Let's wrap up the Virginia sports year with some news and notes from various sports:
Baseball: Unfortunately, the Cavaliers did not experience the same ending as last year (a national championship) or even two years ago (a loss in the finals) in 2016. UVa was unable to even get out of the Charlottesville Regional, losing back-to-back games to East Carolina and William & Mary, getting eliminated. Virginia opened the tournament nicely and seemed like it might coast to a super regional. The Wahoos pounded the Tribe 17-4, and then led the Pirates 6-3 in their second game. But ECU rallied with five runs in the ninth to win, 8-6. The next day, W&M ousted the hosts with a 5-4 victory. Of course, the amazing thing is UVa, which also beat the Tribe 16-8 in the regular season, scored 37 runs in three games against its in-state foe vs. 17 for W&M. But this isn't soccer where aggregate runs matter, and that's what happens in baseball sometimes. The Tribe won the one that counts.
Things could have gotten even worse for UVa fans, though. After the season, coach Brian O'Connor emerged as a candidate for the opening at Texas, whose coach, Augie Garrido, retired after the season. The Longhorns could certainly offer big bucks, and was a baseball power before falling on hard times recently, with six national titles, the last two coming in 2005 and 2000. However, a few days after the story came out, O'Connor released a statement saying he will stay at Virginia and continue to build the Cavaliers' program. And Wahoo baseball fans everywhere breathed a sigh of relief despite a disappointing end to the actual season.
Tennis: Danielle Collins capped off a superb career as a Cavalier by winning her second NCAA singles title -- her first came in 2014 -- becoming the first ACC woman and seventh in the nation to win a pair. Collins, the No. 2 seed, beat No. 1 Hayley Carter of North Carolina 6-3, 6-2 for the crown. On the men's side, Thai-Son Kwiatkowski advanced the furthest for the Cavaliers, who won the team crown for a third time. He was eliminated in the quarterfinals by TCU's Cameron Norrie, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1.
Men's lacrosse: After lots of back and forth and confusion, legendary coach Dom Starsia actually was let go as UVa's coach May 23. On Tuesday, the Cavaliers announced his replacement -- Brown coach Lars Tiffany, who played for Starsia when Starsia led Brown. Tiffany was at Brown for 10 seasons and posted a 95-56 record. His overall mark is 113-69, with two seasons at Stony Brook before his stint at Brown. This past season, he led the Bears to a 16-3 record. They made the NCAA tournament semifinals for the first time since 1994, falling to Maryland in overtime. The Bears ended UVa's regular season by topping the Cavaliers, 19-11. Tiffany is known for an up-tempo attack, though he primarily guides the defense. He hopes to bring his top assistants to Charlottesville. Sean Kirwan is the offensive coordinator, and Brown led the nation in 2016 at 16.3 goals per game. He could be a little harder to lure to UVa than goalie/faceoffs coach Kip Turner, a 2007 Virginia graduate who played for Starsia and was a part of the Cavaliers' undefeated, national title-winning 2006 team.
Men's golf: UVa finished 22nd in the team tournament in Eugene, Ore. Derek Bard was the Cavaliers' highest individual tournament finisher, tying for 17th.
Track and field: The Virginia men finished seventh at the NCAA outdoor championships in Eugene, Ore., their best finish in program history. Highlighting the effort was a shot put national championship by Filip Mihaljevic, marking the first time a UVa male has won a national title in a field event. UVa has four individual titles in track events, including in last year's indoor mile by Henry Wynne.
Rowing: Virginia finished third at the NCAA championships at the end of May in California. It was the Cavaliers' best finish at the event since 2012 when they took the crown.
Baseball: Unfortunately, the Cavaliers did not experience the same ending as last year (a national championship) or even two years ago (a loss in the finals) in 2016. UVa was unable to even get out of the Charlottesville Regional, losing back-to-back games to East Carolina and William & Mary, getting eliminated. Virginia opened the tournament nicely and seemed like it might coast to a super regional. The Wahoos pounded the Tribe 17-4, and then led the Pirates 6-3 in their second game. But ECU rallied with five runs in the ninth to win, 8-6. The next day, W&M ousted the hosts with a 5-4 victory. Of course, the amazing thing is UVa, which also beat the Tribe 16-8 in the regular season, scored 37 runs in three games against its in-state foe vs. 17 for W&M. But this isn't soccer where aggregate runs matter, and that's what happens in baseball sometimes. The Tribe won the one that counts.
Things could have gotten even worse for UVa fans, though. After the season, coach Brian O'Connor emerged as a candidate for the opening at Texas, whose coach, Augie Garrido, retired after the season. The Longhorns could certainly offer big bucks, and was a baseball power before falling on hard times recently, with six national titles, the last two coming in 2005 and 2000. However, a few days after the story came out, O'Connor released a statement saying he will stay at Virginia and continue to build the Cavaliers' program. And Wahoo baseball fans everywhere breathed a sigh of relief despite a disappointing end to the actual season.
Tennis: Danielle Collins capped off a superb career as a Cavalier by winning her second NCAA singles title -- her first came in 2014 -- becoming the first ACC woman and seventh in the nation to win a pair. Collins, the No. 2 seed, beat No. 1 Hayley Carter of North Carolina 6-3, 6-2 for the crown. On the men's side, Thai-Son Kwiatkowski advanced the furthest for the Cavaliers, who won the team crown for a third time. He was eliminated in the quarterfinals by TCU's Cameron Norrie, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1.
Men's lacrosse: After lots of back and forth and confusion, legendary coach Dom Starsia actually was let go as UVa's coach May 23. On Tuesday, the Cavaliers announced his replacement -- Brown coach Lars Tiffany, who played for Starsia when Starsia led Brown. Tiffany was at Brown for 10 seasons and posted a 95-56 record. His overall mark is 113-69, with two seasons at Stony Brook before his stint at Brown. This past season, he led the Bears to a 16-3 record. They made the NCAA tournament semifinals for the first time since 1994, falling to Maryland in overtime. The Bears ended UVa's regular season by topping the Cavaliers, 19-11. Tiffany is known for an up-tempo attack, though he primarily guides the defense. He hopes to bring his top assistants to Charlottesville. Sean Kirwan is the offensive coordinator, and Brown led the nation in 2016 at 16.3 goals per game. He could be a little harder to lure to UVa than goalie/faceoffs coach Kip Turner, a 2007 Virginia graduate who played for Starsia and was a part of the Cavaliers' undefeated, national title-winning 2006 team.
Men's golf: UVa finished 22nd in the team tournament in Eugene, Ore. Derek Bard was the Cavaliers' highest individual tournament finisher, tying for 17th.
Track and field: The Virginia men finished seventh at the NCAA outdoor championships in Eugene, Ore., their best finish in program history. Highlighting the effort was a shot put national championship by Filip Mihaljevic, marking the first time a UVa male has won a national title in a field event. UVa has four individual titles in track events, including in last year's indoor mile by Henry Wynne.
Rowing: Virginia finished third at the NCAA championships at the end of May in California. It was the Cavaliers' best finish at the event since 2012 when they took the crown.
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