Weaver's Aggies travel to Stillwater for Elite Eight match with Virginia

Last weekend, Texas A&M upset defending national champion North Carolina to reach the program's third consecutive Elite Eight. Before facing Virginia on Friday in Stillwater, head coach Mark Weaver joined Tuesday's edition of TexAgs Radio to talk some tennis.

Key notes from Mark Weaver interview

• I love the “Dream Weaver” joke. It reminds me of my days when I was playing tennis at A&M.
   
• The match with North Carolina was one for the history books. We’ve had a lot of great moments here. I’ve been part of the program for 25 years now, and that’s near the top. North Carolina hadn’t lost at home in six years. They had a great crowd. It was an electric feeling.
   
• We had a long rain delay that lasted maybe an hour and a half. It helped us pull out a tight doubles point, which probably took the wind out of their sails. We were starting to pull away at one point, and the lights went out. We handled that eery feeling well.
   
• We approached that match differently than we did in the SEC finals against Georgia. We didn’t handle that well. We backed off the big moment and the roaring crowd. Our story has been bouncing back from adversity this season. We have faced a lot of adversity, and the experience against Georgia was something that we used to fuel us against North Carolina. We met our challenges head-on rather than backing away. We were a confident team going in, and you could sense that “we’ve got this” attitude.
   
• After the doubles point, I was feeling good about our chances. Once Carson Branstine turned the match against Fiona Crawley, who has been one of the top players in the nation, it felt like it all turned. We were in great shape with Mary Stoiana and Lucciana Perez. You just sensed all along that Stoiana was going to get it done.
   
• Branstine has come back better and stronger. This is the best tennis I’ve seen her play, and she has all of the talent in the world. It’s great that her body is healthy again, and she’s playing very confident tennis. This is the best tennis she has played at A&M, and when she’s on, it’s hard for the other players on the other side of the court.
   
• Virginia has had a very good year, and we’ll have to be ready to go. They’re an indoor team, so we’re kind of chomping at the bit. Outdoor tennis gears toward our favor. Virginia is plenty good, and when you’re in the Elite Eight, any of them can win the national title. The doubles point will be key.
   
• We’re leaving in just about 30 minutes. We’re going to drive to Stillwater because it’s only a six-hour drive. We’ll practice tomorrow and Thursday. The weather looks great for a Friday evening match, and we’re looking forward to seeing a bunch of Aggies up there.
   
• I feel like this team believes they’ve got this. It’s neat to see that swagger. We’ve got our swagger when it really matters. They’re confident in themselves and their teammates. They all know they can get the job done. You can see it in their faces.