"There's a reason why they're the defending champs," Coach Andres Pedroso said.
For the 18th time in 20 years, Virginia is headed to the quarterfinals.
"You always want to play at home," Pedroso said.
Virginia advanced to the third round for the sixth year in a row.
Virginia ended the Demon Deacons' 34-match winning streak.
The regular-season concluded with a rivalry flourish.
Virginia submitted two convincing performances heading into the final stretch of the regular season.
Even without its star freshman, Virginia picked up the victories against the conference's bottom-feeders.
Sunday's win felt like a monumental result for a team scrabbling for footing.
The NCAA policy can hinder a team's overall performance.
