Western Albemarle’s boys tennis team wasn’t surprised when they blew through a state semifinal in under two hours en route to a 5-0 sweep of Riverside.
Even with a spot in the state title match, that’s the expectation, that everyone is going to take care of business.
“We’re sort of expecting that kind of outcome when we go into matches these days,” said Western’s No. 1 Daniel Thomas. “I knew with the team around me I didn’t actually have to win, I was just coasting until somebody else would or I would.”
The quick sweep pushed Western into its first state championship match since 2012, a championship that was the capstone to a six-year run where the Warriors made the state final each season. They’ll face Blacksburg in a Region 3A West final rematch. Western won the first clash 5-4.
Western’s five wins came at No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5 singles. Thomas won 6-4, 6-4 at the top spot, followed by Alex Ix at two 6-0, 6-1, Jack Tribble at three 6-2, 6-2, Ben Masseli at four 6-2, 6-2 and Nicholas Hagspiel 6-0, 6-3 at No. 4. No. 6 Simon Rader was up 7-5, 5-2 when the Warriors clinched.
According to Thomas, it’s Ix that has really given the Warriors a shot in the arm and his dominant performance Tuesday showed just how steady he has been for Western.
“Alex is probably one of the best players to ever go through Western if not the best,” Thomas said. “And he’s only a freshman. It’s nice to have always locking up that two spot, always locking up that No. 1 doubles with me.”
While the Tuesday match didn’t get pushed to doubles, Ix and Thomas have proven to be a formidable pair there, earning a spot in the state doubles final four.
“(Ix) just instills that confidence in you because he’s so consistent, he doesn’t miss,” Heller said. “I think it really helps Daniel on the doubles court because he knows he can go for so many more shots because he knows his partner is not going to miss the next one. (Ix) hasn’t lost a match all season”
Thomas will also play for the singles state championship this week, starting with a state semifinal on Thursday, but the team title remains in site now with the state semifinal win complete. After a four-year drought the Warriors are back, with Thomas leading the way, but it was the win that set the table for Tuesday’s victory that hit home for the senior.
“My brother participated in two of the four that we won,” Thomas said. “(Making the) region finals brought me to tears because it was my first time and I never thought I’d be there. It’s exciting for the whole team.”
Thomas’s older brother Jaime played on the 2007 and 2008 championship teams that kicked off Western’s dynastic run from 2007-2012.
Heller also pointed to the region semifinal win that clinched a state final four berth as a big moment that’s helped spur Western to the brink of a state championship.
“As a coach I’d never made it past the (region semifinal) and that was a huge match where these guys stepped up,” said Western coach Seth Heller. “It was a huge breath of fresh air beating Hidden Valley. We knew if we could get through that step we could get to that state championship.”
They did just that and now they’ve completed another step in the journey. The final step comes Saturday in Salem starting at 10 a.m. against Blacksburg.
