The Virginia wrestling team showed flashes of grit and toughness on Saturday, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a deep and nationally-ranked Stanford squad. The Cavaliers dropped a 31-9 decision at home to the No. 24 Cardinal, falling to 8-6 on the season and still searching for their first ACC win at 0-3.
Despite the final score, there were bright spots for Virginia - most notably from Brenan Morgan and Nick Hamilton, two wrestlers who continue to be steady contributors in the dual meet lineup.
Let’s start with Morgan, who continues to impress at heavyweight. The 6-foot-4, 250-pounder delivered a first-period pin over Stanford’s Luke Duthie, notching his fifth fall of the season.
That’s five pins in just 11 wins - a pretty remarkable finishing rate that speaks to Morgan’s ability to capitalize when he sees an opening. And this wasn’t your typical heavyweight grind.
Morgan hit a cradle - a move more common in the lower weights - and executed it with precision and power. That kind of athleticism at heavyweight is rare, and it gives Virginia a legitimate threat at the top of the lineup.
Hamilton, meanwhile, bounced back in a big way at 174 pounds. After battling through illness the past few weeks, he looked sharp in a 7-3 decision over Collin Guffey.
That win moves him to 6-1 in duals this season - a testament to his consistency and ability to deliver when it counts. Hamilton’s return to form is a good sign for a Cavalier squad that needs leadership and stability in the middle weights.
Overall, the dual featured 11 nationally-ranked wrestlers, and Stanford’s depth showed. The Cardinal came out on top in all three of the ranked-vs-ranked matchups - at 125, 133, and 157 - and won every bout that didn’t feature a nationally-ranked opponent on both sides. That kind of consistency across the board is what separates top-25 teams from the rest.
The turning point came in the upper weights. After Hamilton’s win tied the match at 3-3, Stanford responded with back-to-back bonus-point wins - a major decision at 184 and a first-period pin at 197 - to take control. Morgan’s pin at heavyweight brought Virginia back within striking distance at 13-9, but Stanford slammed the door shut with six straight wins from 125 through 157, including a tech fall from Daniel Cardenas to close the dual.
Virginia head coach Steve Garland acknowledged both the effort and the areas for growth after the match. He praised Morgan’s athleticism and Hamilton’s toughness, but also pointed to technical mistakes that continue to cost the team in key moments. His message was clear: the coaching staff is providing the tools, but the wrestlers have to be willing to apply them in the heat of competition.
There’s no questioning this team’s fight - they’re scrapping, they’re battling, and they’re showing flashes of what they can become. But in a sport where the margin for error is razor-thin, technical details matter. And until those are cleaned up, the Cavaliers will continue to find themselves on the wrong end of dual meets against top-tier competition.
Still, performances like Morgan’s and Hamilton’s are reason for optimism. With a few adjustments and continued buy-in from the roster, Virginia has the pieces to turn things around down the stretch.