"I am very pleased with Annie's decision to join the coaching staff at the University of Virginia," UVa field hockey coach Michele Madison said. "I have watched her coach on many occasions and noted what an engaging young coach she is. Her positive teaching style will fit in with our obnoxiously positive energies. She has been mentored by Char Morrett, one of hockey's best coaches, so I know she is prepared to work in the ACC and eagerly looking forward to a new challenge."

Fan of the Week

Every week, theSabre.com features a Fan of the Week photo on the front page of the Web site. (Archives are available in the Wahoowa! section.) So you want to be the fan of the week? It's easy - be the loudest Hoo at a live UVa event, wear some crazy Cavalier gear, or do something else to catch our attention. If Mike or Kris spot you and take your picture, you'll be in the running for Fan of the Week honors!

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Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

• Lee Raker is Virginia’s 2012 ACC Tournament Legend: Former Virginia standout forward Lee Raker is the Cavaliers' 2012 Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament Legend. The 2012 Legends will be honored at the ACC Tournament in March. Raker lettered four times for the Cavaliers from 1978-1981. He averaged 12.8 points and 3.1 rebounds a game for his career while shooting 50.3 percent (560-1114) from the field and 78.1 percent (303-388) from the free-throw line. He scored 1,423 points during his Virginia career.
• Hultzen Makes Significant Pledge to Virginia Baseball Program: Danny Hultzen, a former three-time All-American at Virginia and currently a pitcher in the Seattle Mariners' organization, has made a $100,000 commitment to the baseball program for improvements to UVa's Davenport Field. Hultzen was selected second overall in the 2011 MLB Draft by the Mariners. "I am thrilled and honored to contribute back to the Virginia baseball program," Hultzen said. "Virginia has done so much for me. My experiences at UVa have been critical in helping me grow into the player and the man that I am today, and I would not be where I am without my time there. I had an amazing experience at Virginia, and I am fortunate to have the opportunity to give back to UVa and help the program and its players remain among the best in college baseball."
• Virginia Victorious Over Clemson, 68-36: The Virginia women's basketball team won its second-consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference contest, dispatching Clemson 68-36 on Sunday at John Paul Jones Arena. With the victory, Virginia improved to 18-8 overall and 6-6 in ACC play. Senior forward Chelsea Shine was UVa's leading scorer with 20 points. Shine moved closer to her 1,000th-career point as she now has 986 points over her four-year career. The senior added seven rebounds, three assists and four steals.
• No. 20 Cavaliers Down Appalachian State, 29-12: The No. 20 Virginia wrestling team won its seventh-consecutive dual match Saturday evening, downing Appalachian State 29-12 in Boone, N.C. The Cavaliers (9-1) claimed victories at seven of 10 weight classes in a dominating team win over the Mountaineers (11-4), who had clinched the Southern Conference regular season championship Friday night.
• Virginia's Gay Qualifies for NCAAs in Women's Mile: Junior Morgane Gay qualified for the NCAA Championships in the women's mile and seniors Marcus Robinson (triple jump) and Mark Amirault (men's 3,000 meters) broke school records as the Virginia men's and women's indoor track and field teams completed action at the Flotrack Husky Classic in Seattle, Wash., and the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark. Robinson continued his stellar senior campaign, winning the triple jump at the Tyson with a school and Atlantic Coast Conference indoor-record leap of 16.63m (54'6.75"). His winning mark, which was Robinson's sixth and final attempt of the day, currently ranks first in NCAA Division I and ninth in the IAAF world rankings.
• Virginia Women's Tennis 1-2 At NTI: The ninth-ranked Virginia women's tennis team concluded play at the 2012 ITA National Team Indoor Championships with a 4-2 loss to No. 5 Baylor in a consolation match on Sunday night at the Boar's Head Sports Club. The Cavaliers fell to 6-2 on the season with the loss. The Hoos defeated Georgia Tech and lost to Northwestern during the NTI event.
• Softball Wins First Four: The Virginia softball team opened the season 4-0. The Cavaliers picked up two victories on opening day with a 5-2 win over Drexel and a 3-1 defeat of East Carolina Friday in Greenville, N.C. Junior pitcher Melanie Mitchell tallied 13 strikeouts in UVa's win against the host Pirates.The Hoos knocked off Canisius 7-2 and shut out Drexel 14-0 on Saturday.
• Hershberger Set to Join UVa Women's Golf Team: Virginia women's golf coach Kim Lewellen announced that Alexandra Hershberger will join the Cavalier golf team this fall. A native of Basking Ridge, N.J., Hershberger was the runner-up at the 2011 New Jersey Golf Association's Women's Match Play Championship.

