By Jeff White (jwhite@virginia.edu)
VirginiaSports.com
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — On the evening of April 21, after the bus carrying the University of Virginia men’s tennis team arrived back at the Boar’s Head Resort, Chris Rodesch reached into his bag, pulled out his running shoes and then put in some miles to work off his frustration.
The Cavaliers don’t lose often, but their streak of 62 consecutive wins against ACC opponents had ended that afternoon. In the ACC tournament final, sixth-seeded Florida State had rallied for a stunning 4-3 victory over top-seeded UVA in Cary, N.C.
“So that was the type of response that our No. 1 player had to that loss,” Virginia head coach Andres Pedroso said Saturday night. “And we just got right back to work.”
The Wahoos returned to competition Friday and blanked NJIT 4-0 in the NCAA tournament’s first round. That match was played outdoors at the Virginia Tennis Facility at the Boar’s Head. Wet weather forced the Hoos to move their second-round match indoors Saturday, but that didn’t deter them.
Third-seeded Virginia, which is seeking a third straight NCAA championship, defeated VCU 4-0 to advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the 18th time in the past 19 tournaments.
The Cavaliers (24-5) will be back at the Boar’s Head on Friday to face unseeded South Carolina (19-14) in an NCAA super regional. The Gamecocks upset No. 14 seed NC State 4-3 in Raleigh, N.C., on Saturday night.
“In my opinion, and I’m biased, I think we have the most passionate tennis community in college tennis,” Pedroso said, “and so playing at the Boar’s Head, indoor or outdoor, it’s always really special. People have made this an integral part of their lives and, and so it’s an honor to be out here and we appreciate it and they make the student-athlete experience that much more special for the guys.”
𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 6⃣4⃣ 𝐓𝐨 1⃣6⃣
Here are the sixteen remaining teams in the 2024 NCAA Division I Men’s Championship!#WeAreCollegeTennis | #NCAATennis pic.twitter.com/7GWe9awZlu
— ITA (@ITA_Tennis) May 5, 2024
In the April 21 match in Cary, the Cavaliers appeared headed for their fourth consecutive ACC title when, at No. 1 singles, Rodesch was serving up 5-4 in the third set. But Antoine Cornut-Chauvrallied to win the set 7-5, and the Hoos headed home as ACC runners-up.
“It was a few tough days to get over it,” Rodesch recalled Saturday. “But now we are fully locked in. We had some tough…