No. 6 Virginia Secures ACC Regular-Season Title With BC Sweep

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. –  The No. 6 Virginia men’s tennis team (19-5, 12-0 ACC) closed out the regular season with a 7-0 victory against Boston College (5-16, 0-12 ACC) on Sunday (April 17) at the Virginia Tennis Facility at the Boar’s Head Resort.

With the victory, the Cavaliers finish conference play with a 12-0 record and earn the regular-season title and the top seed in next week’s Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Tennis Championship.

Bar Botzer and Alexander Kiefer opened the match with a 6-1 win on doubles court three. After BC took court two, Iñaki Montes and Ryan Goetz won 6-4 on the top court to clinch the point.

In singles, all three of the Cavaliers’ fifth-years who were honored before the match in the annual Senior Day ceremony logged victories. Grad student Jackson Allen picked up the clinching point with a 6-0, 6-3 victory on court four. Grad student Jefferson Dockter won 6-2, 6-3 against Shreekar Eedara on court six and fifth-year senior Gianni Ross picked up a dominant 6-0, 6-1 victory on court three.

Botzer, playing on the top court, won 6-4, 6-2 against Max Motlagh. Goetz sailed through a 6-1, 6-0 victory on court two. Kiefer closed out the sweep with a 6-2, 6-3 win on five.

MATCH NOTES

• This is the Cavaliers’ 15th ACC regular-season title and second consecutive
• It is the 11th time in program history that UVA has finished conference play with a perfect record

FROM HEAD COACH ANDRES PEDROSO

“It was a great effort by the guys. You know, we had a tough February losing five matches in a row to top-five teams, but we learned a lot from it. And the guys responded, and you saw that in the ACC season. So I’m really happy about it. They were super professional. They just keep evolving, keep growing, and keep working hard together and that’s what this team does when we’re playing together.”

“The postseason in this program means a lot and that’s what we prepare all season for. We’ve got a lot of tough competition at the ACC Championships. we’re not taking anybody lightly. Every match can be a war. We’ll be ready. That’s how it is in the postseason. It’s everyone’s 0-0. No wins, no losses. It’s a new season. So that’s how we’re gonna approach it.”

ON THE HORIZON

• The ACC Championship will be held Apr. 20-24 at the Rome Tennis Center in Rome, Ga. Tournament seeding and brackets will be announced Sunday (April 17) afternoon
• The Cavaliers will have a double-bye in the tournament, beginning play on Friday, April 22 at 10 a.m. in the quarterfinals. The full bracket will be announced on Sunday evening

#6 Virginia 7, Boston College Men 0

Singles competition

1. Bar Botzer (VA) def. Max Motlagh (BC) 6-4, 6-2
2. #77 Ryan Goetz (VA) def. Oliver Worth (BC) 6-1, 6-0
3. Gianni Ross (VA) def. Matt Campbell (BC) 6-0, 6-1
4. Jackson Allen (VA) def. Will Kasten (BC) 6-0, 6-3
5. Alexander Kiefer (VA) def. Jake Vassel (BC) 6-2, 6-3
6. Jefferson Dockter (VA) def. Shreekar Eedara (BC) 6-2, 6-3

Doubles competition

1. Inaki Montes/Ryan Goetz (VA) def. #90 Juan Jose Bianchi/Max Motlagh (BC) 6-4
2. Mason Fung/Jake Vassel (BC) def. Gianni Ross/William Woodall (VA) 6-3
3. Bar Botzer/Alexander Kiefer (VA) def. Bennett Turner/Matt Campbell (BC) 6-1

Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (2,3,4,1,6,5)
T-2:15 A-265