UVA will host No. 8 North Carolina tonight for Senior Night

Posted on Friday, Feb. 21, 2020, 3:52 pm

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Courtesy UVA Media Relations

The Virginia wrestling team closes out the regular-season dual schedule on Friday, hosting No. 8 North Carolina at 7 p.m. in Memorial Gym. Admission is free to the public.

The dual will be streamed on ACCNX which streams live on the ESPN app. ACCNX is available through participating TV providers that carry ACC Network. Fans can also follow the action through live stats linked at VirginiaSports.com or by following the program’s official Twitter account (@UVAWrestling).

HOOS SET TO RECOGNIZE SEVEN IN SENIOR CEREMONIES PRIOR TO THE DUAL

Virginia (8-5, 1-3 ACC) will recognize seven wrestlers who have had an impact on the program over the last four seasons in ceremonies prior to the start of Friday’s match with the Tar Heels. Virginia will recognize Tyler Love, Sam Krivus, Sam Martino, Jack Mueller, Michael Murphy, Robert Scherer, and Jack Walsh before the dual.

CAVALIERS IN THE INTERMAT RANKINGS

The Cavaliers have three wrestlers ranked at their weight classes in the latest edition of the InterMat rankings. Mueller leads the way as the second-ranked wrestler at 125 pounds, while Jay Aiello is ranked No. 8 at 197 pounds and Quinn Miller is No. 19 at heavyweight.

VIRGINIA PROBABLE LINEUP (Rankings According to InterMat)

125: No. 2 Jack Mueller

133: Louie Hayes

141: Brian Courtney

149: Denton Spencer OR Michael Murphy

157: Justin McCoy

165: Cam Coy OR Krystian Kinsey

174: Victor Marcelli

184: Michael Battista

197: No. 8 Jay Aiello

HWT: No. 19 Quinn Miller

NORTH CAROLINA PROBABLE LINEUP (Rankings According To InterMat)

125: Joey Melendez

133: Jaime Hernandez

141: No. 12 Zach Sherman

149: No. 3 Austin O’Connor

157: No. 16 A.C. Headlee OR Josh McClure

165: No. 13 Kennedy Monday OR Sawyer Davidson

174: Clay Lautt

184: Joey Mazzara

197: Brandon Whitman

HWT: Andrew Gunning OR Keaton Kluever

A LOOK AT THE TAR HEELS

North Carolina enters the weekend with a 13-2 record and a 3-1 mark in the ACC. The lone conference loss for the Tar Heels came at No. 3 NC State. Last weekend, North Carolina posted wins over No. 9 Pittsburgh at home and at No. 17 Cornell. The Tar Heels have four wrestlers ranked in the latest InterMat rankings with third-ranked Austin O’Connor, an All-American from a year ago, leading the way. North Carolina’s only other loss this season came at Stanford in November.

THE SERIES WITH NORTH CAROLINA

Virginia and North Carolina have faced each other 78 times in the history of the programs with the Tar Heels holding a 46-32-0 lead in the all-time series. North Carolina has won back-to-back duals in the series. The last win for the Cavaliers came in the 2017 dual season with a 22-15 road victory for Virginia.

LAST TIME OUT AGAINST UNC

Last season in Chapel Hill, the Cavaliers dropped a 22-13 decision to the 17th-ranked Tar Heels. Virginia won four weight classes with Aiello, Mueller, Cam Coy and Jake Keating picking up victories. Mueller tallied a major decision as the only bonus-point win of the night for Virginia. North Carolina picked up four major decisions in their six individual wins.

THIRD COACHES PANEL RANKINGS RELEASED WITH FIVE CAVALIERS FEATURED

As the season begins to wind down and eyes begin to turn toward the NCAA Championships, the third edition of the coaches panel rankings have been released by the NCAA and the Cavaliers have five wrestlers featured among the nation’s top-rated competitors.

The final coaches panel rankings are used as part of the selection criteria for individual selection to the NCAA Championships and are also used in determining seeding. The panel is comprised of 14 coaches with two coaches from each of the seven conferences. Coaches may only consider wrestlers who are designated as a starter in a weight class, have wrestled in at least five matches against Division I opponents and have wrestled within the last 30 days.

Hoos In The Coaches Panel Rankings

125: Jack Mueller – 2nd

133: Louie Hayes – 18th

157: Justin McCoy – 27th

197: Jay Aiello – 8th

HWT: Quinn Miller – 22nd

TICKETS ON SALE NOW FOR ACC CHAMPIONSHIPS IN PITTSBURGH
The ACC Championships will be hosted by Pittsburgh this season on Sunday, March 8, at the Petersen Events Center. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here. All seating is general admission and a single ticket is $10, while children 18 and under are $5. Groups of 15 or more can purchase tickets for $3 each.