Future bright for Cavaliers despite NCAA defeat

By Whitey Reid

Published: May 20, 2008

TULSA, Okla. — Former Virginia tennis standout Doug Stewart can vividly recall his first few college home matches that took place in 2003. Stewart was a freshman on a team that had finished seventh in the ACC the year before.

Suffice to say, Stewart didn’t exactly feel like he was on center court at Wimbledon.

“We had maybe like 10 people [in attendance],” Stewart said. “I think the community in Charlottesville was just waiting for something to cheer about, because they love tennis there.”

Well, in the last five years, the Virginia program has certainly given locals a reason to stand up and shout. UVa has posted a gaudy 137-21 record, qualifying for the NCAA Tournament every year.

This season, Virginia led the nation in attendance.

On Monday night, UVa came up just short in its quest for an NCAA title when it was eliminated in the semifinals by Georgia.

However, one loss should by no means diminish the season that the Cavaliers (32-1) had, according to Bulldogs No. 1 singles player Travis Helgeson.

“They have really shown so much heart and courage this whole year,” Helgeson said.

When coach Brian Boland came aboard in 2002, UVa had not finished higher than third in the ACC in nearly a quarter-century.

Three years later, behind a recruiting class that included Stewart and Rylan Rizza, Virginia finished first in the ACC — a feat no Wahoo squad had ever accomplished.

This season, Boland’s team won its fifth straight league crown and reached the NCAA Tournament Final Four for the second straight year. Boland was named Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Coach of the Year and Somdev Devvarman was named National Senior Player of the Year.

Yeah, you could say Virginia Athletic Director Craig Littlepage made a pretty decent hire when he brought Boland in.

“The swiftness of having moved to this point has been a pleasant surprise,” Littlepage said. “[Boland] is a very driven, focused person and strategic in developing the program.

“The manner that he’s recruited players and developed them has been admirable, but I think he’s a guy who came in with a plan and has been very focused and disciplined in doing what he thought was necessary to make it the kind of program that it is today.”

When Littlepage hired Boland, he saw a guy who could provide the kind of leadership that could invigorate a dormant program. Boland had turned Indiana State, his alma mater, into a top 25 program without having the greatest resources at his disposal.

“He was a guy who had been successful in what I felt was a difficult situation and set of circumstances,” Littlepage said. “I felt he could do a similar job here.”

While disappointed that this season didn’t end with an NCAA title, the 35-year-old Boland, the workaholic that he is, is already looking to the future. Thanks to what he has already put in place, it’s a pretty bright one.

Boland says it’s been a combination of factors that have enabled him to turn things around so quickly.

“I think first you have to have some kids who really understand what you’re trying to accomplish, both those that you bring to the program and those that you inherited,” he said. “We explained to that group early on in 2001 what the expectations were and they really got on board.

“We started with a great recruiting class that helped build the foundation for our program. Stewart and Rizza were two of the top five recruits in the country. We built that momentum and have kept it for many years now.”

In 2006, the program received a major boost with the addition of a new $7.5 million indoor facility at the Boar’s Head Sports Club that was made possible by Boyd Tinsley, the violinist from the Dave Matthews Band.

Lately, there has been some scuttlebutt about making improvements to the Snyder Tennis Center, Virginia’s outdoor facility. If UVa stays on its current course, that type of project seems inevitable.

Stewart, who was in Tulsa with Rizza and a handful of other former players to cheer the team on, is optimistic about the program’s future.

“There’s no reason, with a coach like Brian, that Virginia shouldn’t be one of the top tennis schools in the country,” he said. “We have the facilities now and he’s just an amazing recruiter. He’s built this program from the ground up.”

Aces

The NCAA Tournament’s individual championships begin today at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center. Devvarman, the No. 1 seed and reigning NCAA Champion, begins his title defense against Ryan Preston of Vanderbilt; Junior Dominic Inglot, a No. 9-16 seed, opens against Justin Kronauge of Ohio State; Senior Treat Huey will open play against Ivan Bjelica of Mississippi State, a 9-16 seed. The doubles tournament begins Thursday.

Top-seeded Devvarman and Huey will play Daniel Buikema and Mathieu Thibaudeau of Alabama in the first round.