CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) – They\u2019re a doubles duo who just won the NCAA National Championships in Orlando, Florida, and are building a legacy right here at the University of Virginia.<\/p>\n
UVA Men\u2019s Tennis has some new hardware, thanks to fourth year Mans Dahlberg and third year Dylan Dietrich. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt feels pretty surreal,\u201d Dietrich told 29News on Thursday. \u201cObviously, I think we both kind of hoped and believed we could win it, but actually winning it and being home now here and everyone congratulating you on the achievement, I think it\u2019s pretty cool.\u201d<\/p>\n
The two upperclassmen are now the fourth pair in UVA history to win the doubles championship, something that Dietrich and Dahlberg say is an honor.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the things I most looked forward to the first day I stepped foot on grounds, I saw all the banners on the indoor courts. I was talking with Coach Treat about it, and I told him I really want to be up there on such a banner,\u201d Dietrich said. \u201cActually, last year we talked about it, how cool would it be if Mans and I were Dietrich and Dahlberg on those banners, so it\u2019s really cool to make that reality and be on there for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dahlberg agrees – it\u2019s about contributing to something bigger.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not so much about the matches we win or the trophies we hold, it\u2019s mostly about the UVA history books,\u201d Dahlberg said.<\/p>\n
To reach victory, Dietrich and Dahlberg had to upset the number one seed, Mississippi State, in the Round of 16.<\/p>\n
\u201c[We] knew it was going to be a big test,\u201d Dahlberg said. \u201cThat got reinforced by Coach Treat saying that we definitely wouldn\u2019t win, so we just basically first of all tried to prove him wrong, and then the rest of the players in the tournament.\u201d<\/p>\n
Assistant Coach Treat Huey says he was just trying to get them motivated.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey joke that I told them, \u2018Oh, you guys have no chance today,\u2019 but you try to push the right buttons here and there,\u201d said Assistant Coach Treat Huey. \u201cThat actually worked pretty well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Huey is no stranger to doubles championships – the Coach has several ATP career wins under his belt and made it to the Wimbledon semifinals in 2016.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s two people out there, moving in unison… working together and covering the whole court together, and they do such an amazing job of that, but kind of in a nontraditional way,\u201d Huey said about the pair.<\/p>\n
Dietrich and Dahlberg are just as close off the court as they are on, having lived together at UVA for years and even taken a trip to Portugal with Dietrich\u2019s family.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have such a great bond as friends,\u201d Huey said. \u201cThey can always rely on each other, know that if one of them really messes up and plays terrible, it\u2019s not the end of the world. They both love each other either way, and will be best friends win or lose.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dahlberg says their relationship dynamic doesn\u2019t change too much when they step into practice or a match.<\/p>\n
\u201cI might be a little more down to earth, a little more if I can say normal, I say normal, and he is a little all over the place, comes up with crazy ideas, a lot of fun to be around both on and off the court,\u201d Dahlberg said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe both play our best tennis together when we have fun and when we enjoy each other on the court and do small jokes here and there and not take it too seriously,\u201d Dietrich said. <\/p>\n
Plus, they have one of the most intimidating team names in the sport.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Pookie Bears,\u201d Dietrich revealed.<\/p>\n
After some rest and family time in December, the men\u2019s tennis team will return to practicing in January, before the team season begins.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it just adds a little more excitement and a little more curiosity for starting off all of our matches,\u201d Dahlberg said. \u201cKnowing that we can do what we did this fall but for our team.\u201d<\/p>\n