Dietrich Delivers Virginia's Seventh National Title with a Pulsating 4-3 Win Over Texas

©Colette Lewis 2026--
Athens GA--

Virginia's Dylan Dietrich was one point from going down 4-1 in the third set of the match that would determine the NCAA Division I National Championship Sunday afternoon at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex at the University of Georgia. 

But a deciding point with Texas's Sebastian Gorzny serving at 3-1 turned the tide, with the nation's top-ranked player riding that momentum to a 6-7(1), 6-4, 6-4 victory that gave the fourth-seeded Cavaliers their seventh national title and third in the last five years.

Dietrich had earned the only third set in the match, which Virginia needed after No. 2 seed Texas took the doubles point with wins at lines 2 and 3, with Virginia first claiming the set at line 1.

The teams split first sets in singles, and the first four singles points alternated, with Virginia's Keegan Rice defeating Kalin Ivanovski 6-1, 6-3 at line 2, then Texas's Oliver Ojakaar returning the lead to the Longhorns with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Andres Santamarta at 4. Stiles Brockett drew Virginia even with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Abel Forger at 5, followed by Longhorn Lucas Marionneau's 6-3, 7-5 victory over Mans Dahlberg at line 6.

With Texas up 3-2, Virginia's Jangjun Kim and Texas's Sebastian Eriksson went to a second set tiebreaker, with Kim saving a set point to post a 6-1, 7-6(9) victory.

Dietrich had just won the second set from Gorzny, so when they returned from the 10-minute heat break dictated by higher humidity and temperatures in the low 90s, all the fans, primarily garbed in Virginia blue and orange, made their way behind Court 1as the match approached its fourth hour.

Gorzny, who had clinched the TCU program's first NCAA title in 2024 in the same 3-3 scenario before transferring to Texas, broke Dietrich on a deciding point to take a 3-1 lead.

Dietrich earned three break points with Gorzny serving at 3-1, but Gorzny saved two to force a deciding point. That point had a bit of everything, with Dietrich in control but unable to pass Gorzny, who defended with volley after volley, until finally Dietrich blasted a forehand straight up the middle at Gorzny, who ducked and looked back just in time to see the ball land on baseline, sending the large contingent of Wahoo fans assembled behind the court into a frenzy.

"Honestly, when I got broken for 3-1, it was a lot pressure, it was tough," said the junior from Switzerland, who had a 24-1 record in dual matches this season. "What was going through my mind was that I was playing so well all season and I can not believe that I'm going to lose the most important match of my college career. So I got a little nervous, and I got a little lucky on the deuce point, but after I won the deuce point, it was so much pressure off my shoulders."

Dietrich had to win another deuce point, on his serve, to pull even, but broke again for a 4-3 lead. As the Virginia fans and Dietrich's teammates began the Ole, Ole, Ole, Wahoos, Wahoos chant, Dietrich had his best serving game of the set, hitting four first serves--two service winners and two aces--to take a 5-3 lead. Gorzny, who had saved five match points in his 4-3 clinching win over TCU in the semifinals, saved two in his serving game, but held to force Dietrich to finish it on serve. He ended it on his first match point at 40-30, and the exuberant Virginia celebration, reserved only for championships, began.

Virginia coach Andres Pedroso, who has led the program for 11 years and three of those titles, gave credit to the role of the previous six titles for producing another one this May. 

"I think it's just winning tradition we can draw from and the stories I can tell about the former players, and what they've done to put seven stars on our backs," said Pedroso, referring to the UVA's jerseys. "I don't want to say it's brainwashing, because I really believe it when I tell them, but I make sure they believe when they walk on the grounds of the University of Virginia for the first time, we play our best tennis in May, we are the closest team, and we take pride in that. I give the former players all the credit for that."

One of those former players is Rafael Jodar, who after one season at Virginia, in 2025, is now 29 in the ATP rankings and will be seeded at Roland Garros later this month.

"I'm sure he was watching today for sure," said Dietrich, who was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. "Screaming in Paris, wherever he is."

"He called me this morning," Pedroso revealed. "And said he had plans to go to the movies tonight, and he told his friend, we're not going to the movies, we're watching Virginia tonight."

Texas head coach Bruce Berque credited his team for their growth during the season.

"It seems like forever ago, but there was a time when we were sitting in the Ohio State locker room in Columbus after getting beaten pretty badly, with a 4-3 record," Berque said. "And it seemed like we were so far away from being a championship level program, but the guys took ownership of the team, put in the work, held each other accountable, pushed and fought and improved and competed their way to three out of the four championships(Team Indoor, SEC regular and tournament) they could win, just coming up a point short."

Gorzny, a senior who will be embarking on his pro career this summer, said he would return for a fifth year if he could.

"The goal is to win the NCAAs, but at the end of the day, it's the process that matters," said the 22-year-old from Texas. "Getting better, the highs and lows, enjoying all the moments together. Unfortunately we didn't get it done, and it sucks that I let my team down at the end, but I know I gave it my best all year and I don't have any regrets."

Virginia[4] 4 Texas[2] 3

Doubles:

1. Mans Dahlberg and Dylan Dietrich(UVA) d. Kalin Ivanovski and Abel Forger(TEX) 6-3

2. Sebastian Gorzny and Lucas Marionneau(TEX) d. Andres Santamarta and Jangjun Kim(UVA) 6-4

3. Oliver Ojakaar and Sebastian Eriksson(TEX) d. Stiles Brockett and Keegan Rice(UVA) 6-2

Order of finish: 1, 3, 2

Singles:

1. Dylan Dietrich(UVA) d. Sebastian Gorzny(TEX) 6-7(1), 6-4, 6-4

2. Keegan Rice(UVA) d. Kalin Ivanovski(TEX) 6-1, 6-3

3. Jangjun Kim(UVA) d. Sebastian Eriksson(TEX) 6-1, 7-6(11) 

4. Oliver Ojakaar(TEX) d. Andres Santamarta(UVA) 6-1, 6-4

5. Stiles Brockett(UVA) d. Abel Forger(TEX) 6-4, 6-4 

6. Lucas Marionneau(TEX) d. Mans Dahlberg(UVA) 6-3, 7-5

Order of finish: 2, 4, 5, 6, 3, 1