Virginia Hosts ITA Kickoff Weekend Matches

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. –  The No. 3 Virginia men’s tennis team (3-1) hosts ITA Kickoff Weekend matches at the Boar’s Head Sports Club this Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 27-28.

MATCH INFORMATION

• Live courts streams and live scores will be available for the matches with links posted on VirginiaSports.com
• Admission is free

ITA KICKOFF WEEKEND SCHEDULE

• Saturday, Jan. 27, 9 am – Penn (1-1) vs. Florida Atlantic (4-0)
• Saturday, Jan. 27, 12 pm – Virginia (3-1) vs. Northern Arizona (3-1)
• Sunday, Jan. 28, 10 am – Consolation Match
• Sunday, Jan. 28, 1 pm – Championship Match

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 2024 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. 16-19 in New York City

CAVALIER NOTES

• The Cavaliers are No. 3 in this week’s ITA team rankings
• Chris Rodesch was named the ACC co-Player of the Week after taking down 2023 ITA National Player of the Year Eliot Spizzirri in straight sets last week at Texas. Spizzirri is ranked No. 1 in the ITA Singles rankings
• Rodesch and Jeffrey von der Schulenburg were also named the ACC Doubles Team of the Week after going 2-0 and helping the Cavaliers win the doubles point in both the Texas and South Carolina matches
• Måns Dahlberg went 2-0 last week, winning both of his singles matches at No. 6 to start dual matches with a 4-0 mark
• von der Schulenburg is 13-7 overall and 2-1 in duals
• Edoardo Graziani and James Hopper are 3-1 at No. 1 doubles
• 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 15 tournaments
• This will be the first-ever meeting between Virginia and Northern Arizona and would be the first meeting with Florida Atlantic if the two play on Sunday
• Virginia grad student Edoardo Graziani played three years for the Quakers at No. 1 singles and doubles. He was named the 2022 Ivy League Player of the Year
• Graziani’s younger brother, Manfredi, now plays No. 1 singles and doubles  for the Quakers
• Virginia is 2-2 against Penn. The Quaker’s last victory against UVA was in 1989

ON THE HORIZON

• The Cavaliers play at No. 1 Ohio State on Friday, Feb. 2 at 6 p.m. in a rematch of last year’s NCAA final
• The Cavaliers close out the road trip on Sunday, Feb. 4 at No. 10 Kentucky in a rematch of last year’s NCAA quarterfinal