UVA men’s tennis wins second-straight national championship
The Virginia men’s tennis team won its second straight national title May 21 in what is becoming its signature fashion.
In 2022, the Cavaliers were seeded No. 7 in the NCAA tournament and knocked off two higher-ranked teams on their way to the title. This year, they were seeded No. 5 and upset three higher-seeded opponents en route to winning the championship at the United States Tennis Association National Campus in Orlando, Florida.
“It’s a bit surreal, like it was when we won it last year,” coach Andres Pedroso told a press conference after the tournament.
The Cavaliers again peaked at the optimum time, overcoming a slow start in the indoor season to win the program’s sixth national title, and UVA’s 33rd overall.
UVA defeated No. 3 Ohio State 4-0 in the championship match. The Buckeyes had beaten the Cavaliers twice during the regular season, winning 4-1 in Charlottesville and 4-0 at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Men’s Team Indoor Championships.
In the third meeting, however, the Cavaliers dominated.
UVA took a 1-0 lead by winning the doubles competition. Iñaki Montes (Col ’24) and William Woodall (Col ’22) won at No. 1 doubles, while Chris Rodesch (Col ’24) and Jeffrey von der Schulenburg (Col ’24) prevailed at No. 2.
In singles, von der Schulenburg won 6-2, 6-1 over Ohio State’s JJ Tracy at No. 3 to put UVA up 2-0. Rodesch defeated Justin Boulais 6-4, 6-2 at No. 1 to give UVA a 3-0 lead.
Montes then beat Cannon Kingsley 6-4, 6-2 at No. 2 to clinch the championship.
Virginia (30-4) finished the season with a 22-match winning streak. Last year, the Cavaliers won their final 23 matches.
“We learned a lot from indoors and knew we needed to be better, we needed to be closer, we needed to be humble and keep working,” Montes said. “I think we picked the right moments, and everyone came out firing in May.”
Rodesch was voted the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
Rodesch, Montes, Ryan Goetz (Col ’22, Com ’23) and Alexander Kiefer (Com ’24) were chosen to the singles all-tournament team. Montes, Woodall, Rodesch and von der Schulenburg were chosen to the doubles all-tournament team.
Another perennial national title contender, the men’s lacrosse team, fell in the NCAA tournament Final Four, losing a 13-12 heartbreaker to Notre Dame in overtime. The Fighting Irish, who are coached by Kevin Corrigan (Col ’81), went on to the program’s first national title.
The baseball team advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals with an 8-3 win over East Carolina on June 4 in the finals of the Charlottesville Regional at Disharoon Park. It is the program’s eighth berth in the Super Regionals in the past 15 years. UVA will host either Duke or Coastal Carolina in the Super Regionals in a best-of-three series beginning June 9. The winner advances to the College World Series.