:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49585817/usa-today-8046923.0.jpg)
Women's Tennis
When We Last Left Our Heroes
The women's tennis team fell in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament to North Carolina. The Hoos' victory over Duke in the quarterfinals, however, locked up a Top 16 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and the hosting duties that come with that spot.
How's It Going?
As expected, Virginia landed the #14 seed overall. They will host Fairleigh Dickinson at 1:00pm today in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The site of the match hasn't been decided yet, but the forecast makes it really likely they'll be playing at the Boar's Head tennis facility.
What's Next?
If Virginia wins today as anticipated, they will play the winner of LSU and Columbia tomorrow at 3:00pm. Winner goes to Tulsa, OK where they will most likely play...#3 seed North Carolina.
The Outlook
Virginia is quite capable of reaching the Round of 16, but it will take a monumental upset to go beyond that round. The best chance for a trophy will come in the singles tournament, where both Danielle Collins and Julia Elbaba are seeded.
Men's Tennis
When We Last Left Our Heroes
The Cavaliers suffered their first ACC Tournament defeat in nearly a decade, dropping a nailbiting 4-3 decision to Wake Forest in the tournament final.
How's It Going?
Virginia's quality schedule, aided by the suddenly stronger ACC duo of Wake Forest and North Carolina, ended up being enough to give the Cavs the #1 seed overall in the NCAA Tournament. They'll face Monmouth in the first round at noon tomorrow. Once again, the match will probably be played indoors, but verify the location before you head out.
What's Next?
Virginia's Sunday opponent will be the winner of Columbia and Penn State. That match will be at 1:00pm on Sunday at the Snyder tennis courts. After that, it's off to Tulsa.
The Outlook
Things got a bit rosier for Virginia yesterday when head coach Brian Boland announced that sophomore Alexander Ritschard has returned to the lineup after recovering from a shoulder injury that had sidelined him since November. Ritschard will play at the #4 spot in singles, making a strong lineup even stronger. He also gives Boland the option of pulling any one of the bottom 3 players in his lineup if it yields better matchups for the Hoos.
Virginia is as good a bet as any team to win the national title. They'll likely face Oklahoma State in the round of 16, followed by the winner of Florida/Texas Tech in the quarterfinals. The potential semifinal opponent would be Ohio State or TCU, while UCLA, North Carolina and Wake Forest are all on the other side of the bracket.