Virginia Tech @ Pittsburgh

Virginia Tech topped Pittsburgh 26-12 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Feb. 16, 2024, picking up a 14-point road victory in the ACC dual meet.

Pittsburgh had a highlight when Cole Matthews pinned Tom Crook at 141 pounds for six team points, a momentum play for the home side. That lone bonus for Pittsburgh kept the dual within reach early, but Virginia Tech produced the decisive response with multiple bonus wins of its own.

Rafael Hipolito Jr. provided a major lift with a 10-2 major decision at 157 pounds, worth four team points. Middleweights swung the dual further in Tech’s favor as Mekhi Lewis ran away to a 19-4 technical fall at 174 for five team points, and heavyweight Hunter Catka closed with a 17-2 technical fall at 285, another five-point bonus. Those three bonus results combined for 14 team points and formed the backbone of Virginia Tech’s scoring.

The match was decided by Virginia Tech’s ability to collect bonus points in the upper weights after Matthews’ pin. Pittsburgh’s fall kept them competitive on the scoreboard, but the Hokies’ majors and technical falls supplied the extra margin that produced the 26-12 final.