Cavalier Corner

June 2013

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cruiting trip back in 2005 that something big was going on," Barrick recalled. "You could just tell, and I think coach Boland was the main reason you could just sense it. You knew he was going to do what it takes to get to the top. I didn't know how long it was going to take, but you could tell the program was going in the right direction." Boland humbly gives the credit to the process he, the assistant coaches and players have put in place. "Having the passion to continue to improve, to keep an open mind, surrounding myself with great players and coaches that have the same mindset and continuing to do the right thing day in and day Inside The Streak • UVa now boasts the second-longest streak in ACC history for any sport (Duke women's tennis won 116 straight matches against ACC opponents from 19892000). • The previous long ACC men's tennis streak was 56 matches by Duke from 1997-2002. • Next longest active men's tennis streak nationwide is by Ohio State, which has won 84 straight in the Big Ten. • The streak breaks down to 76-0 regular season, 21-0 in ACC Tournament, 8-0 in NCAA Tournament and 1-0 in ITA National Team Indoor Championships. • Twenty-eight different players have won a singles or doubles match for Virginia during the streak. • Of the 106 straight wins, only 10 have been a 4-3 score. • Six of the 10 4-3 wins have been tied at 3-3 and decided by the last match on the courts. • The largest deficit during the streak came in 2007 at Florida State, when the Cavaliers rallied to win 4-3 after trailing 3-0. • Wins in the streak by opponent: Wake Forest (15), Duke (12), Miami (11), North Carolina (11), Florida State (10), Georgia Tech (nine), Clemson (eight), Maryland (eight), NC State (eight), Boston College (seven) and Virginia Tech (seven). out," Boland said of his keys to success. The icing on top of Virginia's proverbial tennis success cake would be that elusive national title. Boland noted that his son jokes with him about the roadblocks the Cavaliers have faced in the NCAA Tournament. "He said I can't coach him because I can't beat USC, which didn't set too well with dad," the coach quipped. "He was kidding, of course." The coaches and players understand how much fans and supporters want Virginia to win it all, and the team wants to take home the biggest prize following the last match of the season. However, Boland thinks it important to keep things grounded in perspective. "I think we're as hungry as we can be, but you need to be careful of that," he said. "It's OK to want something, but you have to manage how badly you want something. You need to make good decisions every day, keep a proper perspective and realize you don't control the outcome." Fourth-year Jarmere Jenkins, who earned AllACC honors for the fourth consecutive season, said the struggles of the past will only serve to make the first one very special. "This program has achieved everything it can outside of [winning an NCAA championship]," Jenkins noted. "As I look back at the experience of losing three times in close matches, I can't help but think that experience will make the first one that much sweeter." Whether Virginia wins a national title or not, it will began ACC play next season with a 106-match winning streak on the line, and league coaches such as Bresky will still be left figuring out how to end that streak. "I don't know what to do because obviously whatever we've done at Wake hasn't worked," Bresky admitted. "I'll let you know when I figure it out." A lot of ACC coaches are still trying to figure it out, too. ◆

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