The No. 6 NC State wrestling team is in action again this Friday for a home matchup against rival No. 24 UNC-Chapel Hill in Reynolds Coliseum.
The Wolfpack (13-1, 3-0 ACC) is coming off a conference victory on the road against the unranked Pittsburgh Panthers, where NC State won 23-9. The Pack won without starting redshirt senior Michael Macchiavello, ranked sixth nationally, and senior Kevin Jack, ranked No. 2. The rest will provide an extra boost for the remaining three matches against ranked opponents, starting with the Tar Heels (8-9, 2-1 ACC).
Even with Jack and Macchiavello out, NC State won seven of 10 bouts against the Panthers. Highlights included redshirt junior Jamel Morris, who was in for Jack, defeating Pitt’s No. 19 Nick Zanetta. Redshirt freshman Hayden Hidlay, ranked third, took down Taleb Rahmani, keeping him as one of two undefeated freshmen in the country with more than 10 matches.
UNC-Chapel Hill will come to Raleighafter losing to No. 9 Virginia Tech 21-9 in Blacksburg, Virginia, Saturday. The Heels fell under the .500 mark overall and to 2-1 in conference matches with the loss. Beyond the matchup this Friday, the Heels will end the season home against Duke and away at No. 10 Cornell.
Last year, NC State was able to down the Tar Heels 19-11 in Chapel Hill, and will be looking for a similar result at home on Friday. The Pack is looking for its fifth straight win against the Heels and should fair nicely against its ACC rivals, but it should not underestimate the ranked Tar Heels.
UNC has faced one of the toughest schedules in the country this season, having wrestled against nine teams that are ranked this week in the NCWA Coaches Poll. The Heels are 2-7 in those matches so far, with wins at Nebraska and home against Minnesota.
On the other hand, NC State’s only loss came against then-No. 3 Oklahoma State in Italy on Jan. 5. The Pack is 2-1 in ranked matchups this season. Since losing in Italy, the Wolfpack has outscored its opponents 87-22 in three ACC matches.
The Wolfpack has a tough remaining schedule before tournament play. After facing UNC, it will have two remaining home matchups against No. 9 Virginia Tech and No. 2 Ohio State. These matchups will be a huge challenge for the Pack, but also an opportunity to rise up the national rankings and prepare for the upcoming ACC Tournament on March 3 in Chapel Hill.
