Virginia put forth a far stronger showing in its second competition, albeit against a softer slate of opponents.
Unfortunately, only two out of the five wrestlers were able to win their first matches and none won back-to-back matches in the original field.
After four years of hard work, McCoy finally reached the top of the ACC, but is coming back for a fifth year in attempts to be best in the nation.
Graduate student Brian Courtney was the most impressive, advancing all the way to the quarterfinal.
Although NC State picked up their fourth straight ACC title, the Cavaliers had eight wrestlers secure automatic berths in the NCAA championship.
Virginia won eight of the 10 matches, four of them being bonus-point victories.
Although the scoreline was dominant, six of the matches were decided by four points or less.
The score was 16-16 at the end of all 10 matches, but since North Carolina edged Virginia in overall points 53-45, the criteria gave the Tar Heels the victory.
A win for Virginia against a ranked North Carolina team would help their hopes of winning an ACC championship.
After a close start, Pittsburgh managed to pull away from the Cavaliers in their season-opener.
The Cavaliers wrestled against Chattanooga, Lock Haven, Kent State, Oklahoma and South Dakota State and finished with a combined record of 19-6.
Graduate students Jarod Verkleeren and Quinn Miller led the way for Virginia, as they both placed second in their respective weight classes.
The Cavaliers started the day defeating the Cougars 34-3, but then fell to the Wildcats 18-16 in a duel that came down to the final weight class.
After a tough dual meet loss to Campbell on Nov. 20, the Cavaliers bounced back with ten place winners and four first place finishers.
Notably, after the first eight matches, the score was tied at 15, but the Camels were able to find a second gear and win the final two weight classes to secure the victory.
The Cavaliers look to continue their momentum against a Campbell team that has faced fierce competition so far this season.
Virginia wrestling (2-0, 0-0 ACC) continued its early success with a strong performance against Maryland (0-1, 0-0 Big Ten) Friday night in College Park, Md.
The Cavaliers (1-0, 0-0 ACC) won eight weight classes to propel the team to a dominating 33-6 win over the Eagles (0-2, 0-1 EIWA)
Both teams are coming off shortened seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic and are looking to start their seasons off on a high note in the out-of-conference showdown.
Virginia returns many experienced wrestlers who will be able to show out for the Cavaliers in front of a full Memorial Gymnasium for the first time since 2020.
