The ACC's finest swimming rivalry takes center stage tomorrow when the Virginia swimming and diving teams square off against North Carolina at 1 p.m. at the Aquatic & Fitness Center.
All four teams are undefeated in the conference heading into tomorrow's meet. Both Cav squads have won the last two dual meets with the Tar Heels.
North Carolina is the biggest obstacle between the No. 11 Cav men (4-1, 2-0 ACC) and their third straight conference title. Last year, the Cavaliers dominated the championship meet with a 150-point margin of victory over the runner-up Tar Heels. Virginia narrowly defeated Florida State to win the title in 1999, the year after the Heels snuck out of Charlottesville with the crown. This season, the championship meet returns to the AFC.
The Virginia men face a 14th-ranked North Carolina squad (4-1, 2-0) that features ACC Swimmer of the Week Chris Helin, who won three events for the Tar Heels Saturday against Clemson.
The No. 12 Virginia women (5-0, 2-0) hope to remain undefeated against the eighth-ranked Heels (5-1, 2-0). The Tar Heels and the Cavaliers split last week's ACC Swimmer of the Week award. Carolina senior Erika Acuff was honored for her performance against Clemson and Virginia freshman Amy Baly won three events for the Cavaliers against N.C. State.
At the 2000 ACCs, the North Carolina women won the title, snapping the Cavaliers' two-year hold on the championship.
Cav coach Mark Bernardino said while the meet will highlight some of the conference's best swimmers, the wins will go to the teams that are "able to garner the most fourth- and fifth-place finishes. Every race, every place, every extra ounce of effort is absolutely critical."
Bernardino said North Carolina probably has a slight edge in overall team depth but added that the excitement and preparation of his Virginia squads could propel them to victory.
The Cavaliers trained hard for the North Carolina meet the first two weeks of January. With easy wins at N.C. State Saturday to help boost confidence, the coaching staff devoted much of this week to mental preparation for the athletes.
Bernardino does not have to tell his team how crucial this meet is.
"We've been looking forward to this meet for a long time," Virginia senior captain Mike Fuller said. "We're not going to let anybody think they can come into our house and win"
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