Hokie ClubCOLLEGE PARK, Md. - Just weeks after getting his appendix removed, Virginia Tech redshirt freshman Matt Epperly stormed through the 165-pound weight class in his first action back to capture the ACC individual title and secure a bid in the NCAA Championships. Epperly, from Christiansburg, Va., upset top-seeded Keegan Mueller 7-2 in sudden victory to claim the win.
After a scoreless first period, Mueller escaped in the second period to take 1-0 lead. Epperly, the fifth seed, chose neutral in third period, and got a takedown early in the period to take a 2-1 lead. Mueller escaped to tie it up just two seconds before Epperly would have gotten the extra point for riding time and the rest of the period went scoreless to send it to sudden victory.
In the first overtime, Epperly got a takedown with less than 10 seconds left for the win and added back points for the 7-2 win.
David Marone will wrestle at heavyweight in the finals later this session.