Only one wrestling team, Maryland, remains undefeated in ACC play. Virginia hope to deal the No. 22 Terrapins their first loss to an ACC team this Sunday at 1 p.m. at Memorial Gymnasium.
Virginia (18-4, 3-1 ACC) has the opportunity to secure the ACC regular-season championship with a win against Maryland in what will be the Cavaliers' third contest against a ranked team this season. The first two, against then-No. 5 Michigan and then-No. 19 Old Dominion, both resulted in losses.
A recent highlight of Virginia's impressive performance this season was the selection of Rocco Caponi as ACC Wrestler of the Week for the week ending Feb. 10. Caponi, a junior from Uniontown, Ohio,? who wrestles at 184 pounds, successfully pinned wrestlers in both of the team's N.C. State and Duke matches. Caponi is currently ranked 10th nationally in his weight class.
Maryland (14-4, 4-0 ACC) has two top-10 wrestlers of its own. Sophomore Mike Letts, who wrestles at 174 pounds, is ranked 10th in his weight class, while redshirt sophomore Hudson Taylor, who wrestles at 197 pounds, is ranked as high as fifth.
The Terps lost two of their first four matches, both against ranked opponents, but have only lost two since, one of which came against current-No. 5 Central Michigan. They have recently come close to breaking into the top 20 in several national polls. Virginia was briefly ranked in the top 25 in early January before suffering two losses in two days at the Virginia Duals. The Cavaliers have not been ranked as a team since.
Virginia coach Steve Garland said he thinks the team's status as an underdog will play to the Cavaliers' benefit and will encourage the wrestlers to bring their best performances.
"It's easier for us to go in to a match like this, where we know the team is ranked ahead of us," Garland said. "That's when we wrestle our best."
Sunday's match is Virginia's last before the ACC Tournament March 8 in College Park, Md. A win Sunday would solidify the chance for Virginia's wrestlers to claim their weight class' top seed in the tournament, which features the six ACC wrestling teams.
"That's huge," Garland said of the opportunity to secure the top seeds. "Any time you can get a top seed at any national qualifier, you're in the best shape possible, obviously. That's big."
Home-mat advantage has played a big role for Virginia so far this season. Every match at Memorial Gymnasium has resulted in a win for the Cavaliers. The team also performed well at the Virginia Intercollegiate Championships at John Paul Jones Arena Jan. 5, finishing six points behind then-No. 19 Old Dominion, 107 points to the Cavaliers' 101. Liberty placed third of the six teams with 40.5 points.
Along with Caponi and his headline-grabbing performances, several other Virginia wrestlers have performed well this season. Including Caponi, six Cavaliers are ranked in the top 30 of their weight classes.
One compelling matchup in Sunday's match will be at 197 pounds, where Taylor will face-off against No. 17 Virginia redshirt sophomore Brent Jones. These two last wrestled in the finals of the Southern Scuffle Dec. 30 in Greensboro, N.C., where Maryland and Virginia finished fifth and sixth with 93.5 and 91.5 team points, respectively. Minnesota won with 182 points. Taylor pinned Jones to take the title, but Jones said he thinks he has a good chance at winning this time.
"I think I have an excellent shot, actually." Jones said. "We're getting ready to peak for the ACCs. If we come out and make noise now, we're going to [be able to] crank it up another notch for the ACCs."
In a contest to determine the ACC regular-season championship between rivals both on the verge of more significant national recognition, a few tightly contested bouts could be the difference. The Cavaliers hope to take advantage of this opportunity to score a big win before entering the postseason.
Garland didn't hesitate in stressing the importance of building momentum going into the ACC and NCAA tournaments.
"It's everything," Garland said.
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