No. 12 Virginia Tech (4-3) welcomes North Carolina (7-5) to Blacksburg on Friday night to begin ACC play. The match is at 7 p.m. ET on the ACC Network Extra.
The Hokies enter Friday night’s dual on a three-match win streak against the Tar Heels, most recently taking them down 28-8 in Chapel Hill last season.
Once again heavy favorites against North Carolina, Tech will look to start 1-0 in conference play for the second-straight year.
Here are a few things to look out for on Friday night:
Rematch at 141
No. 14 Tom Crook and North Carolina’s No. 5 Lachlan McNeil are set to face off for the fourth time in their respective careers in Friday’s dual.
Crook took the first meeting between the pair, 3-2, before falling to McNeil in last year’s dual by major decision, 12-3. He lost to the Tar Heel wrestler a month later at the ACC tournament again by major decision, 10-2.
Now with a full year of starting experience under his belt, the Tampa, Fla., native feels more confident heading into Friday night’s bout.
“Going into this match, nothing changes too much,” Crook said. “But preparation-wise and mentally, for me, I know that I’m 10 times better the wrestler than I was then. I was a true freshman. I think now I’m way more prepared and just more confident in my abilities.”
Getting healthy
Following Tech’s win over Appalachian State, head coach Tony Robie said the ensuing two-week break before Friday’s match vs. North Carolina came at a good time as the team looked to get healthy in some places and get some rest.
Against the Mountaineers, the Hokies were without No. 11 Sam Latona (133) and No. 8 Bryce Andonian (157). According to FloWrestling, Robie said Andonian “will have to take some time to recover and heal” but will be back before the ACC championships.
From Jim Carlson's article on @FloWrestling about @HokiesWrestling.
Tony Robie had this to say about Bryce Andonian after his injury against Meyer Shapiro.
“It looked bad,” he said. “We were concerned. He's gonna have to take some time away and recover and heal, but he will be…
— Christian Pyles (@CPyles8) January 11, 2024
However, Latona is expected to be available on Friday night as he’s set to face North Carolina’s Jace Palmer.
A refocused and determined Tech team
Virginia Tech begins ACC play this year with a 4-3 record. For context, Tech opened ACC play last season at 6-2 and finished 10-3.
The Hokies had some ups and downs through the first portion of the season, leading to some reshuffling in the starting lineup.
Now, with some more clarity in the competitions at certain weight classes, there’s confidence within the team that Tech has what it takes to make a run as March approaches.
“Obviously, I haven’t been here for too long, but [this is] the most hungry I’ve seen [the team],” Crook said. “We’ve had some lineup changes and I just think now we’re settled into the guys that are wrestling, and we didn’t have the beginning of the season that we wanted, so I think now it’s really time for us to prove what Virginia Tech wrestling is about and who we are as individuals.
“[We’re] probably hungrier than ever.”
Prediction: No. 12 Virginia Tech 26, North Carolina 9.
Virginia Tech should come out on top on Friday night by a somewhat large margin if everything goes as expected.
Here’s my bout-by-bout prediction:
*All matches based on Wrestlestat’s projected matches combined with a few educated guesses for starters at certain spots*
125: No. 6 Cooper Flynn (VT) maj dec. Marco Tocci (UNC)
133: No. 11 Sam Latona (VT) maj dec. Jace Palmer (UNC)
141: No. 5 Lachlan McNeil (UNC) dec. No. 14 Tom Crook (VT)
149: No. 2 Caleb Henson (VT) tech fall Will Guida (UNC)
157: Clayton Ulrey (VT) dec. Sonny Santiago (UNC)
165: No. 23 Connor Brady (VT) dec. Isaias Estrada (UNC)
174: No. 2 Mekhi Lewis (VT) dec. Tyler Eischens (UNC)
184: No. 23 Gavin Kane (UNC) dec. TJ Stewart (VT)
197: No. 19 Max Shaw (UNC) dec. No. 26 Andy Smith (VT)
285: No. 21 Hunter Catka (VT) maj dec. Cade Lautt (UNC)
Tech should move to 1-0 in the ACC with ease, and the Hokies have a realistic shot at a shutout if they can snag upsets at 141 and 197.
Tech Sideline is Presented By: