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14 CAVALIER CORNER The only people who weren't stunned by the victory were seated at the tables in front of O'Leary at the banquet. The Virginia women's tennis team had been quietly putting together a season filled with stunning moments. Before taking down the top-ranked Tar Heels, the first time the team had logged a win against a No. 1 team since a victory against top-ranked Duke in 2014, UVA had tallied three wins against teams ranked No. 3. The first came against Georgia at the ITA National Team Indoor Championship in February. In the rematch of the 2021 round of 16 contest in the NCAA Championship, the Cavaliers flipped the script, avenging last year's season-ending loss with a 4-3 victory, and one that let the tennis world know this was a team to be reckoned with. Playing in a conference with four teams ranked in the top six, Virginia took a few hits during conference play, including a 4-1 loss at North Carolina, to dip to as low as No. 15 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Associa- tion rankings. However, the team never lost faith in itself. After first-year Elaine Chervinsky re- habbed an injury and returned to the start- ing lineup, UVA finished strong. It started with a 4-3 victory against No. 3 North Caro- lina State in the final home match of the season, handing the Wolfpack just its third loss of the season. The win sent UVA back into the top 10 in the rankings and, more importantly, the top eight, which would earn them hosting hon- ors for both the regional and super regional rounds of the NCAA Championship. It also secured a top-four seed in the ACC Champi- onship with the coveted double-bye into Fri- day's quarterfinals, which set up a rematch with the fifth-seeded Wolfpack. Still ranked No. 3 in the national rankings and looking to avenge the loss three weeks before, NC State rolled in its opening match to earn the right to face the Cavaliers. The Wolfpack seemed to have the upper hand in the rematch, taking a 2-0 lead, but UVA battled through three-set marathon matches RESILIENT UVA Women's Tennis Squad Battled Its Way To The NCAA Quarterfinals BY MELISSA DUDEK " W e finally beat North Carolina!" Fifth-year head coach Sara O'Leary was grinning from ear to ear as she stood at the podium, making her opening remarks to thunderous applause at the team's year-end banquet. It was a personal mile- stone for the Tar Heel alumna and former UNC assistant coach. For the team, it was an even bigger one. North Carolina was the No. 1 team in the country when the Cavaliers stunned the conference and the tennis world with a 4-2 win against the Tar Heels in the semifinals of the ACC Championship.