After a disappointing night in Ann Arbor, Mich., Virginia headed to Bloomsburg looking to respond to their lackluster performance, and they did so in dramatic fashion.
The Cavaliers (3-2, 0-0 ACC) traveled to Pennsylvania and shut out Bloomsburg (3-4, 0-0 PSAC) in dual action. For Virginia, everything clicked. Wrestlers making their first appearance of the season collected their first wins, and those already on a roll extended their undefeated records, culminating in Bloomsburg failing to score a single point.
Coach Steve Garland was clear about how he wanted the Cavaliers to respond to last weekend’s matchup, setting firm goals and a focused mindset for the team.
“Score first, get time and not get ridden,” Garland said. “They hit all those goals.”
No. 24 senior Keyveon Roller displayed the very mindset Garland emphasized, opening the night against graduate student Jace Schafer. Roller won his matchup by decision, setting the tone for the Cavaliers, who cruised through the rest of the dual unscathed.
No. 32 sophomore Gable Porter held strong and preserved his undefeated record at 141 pounds. Controlling the pace from the opening whistle, Porter dominated in all positions and secured his sixth bonus-point victory of the season.
Alongside Porter, No. 18 senior Nick Hamilton continued his own impressive run, adding another decisive win to his undefeated column and improving to 4–0 on the year. Hamilton wrestled with the poise of a veteran, capitalizing on every scoring opportunity and keeping his opponent on the defensive throughout the match.
Closing the night at 285 pounds, fifth-year Ryan Catka made his season debut and showed that, no matter the point differential, the Cavaliers were going to wrestle relentlessly to the very end. Catka recorded Virginia’s third and final pin of the dual, defeating junior Mason Rebuck.
With Catka’s pin, the Cavaliers posted a total of three pins in the dual — their highest total this season, surpassing the two pins recorded in their win over Long Island University earlier in the year.
It was exactly the night the Cavaliers needed and precisely the response Garland was looking for after a disappointing result in Ann Arbor.
“I’m really proud of these guys,” Garland said. “I don’t think they could have responded any better than the way they did tonight.”
The Cavaliers now head back on the road for a pair of duals Sunday at Bridgeport and East Stroudsburg. The set continues an extended stretch of road meets for Virginia.
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