After dropping its first two ACC matches by a combined 53 points, to NC State and Stanford, Virginia wrestling returned to the road when it traveled down to Blacksburg to take on Virginia Tech. The Cavaliers (4-4, 0-3 ACC) struggled yet again and fell 36-3 to the Hokies (6-2, 2-1 ACC).
Per usual lately, Virginia started cold. Junior Keyveon Roller opened up the day for the Cavaliers against junior Eddie Ventresca. Ventresca grabbed the early 3-0 lead in the first period and never looked back. He countered every move Roller made and ended up taking the 8-0 major decision win. In the next match, sophomore Gable Porter, returning from illness, took on graduate Connor McGonagle. Like his teammate, McGonagle got a takedown in the first period and cruised to a major decision victory. After just two matches, Virginia Tech was winning 8-0.
With their win chances getting slimmer by the second, it was time for Virginia to fight back. But fifth-year Dylan Cedeno was up next, seeking to defend his undefeated record this season against graduate Sam Latona. Shockingly, Cedeno could not pull out the win as stall calls and an untimely takedown ruined his odds.
Down 11-0, the Cavaliers had a tall task to start their comeback in a match against junior Caleb Henson. Henson is the reigning national champion and got the early lead with a takedown of junior Jack Gioffre. Gioffre scrapped back for points, but fatigue showed and his effort was not enough to avoid giving the Hokies another victory, this time by a 19-4 major decision.
With his team needing a win, it was up to junior Nick Sanko to get the job done for Virginia against freshman Matt Henrich. Sanko was very aggressive, trying to outpace the freshman. He got on the board first with an escape, but a late takedown by Henrich turned the tables of the match and gave Virginia Tech a 4-1 win, extending the overall score to 18-0.
Junior Nick Hamilton was up next, hoping to change the Cavaliers’ fortunes against redshirt freshman Mac Church. Hamilton opened up the match with a takedown to grab a lead. While Church got a few points back, Hamilton secured a 4-2 win to get Virginia on the board with three points.
Aiming to keep the Cavaliers’ momentum alive, sophomore Michael Murphy took on freshman Gage Wright. Like Hamilton, Murphy opened the match with a takedown. However, Wright got one back to even the match up in the second period. He then got another takedown in the third period to take the lead 8-4. Murphy attempted a last second comeback, but it only backfired as he lost 12-5.
Now down 21-3 and almost mathematically eliminated, it was do or die time for Virginia. With their victory hopes on the line, it was senior Hadyn Danals against sophomore Thomas Stewart Jr. Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, it was not their day. Danals got taken down immediately, and then Stewart secured a pin just seconds later to secure the win for the Hokies.
With the match out of hand, Virginia tried to close the gap to make the match respectable. Fifth-year Ethan Weatherspoon was up against senior Andy Smith, but it was more of the same. Weatherspoon got on the board early, but Smith immediately got a point back to tie it. With the match coming down to the wire, Smith secured a 2-1 decision win with some late maneuvers.
With just the heavyweight match left, the score stood 30-3. Hoping to get some points back for the Cavaliers, senior Gabe Christenson faced redshirt freshman Jimmy Mullen. Both wrestlers were immediately aggressive, seeking to control the match from the onset. It was Mullen who struck first when a big move by Christenson got countered. From then on, it was all Mullen. He quickly got a second takedown, extending the lead to 6-0, and then another to make it 9-0. Christenson kept fighting, the result continued to worsen. Before one could blink it was 16-1 Mullen, and the match ended with a win by fall. The dual ended 36-3 in favor of Virginia Tech.
While the loss was absolutely devastating for the Cavaliers, context should be taken into consideration. It was Virginia’s third consecutive top-20 opponent, all of which have come in a two-week span. The team has also been really hurt by injuries, resulting in some inexperienced wrestlers getting put into critical matches.
All this being said, if the Cavaliers want to win games they cannot give up bonus point victories. These defeats make it exponentially harder to mount comebacks and put a lot of pressure on the back half of the order to secure big wins. With more big duals down the line, something will have to change if Virginia wants to salvage its season. Despite the rough start, coach Steve Garland is still optimistic they can turn the season around.
“I still believe in this team,” Garland said. “I know who they are and what they are capable of. No retreat, no reservations and no regrets.”
In terms of the Commonwealth Clash, the Cavaliers entered the day with a 5.5-1 lead. With their defeat, it is now 5.5-2. The upcoming basketball game will be the next clash match.
The Cavaliers will be back in action at home for their next dual at John Paul Jones Arena, Friday against Duke at 7 p.m.
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