In a match that came down to the wire, NC State turned to its anchor - and Isaac Trumble delivered.
With the Wolfpack clinging to a narrow 15-13 lead on the road against a tough Pitt squad, it all came down to the heavyweight bout. And standing across from Trumble wasn’t just any opponent - it was No.
15 Dayton Pitzer, the reigning ACC champion who had gotten the better of Trumble in last year’s conference semifinals. But this time, Trumble was healthy.
This time, he was ready.
And when it mattered most, the sixth-year senior showed why he’s one of the most reliable closers in the country. Trumble took control in the third period, scoring a decisive takedown that sealed a 5-2 win and, more importantly, locked up an 18-13 team victory for NC State.
That final bout was the exclamation point on a gritty, hard-earned win for the Wolfpack, who took six of the ten matches in the dual and needed every single one of them to escape Pittsburgh with the win. The victory also marked NC State’s seventh straight over the Panthers - a streak that’s starting to carry some real weight in the ACC.
The night started fast for the Pack. Four straight decision wins out of the gate gave them a 12-0 cushion, and while none of those matches came with bonus points, the consistency was key.
One of the highlights in that stretch came at 133 pounds, where sixth-year senior Zach Redding pulled off a gritty 2-0 upset over No. 23 Evan Tallmadge.
It was a match that came down to small margins - an escape and a riding time point - but Redding managed the pace and tempo like a veteran.
Pitt finally got on the board in the 157-pound bout thanks to No. 17 Dylan Evans, who picked up a major decision over NC State redshirt freshman Luca Felix.
But the Pack answered right back at 165, where No. 10 Will Denny looked sharp in an 8-3 win over No.
33 Jared Keslar. That win pushed NC State’s lead to 15-4, and at that point, it looked like the Pack might cruise to the finish.
But Pitt wasn’t done.
The Panthers made their move in the middle-to-upper weights, winning three straight bouts at 174, 184, and 197 pounds to pull within two points. The most surprising result of the night came at 174, where NC State’s No.
6 Matty Singleton was upset by No. 18 Luca Augustine.
Augustine led wire-to-wire and poured it on late, scoring five points in the third period to hand Singleton a 7-2 loss - a rare stumble for one of the Pack’s most consistent performers.
At 184, Pitt’s No. 27 Chase Kranitz controlled the action against sixth-year Don Cates, taking a 7-2 decision.
Then in the 197-pound match, NC State’s Patrick Brophy hung tough for two periods before Pitt’s No. 8 Mac Stout pulled away for an 8-2 win, setting the stage for the heavyweight showdown.
That’s when Trumble stepped in and shut the door.
This was a big-time response from NC State after last week’s loss to No. 7 Virginia Tech - a reminder that the Pack still belongs in the national conversation.
Pitt, meanwhile, came in with an impressive résumé, including wins over then-No. 11 North Carolina, then-No.
14 Lehigh, and then-No. 17 West Virginia.
This is one of the strongest Panther squads in recent years, and they didn’t make it easy.
But NC State showed its depth, its poise, and its ability to win the tough ones on the road. That’s what championship-caliber teams do.
Next up, the Wolfpack will look to close out the ACC dual season against Duke on Friday, Feb. 13.
NC State brings a 10-match win streak over the Blue Devils into that one - and Duke hasn’t won an ACC dual meet since 2018. The Pack will look to keep that streak alive when the action gets underway at 7 p.m. inside Cameron Indoor Stadium.