When Wolfpack wrestling and the Hokies meet on the mat, it’s almost always the two best squads in the ACC.
Friday night was no different — both NC State and Virginia Tech arrived unbeaten in conference competition. Potentially with the regular-season ACC title on the line, the Wolfpack fought hard but fell short, 21-12.
The Wolfpack (12-4, 3-1 ACC) fell behind early and never came back. The Hokies (8-2, 3-0 ACC) proved to be talented across the board, a tough talent for any team to face. Taking six of ten matches and earning a few bonus points, Virginia Tech showed its best while also revealing that the Pack still has plenty to work on.
“Losing is never a good feeling,” said head coach Pat Popolizio. “We did some good things and obviously some things we need to work on. That’s why you get to wrestle a good team like Virginia Tech; they came and they brought their A game.”
The night began with two of the nation’s best wrestlers in the 125-pound class. Defending national champion No. 5 redshirt sophomore Vince Robinson represented the red-and-white, while No. 3 Eddie Ventresca wrestled for the Hokies. Going three extra rounds in overtime, neither wrestler could gain an advantage till Ventresca pulled out a 3-2 win.
Despite his success against almost every opponent, Ventresca is the one foe Robinson has struggled to face. Now 0-4 vs Ventresca, the Hokie is quickly becoming Robinson’s kryptonite. Don’t be surprised to see the two square off for the ACC championship later this year.
The other top ten matchup came in the 149-pound bout, and once again, the Hokies won it. No. 5 redshirt sophomore Koy Buesgens came out aggressively and nearly had a first-period takedown. However, the tides turned in the second period, and No. 9 Collin Gaj decisively won the period before taking a 6-0 decision.
The Wolfpack suffered four other losses throughout the evening, dropping the 133, 157, 184 and 197-pound bouts. Unable to stave off the Hokies from earning bonus points in the 133 and 157-pound matches, the deficit became too large for NC State to climb out of.
“We buried a hole,” Popolizio said. “We kinda dug our way out a little bit. We got things we got to work on and stuff that I think we’ll be able to see in a couple weeks.”
The Pack did earn four victories, most notable in the 165-pound bout. No. 13 freshman Will Denny continued his impressive run through ACC competition, this time defeating No. 12 Ryan Burton. Showing great composure, Denny overcame an early deficit and secured a takedown in the closing seconds to seal an 8-5 decision.
“He gives up that takedown,” Popolizio said. “He did a really good job of resetting, getting that escape and then not just trying to take it to overtime, but scoring and getting that takedown to win that match.”
No. 6 redshirt junior Matty Singleton also picked up a win in a gutsy performance. Taking on No. 31 Sergio DeSiante in the 174-pound match, Singleton overcame a near-perfect performance from DeSiante to come back and steal a 5-4 decision to keep hope alive for the Wolfpack.
“He’s a competitor, he wants to win,” Popolizio said. “That came down to will to win. It was a tough way to score points; he basically found a way to get to the guy’s legs… and then to get his riding time point.”
Rounding out NC State’s wins, No. 13 sixth-year Ryan Jack and No. 2 sixth-year Isaac Trumble won the 141 and heavyweight bouts, respectively. Both remain in contention for ACC titles and are positioned to make noise in the NCAA Tournament, with momentum building for the two.
In addition to the premier matchup on the mat, the night was a special evening for NC State as it was Military Appreciation Night. The sport has deep ties to the military, so the night is always meaningful for NC State wrestling.
“I’ve always been a big proponent of the military and supporting it,” Popolizio said. “We have a lot of connections, one just wrestling in general, and then I’ve had a lot of guys that wrestled for me that served. I’ve lost a couple guys, lost a Navy SEAL when I was at Binghamton, when I came here so we keep those guys in mind.”
Next up, NC State will travel north to challenge No. 14 Pitt with a six-match winning streak against the Panthers on the line. The dual meet is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 6, at 7 p.m. and will be televised on ACC Network.
