No. 5 Virginia Blanks Navy to Advance to NCAA Second Round

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. –  The Virginia men’s tennis team (25-4) opened play at the 2023 NCAA Men’s Tennis Team Championship with a 4-0 victory against Navy (23-20) on Saturday (May 6) at the Virginia Tennis Facility at the Boar’s Head Resort.

The Cavaliers advance to face Ole Miss (18-9) on Sunday at 1 p.m. in the second-round match of the Charlottesville Regional.

Ryan Goetz and Alex Kiefer opened the match with a 6-2 win on doubles court three. Chris Rodesch and Jeffrey von der Schulenburg clinched the point with a 7-5 win on court two.

The Cavaliers swept all six first sets in singles.

Von der Schulenburg won 6-2, 6-2 on court three to put UVA ahead 2-0. Måns Dahlberg followed with a 6-0, 6-3 win on six. Kiefer clinched the match with a 6-1, 6-1 victory against JJ Etterbeek on court five.

Rodesch was up 5-1 in the second set on court one and Iñaki Montes led 5-0 on court two when play was abandoned.

Virginia is the No. 5 seed in the championship. Ole Miss is ranked No. 26 in the latest ITA team rankings. Virginia is 4-1 all-time against the Rebels, but Mississippi won the last meeting in 2018.

The Cavaliers have advanced to the NCAA Round of 16 in 16 of the last 17 championships

Tickets for the NCAA Championship matches are $5 for general admission and $3 for students with a valid ID per day (ages 2 and up are required to have a ticket). Tickets will be available for purchase online, over the phone, or at the Bryant Hall ticket office and can be picked up at the courts. 

#5 Virginia 4, Navy 0
Singles competition

1. #9 Chris Rodesch (VA) vs. Panyan, Sasha (NAVY) 6-4, 5-1, unfinished
2. #26 Inaki Montes (VA) vs. Segraves, Gavin (NAVY) 6-1, 5-0, unfinished
3. #49 J vd Schulenburg (VA) def. Garner, Luke (NAVY) 6-2, 6-2
4. #87 Ryan Goetz (VA) vs. Legaspi, Herrick (NAVY) 6-2, 4-2, unfinished
5. Alexander Kiefer (VA) def. Etterbeek, J.J. (NAVY) 6-1, 6-1
6. Mans Dahlberg (VA) def. Ayinala, Aniketh (NAVY) 6-0, 6-3

Doubles competition

1. #56 Inaki Montes/William Woodall (VA) vs. Garner, Luke/Panyan, Sasha (NAVY) 5-5, unfinished
2. Chris Rodesch/J vd Schulenburg (VA) def. Garner, Finn/Nguyen, Nathan (NAVY) 7-5
3. Ryan Goetz/Alexander Kiefer (VA) def. Pumpelly, Christian/Segraves, Gavin (NAVY) 6-2

Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (3,6,5)
NCAA First Round – Charlottesville Regional
T-1:50 A-367