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JUNE 2023 17 "It happened so fast," Rodesch said. Third-year Iñaki Montes clinched the vic- tory for UVA with a straight-set win at No. 2 singles. With the finish line in sight, Virginia supporters raised a familiar chant: 'Let's go, Wahoos! Let's go, Wahoos!'" "I think fans, all the UVA community, that they came to support us made a difference today," Montes said. "There are no words to describe the energy. The atmosphere today was amazing. So, thank you for all the fans that came out. And we did it." The NCAA title is the Cavaliers' sixth overall and second under Pedroso, a former assis- tant on the staff of his predecessor as head coach, Brian Boland. "It's a bit surreal, like it was when we won it last year," said Pedroso, who's in his sixth year as head coach. "I give all the credit to the guys, to the staff, the coaches. This is such a team effort. So many people have put so much time into a pro- cess like this." During the regular season, Ohio State defeated UVA 4-1 in Charlottesville and 4-0 at the ITA National Indoor Team Champion- ships. But the Cavaliers seized momentum from the start in the NCAA final, getting wins from Montes and fourth-year William Woodall at No. 1 doubles, and Rodesch and fellow third-year Jeffrey von Der Schulenburg at No. 2 doubles, to take a 1-0 lead. "We came out firing," Rodesch said. "We just had amazing body language all through doubles, and also singles." In UVA's semifinal win over Texas, von Der Schulenburg lost in straight sets, winning only three games in that match. Against Ohio State, he returned to form, defeating JJ Tracy 6-2, 6-1. That performance inspired the other Cava- liers, Pedroso said, "because Jeffrey had a tough day [in the semifinals]. He had one of those days where he just didn't play well, didn't feel comfortable, and today he was awe- some. … What a way to step up for Jeffrey von Der Schulenburg in an NCAA final. He'll never forget that. He'll be known for that forever." About 10 minutes after von Der Schul- enburg closed out his match, Rodesch won at No. 1 singles to put Virginia up 3-0. The Hoos did not let up. Montes, who had won his first set 6-4, blew past Cannon Kingsley in the second, winning the final three points in the eighth game to secure the second straight NCAA crown for Virginia. In 2022, after struggling during the indoor portion of the season, the Cavaliers won their final 23 matches. They closed this season on a 22-match winning streak, again bouncing back from a rough start indoors. "We learned a lot from indoors and knew that we needed to be better, we needed to be closer, we needed to be humble and keep working," Montes said. "And then in the out- doors … everyone was working super hard. "I think we picked the right moments, and everyone came out firing in May." As they prepared to face Ohio State for the third time this season, Rodesch said, the Hoos "just focused on doing our own things, taking care of all the little details, keeping our composure and recognizing that we've been in the situation before and just using that to our advantage." "I didn't really talk too much about the matchups," Pedroso said. "We've been say- ing it for months: It's not about the tennis when it comes to tournaments like this. It's about body language, self-talk, how close the team is, how you compete, how you deal with the ups and downs. "And if you do that, whatever tennis you have that day is going to be enough in most cases. Sometimes you're just going to get beat even if you do those things. But if you do those things, you're going to give yourself the best chance." Four of the players in Virginia's singles lineup — Rodesch, Montes, von Der Schul- enburg and graduate student Ryan Goetz — were mainstays last season, too. Their collec- tive experience proved invaluable in Orlando. "I think as a team we handled the pres- sure really well," said Rodesch, who was named tournament MVP. "Coach said it mul- tiple times: 'We were here last year, and we know how to win it,' … and I think that gave us an edge. We were just really calm in all these pressure situations." The similarities between the 2022 and 2023 championship teams are striking, starting with the closeness of each group, Pedroso said. "They're not afraid to be honest with each other and tell each other the truth," he said. "I think the difference between this year and last year might be that certain guys really stepped up. Really stepped up. "Alex Kiefer and Måns Dahlberg really stepped up for this team. William Woodall really stepped up for this team. We had our stalwarts in the top four, and those guys are always there for us. We just lean on those guys every sin- gle match, but those three guys really stepped up for us. "And even the guys on the sidelines: Doug Yaffa, Ty Switzer, Ja- cob Haley, our student manager who's just a blessing. The guy's just a difference maker. And so guys stepped up this year big time, and they needed to and that's probably what makes this year maybe a little bit more special." Neither Yaffa nor Switzer played in Or- lando, but their vocal support was impos- sible to miss. "I'm sure Chris could hear them all the way from Court 1," Goetz said. "Those guys were animals on the sideline, absolute ani- mals." And so the Hoos are likely to contend for another NCAA title next year. But with the NCAA singles and doubles tournaments to follow in Orlando, Pedroso isn't ready to turn the page on this season. The program's lat- est national title is one to savor. "The players are really special," Pedroso said. "It was a tough semester. We went through a lot and they just hung in there and they trusted us, and it's a credit to the way they were brought up by their families, to their character, to their values, to what they prioritize in life. And I'm just so lucky to have these guys, because they're just such a pleasure to coach." " I think as a team we handled the pressure really well. Coach [Pedroso] said it multiple times: We were here last year, and we know how to win it … and I think that gave us an edge. We were just really calm in all these pressure situations." NCAA TOURNAMENT MVP CHRIS RODESCH