Spring Break
The Daily OrangeCHASING A DREAM: For Virginia's Starsia, matchup with Cornell means more than just a trip to the finals
By Conor Orr
Posted: 5/22/09, 12:28 PM EST Section: Final Four '09
"I got a call and heard that game would be open and got on the phone with coach Starsia immediately," Tambroni said. "We had it done within the day and scheduled a four-year contract. We had to do a little changing of our schedule, but I'm glad it worked out."
Now, a top team that Starsia's players hadn't seen their entire collegiate career was on the calendar at the beginning of the year. Little did they know them they would be meeting in the final four nearly three months later.
"It's weird," Virginia senior attack Danny Glading said. "It's strange that the one year we play them in my four years here, we're going to end up playing them a second time, but I think there's benefits and disadvantages to it."
And now, visions of that 1976 Cornell team walking off the bus come back to Starsia. But in a different way. Instead of suffering beatings at the hands of the Big Red as a player and coach, Starsia is dealing it out. Earlier this season, in the two teams' first regular season matchup since 1971, the Cavaliers used its vicious scoring attack to edge the Big Red, 14-10. The victory gave Starsia two straight victories over a program that left him in awe years ago.
It's a feeling of leverage Tambroni is looking to steal back from the Cavaliers. He'll have to, if he's going to take down a Virginia team ranked in the top five nationally in assists, ground balls, points per game, scoring margin and scoring offense.
But Tambroni is ready to put in the work to bring the Big Red back to its glory days.
"It would be nice to do that," Tambroni said. "But it's going to take some hard work."
ctorr@syr.edu
Now, a top team that Starsia's players hadn't seen their entire collegiate career was on the calendar at the beginning of the year. Little did they know them they would be meeting in the final four nearly three months later.
"It's weird," Virginia senior attack Danny Glading said. "It's strange that the one year we play them in my four years here, we're going to end up playing them a second time, but I think there's benefits and disadvantages to it."
And now, visions of that 1976 Cornell team walking off the bus come back to Starsia. But in a different way. Instead of suffering beatings at the hands of the Big Red as a player and coach, Starsia is dealing it out. Earlier this season, in the two teams' first regular season matchup since 1971, the Cavaliers used its vicious scoring attack to edge the Big Red, 14-10. The victory gave Starsia two straight victories over a program that left him in awe years ago.
It's a feeling of leverage Tambroni is looking to steal back from the Cavaliers. He'll have to, if he's going to take down a Virginia team ranked in the top five nationally in assists, ground balls, points per game, scoring margin and scoring offense.
But Tambroni is ready to put in the work to bring the Big Red back to its glory days.
"It would be nice to do that," Tambroni said. "But it's going to take some hard work."
ctorr@syr.edu
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