After the Virginia wrestling team entered the conference win column Saturday afternoon against Duke, they will look to pull to .500 in the ACC when they host Maryland at 7 tonight in Memorial Gymnasium.
The Cavaliers (4-10, 1-2 ACC) are coming off a weekend of mixed successes in North Carolina, where, after they soundly beat Duke, 28-11, they lost to N.C. State the following day, 31-13.
Duke "was obviously a big win," Virginia coach Lenny Bernstein said. "We've obviously been struggling a lot this year with injuries, and that makes things difficult."
The team was aided by the return of senior captain Jimi Massey at the 184-pound class and senior Ryan Painter at heavyweight. Both Massey and Painter won their two matches against Duke and Seidel was named ACC wrestler of the week for his two victories in the 141-pound class.
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The team won seven of 10 matches at Duke, including an upset victory in the 125-pound class by freshman Byron Dunlap over last year's ACC runner-up, Duke junior Tommy Hoang.
The win was "really important," Massey said. "There were some big matchups where guys got big wins for us like Byron."
The following day, Virginia fell to N.C. State, winning only three of 10 matches.
"Sunday we didn't do that great," Massey said. "But we're gradually starting to come around and get healthy."
Tonight's meet is the Cavaliers' last in the ACC for the season, though they still have a quad meet before the postseason starts.
"It's very important," Bernstein said. "Maryland is in the middle of the conference with us."
The Terrapins (10-3, 1-2) have won their last four matches and have conference results identical with those of Virginia (beat Duke, lost to UNC and N.C. State).
The key match will be in the 184-pound weight class between Massey and Maryland junior Jake Stork. Massey has only beaten Stork once in three tries, but that victory came in last year's ACC Championship match.
"It's always tough with him," Massey said. "I'm going in expecting to win. The two times he's beat me it was because he caught me. I know I'm a better wrestler, but it's a matter of me being smart."
The meet will help determine individual seeding for the ACC Championships March 9.
The team still will face Maryland without the services of sophomore Joe Alexander, a national qualifier last season.
Alexander, who has been bothered by an ankle injury, is expected to return for the dual meet Sunday in Washington, D.C.
The focus for now, though, is on evening the conference record against the Terrapins tonight.
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