Collegiate Times

No matter what sport is being played, it’s a big deal when the Hokies and the Cavaliers match up. Whether it’s in football, basketball, or even tennis, the mutual dislike the teams share for each other is palpable.

However, while Virginia Tech has the upper hand in the revenue sports, Virginia’s tennis program has been several steps ahead of the Hokies for the last decade.

And despite No. 30 Tech’s recent success in the national rankings, this year is no different, as UVa is the No. 1 team in the country.

Understandably, these matches take on a lot of importance for the Hokies as they attempt to measure up to their main rivals.

“There’s a huge amount of pressure to elevate our game (against UVa),” said Jim Thompson, head coach. “It’s really important to see that we can play with them.”

Despite the significance of the match, the Hokies still struggled in the most recent meeting of the teams, falling 6-1 to the Cavaliers.

“We need to put forth the effort to finally get a win against them,” said Will Beck, a senior. “(Winning matches like this) helps us learn how to prepare for the big ACC matchups we have later in the year.”

While Tech’s tennis program is definitely on the rise, there is still a great deal that the Hokies can learn from UVa’s success as it looks to close the gap between the two teams.

“(UVa) has done a good job of recruiting, and has a lot of support in the community,” Thompson said. “We need to work to build a similar foundation in Blacksburg so that people want to come out on a Friday or Saturday night and support the team.”

Members of the team stress that, despite the loss, they are ready for a rematch.

“Playing tough teams like this shows we need to work harder at every position,” said Luka Somen, a junior. “If everyone plays their best tennis then we can be in a position to beat them when we play later in the year (at the ACC Tournament).”

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A version of this article appeared in the Feb 16 issue of the Collegiate Times.