Cavalier Corner

should have been a non-factor in 2012. That would prove not to be the case. "His commitment to fight through that adversity and do everything he could for the players on the court was remarkable," Boland said. "Drew not only grew as a player but also as a person. He lost 30 pounds and worked himself into the best physical shape of his life. "He completely embraced the ups and downs and could not be walking away from the University of Vir- ginia more prepared for the pro tennis tour and life." As Boland's 2012 record and in seasons past would attest, he's prepared to handle players who've faced adversity as well as others who may lack confidence or have an ego. "My philosophy is you have to be willing and able at the collegiate level to adjust to each player's per- sonality," he said. "You need to adjust to each player's strengths and weaknesses and personality. "That's something I take a great deal of pride in. I be- lieve it's much easier to do so in a sport like tennis than a team sport like baseball. I have that luxury and I use it." While the NCAA Tournament invariably seems like it's built into Virginia's schedule every year, the Cava- liers have yet to win the whole ball of wax — one reason being Southern Cal has eliminated the Cavaliers in each of the last four seasons (USC beat UVa, 4-2, in the 2012 team final). "I always tell the players you have to put yourself in a position to win it all," Boland said. "But in order to put yourself in position to win it all, you have to be willing to suffer terribly if it doesn't work out. "I don't believe anybody achieves greatness on the first try. Therefore, you have to be willing to fall hard and suffer. The great thing about this team is it was will- ing to go back to the finals 10 more times if it meant we could win it the 11th time. "I don't tell my players to define ourselves if we win a national championship," Boland added. "If we con- tinue to do things the right way, we have nothing to be ashamed of." ◆ wrapped up their fifth straight top-15 finish at the NCAA Championships this year, while they also won their 13th ACC crown in the last 14 years. The most impressive part was the team didn't have a superstar swimmer, it was a true team effort. 2. Lacrosse — Dom Starsia's squad finished BEST OF THE REST 1. Swimming and Diving — The Cavaliers the year with a 12-4 record and tied for first in the ACC. The Cavs lost in the ACC semifinals and were bounced in the NCAA quarterfinals, but were still one of the most successful teams on The Grounds. UVa boasted eight All-Amer- icans and were ranked No. 5 in the final Nike/ Inside Lacrosse Media Poll. 3. Baseball — The Wahoos earned their ninth straight NCAA bid and hosted an NCAA regional for the third consecutive year in 2012. UVa went 39-19-1, placed second in the ACC's Coastal Division and finished the year ranked in the top 25 in the USA Today/ESPN coaches' poll (No. 23), the NCBWA poll (No. 24) and by Baseball America (No. 25). 4. Golf — The Cavaliers earned a runner-up finish at the ACC Championships, thanks to its first individual champion (second-year Ben Rusch) since 1955, and notched a 22nd place finish at the NCAA Championships. The Cavs also placed fourth at the NCAA Central Re- gional and had three All-ACC honorees. 5. Football — The team went 8-5 (5-3 ACC) in Mike London's second year at the helm and qualified for its first bowl game since 2007. The Cavs were just one win away from representing the Coastal Division in the ACC championship game and became the first team to ever win at Florida State and Miami in the same campaign. — Ryan Tice CAVALIER CORNER ◆ AUGUST 2012 ◆ 30

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