After tearing through ACC competition, No. 7 NC State wrestling suffered its first and only conference loss of the season, a 21-10 defeat at No. 10 Virginia Tech Friday night.
The Wolfpack (11-2, 5-1 ACC) has often been in heated battles with the Hokies over the past few years (9-2, 5-1 ACC). Once again, the two ACC foes were atop the ACC and battled hard. The Wolfpack hasn’t won in Blacksburg since 2019 and was unable to break the streak Friday. With Virginia Tech’s win, both the Wolfpack and the Hokies will finish ACC competition 5-1 and each earn a share of the ACC regular season title. UNC-Chapel Hill will also earn a share of the regular season title after it defeated Stanford.
Despite a rough start, NC State had a shot to win late. Trailing 15-10 with two matches remaining, No. 3 redshirt freshman Vince Robinson stepped to the mat in a must-win situation. Robinson has been automatic for the Wolfpack this season, with his only loss entering the night coming from an injury default. Facing his toughest challenge yet, Robinson finally met his match with Virginia Tech’s No. 5 Eddie Ventresca.
Squaring off in the 125-pound bout, Robinson and Ventresca remained deadlocked for most of the match. Both wrestlers possess incredible speed, making it nearly impossible for either to be taken down. As a result, the bout became low-scoring without a single takedown until the end. However, in the final minute, Ventresca lunged for Robinson’s legs and got a takedown, ultimately sealing the bout and the dual meet for Virginia Tech.
Prior to Robinson and Ventresca’s duel, the Wolfpack was playing catchup all night. The Hokies won the first four bouts, starting at 141 pounds and going through 165. Falling behind 12-0, the red-and-white would need a nearly perfect finish to pull off a comeback. Notably, both the 157 and 165 matches were winnable, but the Pack fell just short. No. 15 senior Ed Scott suffered a 3-2 decision in the 157, while No. 28 redshirt junior Derek Fields took a 2-1 upset loss in the 165.
The momentum shifted to NC State in the 174-pound bout when No. 22 redshirt sophomore Matty Singleton put the Pack on the board. The Georgia native won a 12-2 major decision — the Wolfpack’s only win with extra points. Singleton used a blazing fast start to jump ahead 10-1 after the first period, essentially securing his points before the match was close to over.
No. 15 redshirt sophomore Dylan Fishback kept the momentum rolling with a 4-1 decision in the 184-pound bout, earning the match’s only takedown in the third period. The takedown gave Fishback a ranked win over Virginia Tech’s No. 20 Thomas Stewart Jr. The win was a rematch from last year’s ACC championship, where Stewart knocked off Fishback.
The Pack found its back against the wall following a loss in the 197-pound bout, but as usual, the Wolfpack rebounded in the heavyweight match. No. 4 redshirt junior Isaac Trumble started slowly against the Hokies’ No. 13 Jimmy Mullen and trailed heading into the final period. However, a takedown in the third secured a 5-3 victory for NC State, setting up Robinson and Ventresca’s match. While the overall match didn’t go NC State’s way, the red-and-white remained alive through nine matches.
Next up, the Wolfpack will gear up for the ACC Championships in Durham. NC State is aiming for a seventh consecutive ACC title when it visits Bull City. The championships will take place all day on March 9, at Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium.
