Virginia Sports had another solid all-around showing this week as a number of student-athletes were named the ACC Performers of the Week. Monica Wright (women's basketball), Ryan Collins (track & field), Drew Courtney (men's tennis), and Matt Snyder (wrestling) each received honors from their respective sports.
Monica Wright, Women's Basketball
Virginia senior guard Monica Wright earned this week's Atlantic Coast Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week honors for the period ending Feb. 14. Wright, who averaged 29 points per game over a tough 2-0 week on the road for the Cavaliers, collected her league-leading seventh career weekly honor.
Preseason Player of the Year Wright shot 51.2 percent from the field and was near perfect from the free throw line (10-11) in posting a pair of wins for the Cavs. In Virginia's 82-68 victory over Maryland, Wright opened the second half by scoring 12-consecutive points, finishing with 34 points for her fifth 30-plus scoring performance of the season. She also added four steals in the win. Against Miami, Wright was the Cavaliers' high-scorer with 24 points, to go along with three steals and six rebounds. The Woodbridge, Va., native added four 3-pointers on the week en route to collecting her fourth Player of the Week honor this season and 66th all-time among Virginia student-athletes.
With a total of 58 points on the week, Wright extended her school-record for career points to 2,351, and currently sits in fourth place in ACC history. She leads the league in points and steals with averages of 22.7 points and 3.8 steals per game. Wright also holds the top two single-game ACC steal tallies with 10 takeaways vs. Liberty (Dec. 29) and nine against Furman (Dec. 8).
Ryan Collins, Track & Field
Virginia sophomore Ryan Collins was selected as one of this week's Atlantic Coast Conference Men's and Women's Indoor Track and Field Performers of the Week for the period ending February 14, announced today. Collins automatically qualified for the 2010 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship in the 5,000-meter run.
Collins, competing at the Husky Classic hosted by the University of Washington (Feb. 12), placed fourth in a field of 81 in an ACC-leading time of 13:46.41. The Mansfield, Mass., native's time shattered the previous Cavalier record held by Kris Herdt (14:02.00, 1989), allowing him to become Virginia's first automatic qualifier this season.
Drew Courtney, Men's Tennis
Virginia sophomore Drew Courtney was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Tennis Player of the Week after leading the second-ranked Cavaliers to their third consecutive ITA National Team Indoor Championship.
Courtney, a native of Clifton, Va., won in singles in all four matches at the Boar's Head Sports Club in Charlottesville, Va. Courtney's run included two straight set wins against top-60 opponents, keying Virginia team wins over No 19 Alabama, No. 7 Georgia, No. 2 Ohio State and No. 4 Tennessee. Courtney also won the clinching match in the 4-1 win over Tennessee in the finals, marking the second consecutive year he had won the championship-clinching match in the ITA Indoors. Courtney also went 2-1 at No. 1 doubles with Michael Shabaz, including a win over Jamie Hunt and Nate Schnugg of Georgia, who were 2009 ITA doubles quarterfinalists.
Matt Snyder, Wrestling
Virginia redshirt freshman Matt Snyder has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestler of the Week after defeating two conference opponents by pins and leading the Cavaliers to a pair of ACC road victories.
Snyder had a dominating weekend at 133 pounds, posting a pair of falls, including UVa's second-fastest pin of the season (in 25 seconds against Nick Adamo) to key a 38-3 Virginia victory at Duke. Snyder added a pin of NC State's Dale Shull in 4:42 as Virginia scored a 45-6 win over the Wolfpack.
Even more impressive is the fact that Snyder is wrestling up a weight class from his normal 125 pounds. Snyder has adjusted well and now has won five of his last six matches.