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

Heart/V-Sabres Hoo Luvs Ya T-Shirt

UVA Bookstores, The Sabre's longest running sponsor, offers this great holiday T-Shirt. The red Hoo Luvs Ya V-Sabre Heart T-Shirt is perfect for Valentine's Day. V-Sabres of different sizes are arranged to make a heart with Hoo Luvs Ya screened underneath.

Issue No. 477 - Jan. 3, 2011

Sherrill Showing Toughness

Will Sherrill knocked down two late 3-pointers to help seal the victory vs. LSU.

When Virginia senior forward Will Sherrill crumpled to the floor against Minnesota on Nov. 29 in the ACC-Big 10 Challenge, it didn't look good to say the least. How could it when the Gophers' 6'10", 258-pound Colton Iverson fell on top of Sherrill's leg? The official news that followed was that Sherrill fractured his fibula on the play. If you had told me at the time that Sherrill would return in time for UVa's Dec. 30 game with Iowa State, just one month and one day after the injury, I wouldn't have believed you. I might have called you crazy. Four weeks?

Sherrill, meanwhile, brushes it off as a matter of pain tolerance. He is wearing a heavily taped right leg with a fiberglass pad underneath.

"Yeah, straight pain tolerance. The bone is healed enough where it's not really going to break more. It's just trying to man up I guess," Sherrill said with a smile. "It's definitely tough. At the beginning of the second half, I played for like two minutes and I had to get a sub because it was pretty painful. It will go in stretches where it will feel good then it might get kicked or I'll land awkwardly so I just try to take it possession by possession."

A tough challenge? Yeah, you could say that. Playing on that leg hurts. I watched Sherrill hobble out of the room after meeting with reporters last week. On Sunday, he sat with an ice bag wrapped around the leg, something he has to do several times a day, especially after practices and games. He also has an electric stimulation kit that he frequently holds on the leg when away from the John Paul Jones Arena to help with the healing process.

In other words, that's one tough dude.

Kris Wright
Editor, TheSabre.com

Read SabreMail No. 477 here.

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:

• Basketball in action: The Hoos have started ACC play. The Sabre keeps you in the loop on the hoops team!
• Pro Hoos: TheSabre.com debuted a new series. Beyond The Lawn" is a 12-month series found exclusively on TheSabre.com that follows three Virginia Cavaliers through a year as a professional athlete. Baseball's Tyler Wilson (Baltimore Orioles), track and field's Stephanie Marie Garcia (U.S. Olympic hopeful), and football's Clint Sintim (New York Giants) share their experiences throughout the year.
• Greg's Season Report: After handing out grades and tracking trends throughout the 2011 football season in his game reports, Greg Waters takes a look back at the season for the Hoos.

In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles since the last SabreMail

Tar Heels Take Down Hoos
Simply put, it's hard to win games against North Carolina when you barely crack the 50-point barrier. The Virginia men's basketball team's periodically sluggish offense couldn't keep pace with the Tar Heels on Saturday in a 70-52 ACC defeat. The Cavaliers produced just 11 points in the final 16 minutes of the disappointing loss.

UNC Primer
After cruising to a 68-44 victory over Wake Forest on Wednesday, the Virginia Cavaliers (19-4, 6-3 ACC) travel down to the Dean Dome on Saturday afternoon. There, they will face a UNC squad reeling after coughing up a 10-point lead with 2 minutes remaining and losing a heartbreaker to Duke on a last second Austin Rivers 3-pointer. Can UVa pick up its second straight win in Chapel Hill, or will the Tar Heels take out their frustrations on the Cavs?

Mitchell Settling In As Starter
When senior center Assane Sene suffered an ankle fracture against Georgia Tech last month, sophomore Akil Mitchell immediately inherited an important role for the UVa men's basketball team. Mitchell entered the starting lineup for the past six games in Sene's absence. In this week's 68-44 victory against Wake Forest, Mitchell logged career-high numbers in points (10) and assists (4) to go with 6 rebounds and 1 steal.

Cavaliers Crush Demon Deacons
If teams don't match Virginia's sense of purpose on the defensive end this season, it quickly can become a long night on the basketball floor. Wake Forest found that out the hard way on Wednesday night at the John Paul Jones Arena. The Cavaliers held the visitors to 34.1% shooting and then torched the lackluster defensive effort from the Demon Deacons to the tune of 53.7% shooting. The lopsided nature of those shooting statistics tell the whole story of a dominant 68-44 Cavalier victory.

Wake Forest Primer
After falling just short in a 58-55 loss to Florida State in Tallahassee on Saturday, the Virginia Cavaliers (18-4, 5-3 ACC) return home on Wednesday to open the second half of ACC play against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. After playing a Seminoles squad that is in the penthouse of the conference standings, the Hoos will face a Wake team (11-12, 2-7 ACC) that is once again in the cellar after finishing last year with a 1-15 conference mark. Of course, that one win came at the expense of UVa. Let's jump into the Wake Forest Primer.

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