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Virginia Men's Tennis Names 2014 Captains
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Jan. 15, 2014
CHARLOTTESVILLE – The Virginia men’s tennis team announced its captains for the 2014 season on Tuesday. Seniors Alex Domijan (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) and Justin Shane (Falls Church, Va.) and junior Mitchell Frank (Annandale, Va.) are this year’s captains, while sophomore Harrison Richmond (Pawleys Island, S.C.) is an assistant captain.
Domijan is a captain for the second consecutive season. A three-time singles All-American and a three-time All-ACC selection, he has twice been named MVP of the ITA National Team Indoor Championships.
“Alex Domijan has built one of the most prolific collegiate tennis careers in the history of our sport,” said head coach Brian Boland. “He has competed and won on the biggest stages in college tennis and the toughness he brought last year as one of our captains was a clear difference maker for us, especially in the postseason. Alex has thrived in the big moment throughout his career at UVa and I expect his competitiveness and offensive mentality under pressure to rub off on some of the younger players on our team. Nobody cares more about the success of our team than Alex and I expect him to continue to raise the bar of discipline, competitiveness and toughness for our program.”
Shane will assume captain duties for the first time this season. Named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team last season, he has been ranked as high as No. 37 nationally in singles and No. 9 nationally in doubles during his career.
“Having played in three NCAA team finals, Justin is one of the most seasoned veterans in college tennis,” said Boland. “I believe Justin’s performance in last year’s NCAA Tournament finals in singles and doubles is just the beginning of what’s to come for him on the court over the coming season. Justin has developed into one of our program’s best competitors on the court, and off the court I believe he will embrace a leadership role in teaching guys how to manage their emotions, expectations and the moments of adversity that come with any season. Justin has battled through a tremendous amount of adversity during his time at UVa, which is why I believe he will be a world-class captain for us.”
Frank, currently ranked No. 3 nationally in singles, has established himself as one of the top players in the nation. A two-time ITA All-American Championships singles champion, he clinched Virginia’s first NCAA Championship in the last match on the courts of the 4-3 victory over UCLA in the 2013 final.
“The bottom line is that Mitchell Frank is one of the best competitors that college tennis has ever seen,” said Boland. “Nobody is more prepared, nobody works harder and nobody is more willing to suffer under moments of adversity. The edge Mitchell brings to our team as a competitor is something everyone involved with our program feels when we walk on the court for a dual match, and we all know that nobody loves the big matches more than Mitchell. More importantly, very few young men have been more personally invested in a collegiate tennis program than Mitchell has at UVa, which I believe is the greatest leadership quality that he adds to our team.”
Richmond was named an assistant captain for his second season in the program. Last year he was ranked as high as No. 52 nationally in singles and was an alternate for the NCAA Singles Championship.
“Harrison Richmond is the first second-year in our program’s history to be named to a leadership role by his teammates,” said Boland. “Harrison has earned the trust, loyalty and confidence of his teammates and will be one of the leaders they look to for motivation and support throughout the upcoming season. I am expecting Harrison’s impact on this team to be one of the most important factors for our success this year and I know how much it means to Harrison to be honored with this responsibility. Mark my words, Harrison will be a difference maker when it comes to the development of every player on our squad and I cannot wait to sit back and watch this young man go to work.”
The Cavaliers open the dual match season on Jan. 24-25 with the ITA Kickoff Weekend. The event, which serves as a qualifying tournament for the 2014 ITA National Team Indoor Championships, features four teams competing at the Boyd Tinsley Courts at the Boar’s Head Sports Club. Top-ranked Virginia plays No. 64 Elon in the first round on Jan. 24 and will play either No. 56 Indiana or No. 63 Samford on Jan. 25.