Talk about dominance. The UVA men’s tennis team, propelled by the reigning NCAA singles champ Somdev Devvarman, has become a college sports juggernaut on par with USC football or UNC women’s soccer. The Cavaliers are 28-0 and on Sunday won their fourth ACC tournament in five years. The team has won 31 matches in a row in conference play, and is the only undefeated squad in the NCAA’s Division I.
 UVA’s No. 4 seed, freshman Michael Shabaz, pulled out a key singles win against Wake Forest’s Jason Morganstern in the ACC tournament semifinals on April 19. |
Yet for all the wins over recent years, UVA has yet to get the big one. Last year, Virginia made it all the way to tennis’ version of the Final Four, but fell to Georgia. Though UVA won the Intercollegiate Tennis Association indoor national championship in February, it doesn’t have the same ring as an NCAA championship. This is now or never for seniors Devvarman and fellow tennis stud Trent Huey, and it’s the best chance that the Cavaliers have of claiming their first team tennis crown.
UVA never was in serious trouble this weekend, though Wake Forest put up a fight in the semifinals. In college tennis, teams get one point for double’s play and one point for each of six singles matches. Against Wake Forest, Devvarman and Huey were upset in doubles play, but the team rallied in the single’s competition, winning 4-1 (matches are over as soon as a team gets four points).
The 64-team NCAA tournament field will be announced April 29.
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