No. 1 Virginia Advances to ITA Kickoff Weekend Final
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 1 Virginia men’s tennis team (5-0) picked up a 4-0 victory against Nevada (0-2) in the opening round of ITA Kickoff Weekend matches on Saturday (Jan. 28) at the Boar’s Head Sports Club.
In a match that lasted one hour, twenty-five minutes, the Cavaliers swept the Wolfpack to advance to Sunday’s 1 p.m. championship match where they will face Princeton (1-2).
The Cavaliers picked up the doubles point with 6-1 wins on courts one and three. In singles, Jeffrey von der Schulenburg and Ryan Goetz both won 6-1, 6-1 on courts three and four to make it 3-0. Chris Rodesch won the race to clinch with a 6-0, 6-2 victory on the top court.
This was Virginia’s fifth sweep in five matches this season and its 28th consecutive victory dating back to last season.
Princeton won 4-1 against Ole Miss in the first match of the day to advance to the final. This will be the first meeting of the two teams since 1987.
#1 Virginia 4, Nevada 0
Singles competition
- #27 Chris Rodesch (VA) def. Liborio, Pedro (NV) 6-0, 6-2
- #37 Inaki Montes (VA) vs. N’Tcha, Delmas (NV) 6-2, 4-1, unfinished
- #45 J. vd Schulenburg (VA) def. Coupu, Matheo (NV) 6-1, 6-1
- Ryan Goetz (VA) def. Kadri Hassani, Y (NV) 6-1, 6-1
- Mans Dahlberg (VA) vs. Benn, Satchel (NV) 6-3, 5-0, unfinished
- Alexander Kiefer (VA) vs. Zisswiller, Loris (NV) 6-3, 3-2, unfinished
Doubles competition
- Mans Dahlberg/Chris Rodesch (VA) def. Coupu, Matheo/N’Tcha, Delmas (NV) 6-1
- Inaki Montes/Ryan Goetz (VA) vs. Benn, Satchel/Zisswiller, Loris (NV) 5-1, unfinished
- J. vd Schulenburg/Alexander Kiefer (VA) def. Liborio, Pedro/Kadri Hassani, Y (NV) 6-1
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (3,4,1)
T-1:25 A-124
ABOUT ITA KICKOFF WEEKEND
- The ITA Kickoff Weekend is one of the marquee events of the spring season bringing together the top 60 men’s and women’s college tennis teams for a weekend of intense competition. Hosted by 15 men’s and women’s programs from across the country, the ITA Kickoff Weekend is an early-season test for teams against programs they might not typically face.
- Not just playing for pride, the stakes will be high for Kickoff Weekend play as all 120 competing teams are looking to be just one of the 15 teams from each gender to advance to the ITA National Team Indoor Championships
- Each season, the ITA Kickoff Weekend field is determined by the ITA Kickoff Weekend Draft which is held in the summer months after the dual-match season. The Top 15 ranked teams in the final ITA Rankings of the season will automatically serve as hosts for both men’s and women’s teams
- In the draft, teams and coaches have the opportunity to choose where they would like to play. The picks start with the No. 16 ranked team and conclude with the No. 60 ranked team (or until all 60 spots are filled)
- With four teams playing at each host site, the winning teams from the opening round will meet in the second round to determine who advances to the 2023 ITA National Team Indoor Championships
- The winner of the Charlottesville regional will earn a spot in the ITA National Team Indoor Championships, being held Feb. 17-20 in Chicago, Ill.
- The Cavaliers have won six ITA National Team Indoor Championships, including four straight from 2008 to 2011 and most recently in 2017 when the tournament was held in Charlottesville
- Virginia has only failed to advance out of ITA Kickoff Weekend twice in the previous 14 tournaments