Getting Ready for the Next Level0

Mike Curtis on …

Winter 2011

Darion Atkins (first-year forward) “He’s probably the best athlete of the bunch in terms of his springiness and jumping ability. He’s put on seven to eight pounds of muscle, and it didn’t take away any of those physical qualities that attracted us to him in the first place.” James Johnson (red-shirt first-year forward) “Our biggest thing was to put him in a position to endure the post play of this league. He’s done that. He’s gained that 15 to 16 pounds of functional mass.” Malcolm Brogdon (first-year guard) “The goal was to improve his speed and quickness,...

Body Builder1

Mike Curtis helps athletes recover from injuries and maintain peak form

Winter 2011

Mike Curtis helps athletes recover from injuries and maintain peak form

Out of the Park0

U.Va. athletes step up and stand out in memorable spring sports season

Fall 2011

April 23: The U.Va. Polo Club’s men’s team beats Cornell 28-14 to claim the U.S. Polo Association Intercollegiate National Championship at Cornell. The women’s team reaches the finals but is defeated by Cornell 18-10. April 23: For the second straight year, the women’s rowing team sweeps all four races to win the ACC team championship on Clemson’s Lake Hartwell. It’s the 11th title for the Cavaliers in the 12-year history of the championship. April 24: The men’s tennis team wins its fifth consecutive ACC championship. In May, the Cavaliers make it to the NCAA...

Balance of Power0

Cavalier attack bolstered by dynamic duo

Fall 2011

Simone Asque 5-foot-11 outside hitter Hometown: Chicago Of note: Named to 2010 Virginia Sports Information Directors’ All-State first team for second year; named to 2009 All-ACC first team. Fact: In the opening game of the 2011 season against Western Michigan, Asque will face her younger sister, Gillian, also a star outside hitter. Photo by Luca DiCecco During her first year at U.Va., Simone Asque pounded opponents with such force and regularity that she was named to the ACC All-Freshman team. During her second year, Asque’s game improved, and she paid the price of excellence. “All the teams would send two blockers...

Building on Both Sides0

Coaches see plusses as well as challenges on offense and defense

Fall 2011

They say Rome wasn’t built in a day. The same can be said of London—the Mike London era in U.Va. football, that is. Implementing cultural change takes longer than one season, no matter what schemes you adopt, personnel you have or schedule you play. Still, the Cavaliers are showing signs of real progress. After their first season, London and his staff generated enthusiasm on the recruiting trail while simultaneously building support and excitement among the program’s fan base. That was achieved with only a 4-6 record, a difficult task considering the environment of immediacy that pervades...

Sports Briefs0

Summer 2011

Swimming Sweep The men’s and women’s swimming teams each notched their fourth straight ACC championships this spring, and Matt McLean (Col ’11) went on to win the NCAA championship in the 500-meter freestyle event. This was the first time since 1996 that one school swept both ACC titles in four consecutive seasons. Top Honors The Virginia Sports Hall of Fame named Paige Selenski (Col ’12), a forward on U.Va.’s field hockey team, the 2011 Female College Athlete of the Year. Selenski led the Cavaliers with 27 goals, including seven game-winners, and was named first-team All-American this past season. Also, Anthony Kostelac ...

A Hoops First0

Ralph Sampson voted to Hall of Fame

Summer 2011

Ralph Sampson Photo courtesy of Virginia AthleticsRalph Sampson, the 7-4 center who led the U.Va. basketball team to unparalleled heights in the 1980s, became the first Cavalier to be voted to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in February. “It’s an honor that I will cherish the rest of my life, and my children will cherish it as well,” Sampson (Col ’83) told the Charlottesville Daily Progress. During Sampson’s time on the court for U.Va., the Cavaliers participated in three consecutive NCAA Tournaments, reaching the Final Four in 1981. The previous year, U.Va. won the National...

Coaching Baton Passes to Boyle0

Joanne Boyle to succeed Debbie Ryan

Summer 2011

Joanna Boyle Photo by Matt RileyWhen Debbie Ryan was looking for her 100th win as the young head coach of U.Va.’s women’s basketball team, she found it against Duke, 72-58, on Nov. 29, 1983. When Joanne Boyle, a player on that Duke team, was looking for her first spot in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament as a coach, she found it by beating U.Va., 99-73, on March 23, 2009. When the Cavaliers were looking for a successor to Ryan, who stepped down in March after 34 seasons leading U.Va. teams, they found it in Boyle, then head coach...