The No. 2 Virginia men’s tennis team showcased their dominance in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament this past weekend at the Boar’s Head Resort in Charlottesville. As the No. 3 seed in the tournament, the Cavaliers (24-5, 12-0 ACC) easily defeated NJIT and VCU to secure a spot in the Round of 16.
In their first match against NJIT, Virginia started strong in doubles play with wins from senior Chris Rodesch and senior Jeffrey von der Schulenburg, as well as graduate student James Hopper and senior Iñaki Montes de la Torre. The Cavaliers continued their momentum in singles play, with Alexander Kiefer, Dylan Dietrich, and Montes securing victories to clinch the match 4-0.
The Cavaliers faced a tougher challenge in their second match against VCU, with the doubles point coming down to a tiebreaker on court three. Virginia managed to secure the point and carried their momentum into singles play, with Schulenburg, Rodesch, and Mans Dahlberg all earning straight-set victories to secure the 4-0 win.
Coach Andres Pedroso praised his team’s performance and energy throughout the weekend, setting them up for a Super Regional matchup against South Carolina on Friday at the Virginia Tennis Facility. The Cavaliers will have the opportunity to avenge an earlier season loss to the Gamecocks, who have since fallen in the rankings while Virginia has risen to No. 2.
With the support of their home crowd, the Cavaliers will look to continue their impressive run in the NCAA Tournament and advance to the next round with a victory over South Carolina.