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By Pete Goergen
Living up to their No. 8 national ranking on senior day, the Cavaliers served, returned, volleyed, and smashed their way to a 5-2 victory on Sunday over No. 23 Florida State. In the match, the Virginia fourth years helped build a 3-0 a deficit from which the Seminoles could not battle back.
The win came on the last home match of Virginia head coach Brian Boland’s first recruiting class, the class that turned Virginia’s men’s tennis program around. “They have provided the foundation for us to build upon for many years to come,” said Coach Boland. “They’ve done a tremendous job not only on the court, but in the way they’ve represented the program and the University of Virginia off the court in terms of their academic achievements. For them to get a win on senior day was special.”
The victory against the Seminoles gave Virginia a record of 18-6 (8-1 ACC), and moved the class of 2006’s overall record to 89-21, a mark that stands as the winningest four-year period in Virginia tennis history. “The record means a lot to us,” said fourth year captain Stephen Rozek. “What was exciting for us was that we were all American players, and we did it at a pretty American school. To be the class to set the record like this is something that they can’t take away from you. It will obviously be broken at some point, but it’s been fun.”
In the match against FSU, the Cavalier 4th years showed the skill and heart that has made this graduating class so tough. “This class is one of the most competitive groups of people that I’ve ever had the opportunity to be around,” said Coach Boland. “They are such tremendous fighters on the court.”
Darrin Cohen, a foreign affairs major from Lafayette, California, led the charge against FSU, teaming with fellow 4th year Doug Stewart for an 8-6 doubles victory, and crushing Chris Cloer 6-0, 6-2 in singles. In his four years starting for the Hoos, Cohen has amassed 94 career singles wins (fourth most in school history) and 97 career doubles wins (second in history). He was named the 2005 ACC Tournament MVP, and has been ranked as high as 36th nationally in singles and tenth in doubles. “Darrin went from a lower ranked junior player to one of the top 40 players in college tennis,” said Coach Boland. “He’s someone who has improved nearly every aspect of his game, and that’s a tribute to his hard work and his love of the game. He’s a special young man. I’m extremely proud of the way he has represented us over the past four years. Darrin has matured over the past four years and I’m proud of the person he has become.”
Four-year starter and two time All-ACC performer Rylan Rizza helped the Wahoo cause as he posted a singles victory over Jonathas Sucupira. Rizza, a sociology major from Rancho Palos Verdes, California, boasts 117 career singles victories (second in Cavalier history) and 90 doubles victories (fourth in history), reached the second round of the NCAA Singles Championship last year, and has twice participated in the NCAA Doubles Championship. He has reached a No. 16 national singles ranking and a No. 6 national doubles ranking. “I look for Rylan to play for many more years to come,” Coach Boland said. “He’s developed his tennis a lot in the past four years, and I believe he has a lot of room for improvement. No one loves their university, their team, or their coaches as much as Rylan. He’s a player much like Doug Stewart who handles pressure situations as well as anyone I’ve ever seen. When it’s 3-3 in a match, there’s not another person in college tennis that a coach would rather have on the court.”
Two-time All-American and four year starter Doug Stewart also contributed to the win against the Seminoles, teaming with Darrin Cohen in a doubles victory. In his four years at UVA, Stewart’s 82 career singles wins (eighth in school history) and 76 doubles wins (seventh in school history) have earned him three NCAA Singles Championship appearances, one Doubles Championship appearance, and made him a three-time All-ACC performer. Stewart, a systems engineering major, has ranked as high as No. 5 nationally in his singles career and No. 25 in doubles. Three years ago, he was the ACC and ITA MidEast Region Freshman of the Year. “I’m proud of Doug and appreciate for what he’s done for Virginia tennis over the past four years,” said Coach Boland. “The one thing that stands out with Doug is how well he handles himself in pressure situations. I think that speaks volumes of how much he can accomplish in life as a person beyond tennis. He’s a great student and a very good person.”
Four-year starter and three-year captain Nick Meythaler, a Commerce School student with a finance concentration, is from Owensboro, Kentucky, and ranks fifth in school history with 81 career doubles wins. Nick also has 52 singles wins, has competed in the last two NCAA Doubles Tournaments, and has been ranked as high as No. 6 nationally in doubles. “Nick defines a great fighter,” Coach Boland said. “He’s developed every aspect of his game these past four years and become one of the best doubles players of the country. Nick was initially a guy who didn’t even make our doubles lineup when he first came to school, and now he has been to the last two NCAA Tournaments, so it’s an extraordinary story. He has worked extremely hard these past few months and made tremendous strides even as a fourth year. He’s a great player and leader, but an even better person. He’s certainly someone we’re going to miss.”
Three-year captain Stephen Rozek, an economics and foreign affairs double major who hails from Chardon, Ohio, has 47 career singles victories and 44 doubles wins. He has ranked as high as 62nd nationally in singles competition. “I never, ever would have guessed the level to which Stephen would improve his tennis, but more importantly would become an outstanding leader for us,” said Coach Boland. “He’s improved his doubles skills extremely. He’s done everything possible to make Virginia tennis the best it could be, and I’m extremely proud of the way he’s represented the University of Virginia. He really defines the term student athlete.”
Mike Downing, a history major from Virginia Beach, Virginia, has been a vital part of the Cavaliers program for the past four years. He has filled in admirably in any situation in practice or in match play. “Everybody loves Mike,” Coach Boland said. “He’s played every role that we’ve ever asked him to. He comes from a UVA family where his mother Cheri played at Virginia, his brother Andrew is on the team, his sister Lauren is on the women’s team, and his father Andy was also a Hoo. He’s the kind of person that everyone wants on the team, and he’s meant so much to me personally and to our program over the past four years.”
These six fourth-years have led UVa to two straight ACC Tournament and Regular Season Championships, two NCAA appearances, including a quarterfinals berth, and helped the Cavaliers reach their first ever number one national ranking. “Winning the first ACC Championship in school history was incredible,” said Rizza. “And to go two and a half years undefeated in the ACC is an incredible accomplishment. Those things are the most fun because it’s always fun to win.”
But the bond that Downing, Rizza, Cohen, Stewart, Meythaler, and Rozek now share had formed before they won an ACC Championship, before they even stepped foot on grounds. “There’s a major national tournament in the summer in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and when we all signed, Rylan’s father bought us orange t-shirts,” said Rozek. “During that tournament we all wore orange Virginia t-shirts for all of our matches, and we introduced ourselves to one another then.”
Since their arrival at UVa, the six fourth-years have developed into the best of friends on and off the court. “We hang out a lot and have cookouts and dinners together all the time,” Rizza said. “We play some touch football together after practice in the off-season. We also play a lot of poker together and have fun with that.”
But despite all the accomplishments, accolades, and friendships that the fourth years have gained in their time on grounds, they still have some unfinished business. “We got a taste of bigger things with the ACC Championship as sophomores,” said Rozek. “We were like, `How cool would it be to win the NCAA title and be able to run out and hug each other and do that as seniors?’ That would be the ultimate culmination of the year and our careers, and that’s our goal.”