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cavalier sports APRIL 2018 7 Joey Smith's history with the University of Virginia could be called a family affair. "All three of my children went to UVA," Smith said. "I had one child there for at least 11 years. My son-in-law went to Vir- ginia. We have so many great memories. "My main goal in life is to get my first grandchild in and keep the streak going. It's a great place with quality people." After completing his undergraduate work at Hampden-Sydney, Smith graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1968. Today, he is chairman emeritus of Williams Mullen where he served as the law firm's CEO from 1984-2010. He serves as vice-chair of the University of Virginia Alumni Board of Managers and is a former member of the board of directors of the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. Smith started supporting Virginia athlet- ics with his attendance while in law school and supporting athletics financially as a VAF donor in 1972. He's been a football and men's and women's basketball season ticket holder for years. He's also supported the VAF with his time as a former member of the board of trustees. "I started going to the games right about the time of Barry Parkhill and felt like I wanted to do something to support the teams," he said. Smith recalled the game between Vir- ginia and No. 2 South Carolina on Jan. 11, 1971, where Parkhill drained the winning shot to beat the Gamecocks 50-49 in front of 9,550 fans in U-Hall. "Joining the VAF just seemed the natural thing to do, to put your money where your mouth was and support it and try and make it better," he explained. Smith has continued to support the Vir- ginia Athletics Foundation for nearly five decades because he's realized it is "a great return on my investment." "I just got back from New York where we won the ACC championship," he noted. "I saw us win it four years ago in Greens- boro. I've seen the kids that we turn out — Joe Harris and Malcolm Brogdon [the 2016-17 NBA Rookie of the Year]. "Marques Hagans, who is a good friend and a wonderful person. The kids think so much of him. I could go on and on. The fin- ished product is amazing. Not only are they great athletes, they are such good people." In addition to the South Carolina upset, Smith has many other great UVA sports highlights. "In football, it would have to be the Florida State game in 1995. What a wonderful, elec- tric night that was," he said. "'Dex' [former UVA safety Anthony Poindexter] making the play on the goal line was just amazing. In bas- ketball, the 2014 ACC Tournament and then the tournament this year were magic. "But the most excited I've ever been was 2014 when we beat [No. 4] Syracuse 75-56 to clinch the regular season at home. I remember thinking Tony [Bennett] has got us here." With incoming new director of athletics Carla Williams, Smith believes the future is gleaming for Cavalier athletics. "I met her in New York and got a chance to talk to her," Smith said. "I think it's a great fit. She has the basketball background, and she loves football, overseeing the pro- gram at Georgia. She's going to do a great job." Thanks to people like Joey Smith and his support of Virginia athletics, Williams' job will be a lot easier. — Greg Waters Smith — pictured here with his wife, Sherrill — has supported the Virginia Athletics Foun- dation for nearly five decades. PHOTO COURTESY JOEY SMITH Joey Smith WAHOO NATION During their first season as a varsity sport, the Virginia men's and women's squash teams compiled some impressive numbers. The men's team finished 15-8, was ranked No. 14 in the nation out of 62 schools by the College Squash Association and posted an average GPA of 3.43 for the first semester — the best mark by any sports program at UVA. The women's squad compiled a 14-9 record, finished with a No. 13 national ranking out of 42 colleges and earned an average first-semester GPA of 3.34 — the second-best team showing among Virgin- ia's athletic programs. "They're student-athletes with student being the operative word," head coach Mark Allen said. "As a varsity sport, there was a high level of commitment that didn't have an impact on their academics." The men had landmark wins at Ivy League powers Cornell and Brown, and were led by third-year Grayson Bubrosky. "He had his best season yet in his third year," Allen said. "Grayson had a strong finish. At nationals, he had two ground- breaking wins." The women advanced to the consola- tion championship of the B Division at the CSA Nationals. Leading the Cavaliers was fourth-year Carey Danforth, who lost in the consolation finals of the East draw of the Holleran Cup (the B Division of the wom- en's individual national championships) in what was her last collegiate match. "Carey was one of the top players in the U.S. and had offers to go to some of the top colleges in the country," Allen said. "She decided to take a chance on us. One factor was her mom played tennis for us. "She's been the leader of this team since the day she arrived and has been the num- ber one player." Overall, Allen was pleased with how his players responded to their first season as a varsity sport. "I think the mindset of the teams was much better," he said. "They understood as a first-year varsity program eyes were on us, and we had to show up and have a good year. They rose up. … It provided motivation and inspiration. "Players on each team grasped the concept that they were representing the university." — Mike Scandura Squash Has A Successful First Season As A Varsity Sport Second-year Julia Thompson helped the Vir- ginia women's squash squad go 14-9 and fin- ish No. 13 nationally in its first year. PHOTO COURTESY UVA