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Virginia Lacrosse Dominates UNC 16-6 to Win 2026 ACC Tournament Title

Aidan Baller|
Virginia Athletics

On Sunday, the Virginia Cavaliers clinched their first ACC Tournament title since 2019 with a 16-6 win over North Carolina. The Hoos rattled off 11 straight goals in the first half to dominate the Tar Heels after cruising past No. 1 Notre Dame in the semifinals. With a perfect weekend in hand, the Cavaliers have stamped their ticket to the NCAA Tournament and will host next weekend in the opening round.

Here's five takeaways from the Hoos statement win:

Strong start powers Virginia to victory

After UNC scored the first two goals, the Cavaliers erupted with 11 straight goals to propel themselves to an 11-2 lead at the half. McCabe Millon opened the scoring while Truitt Sunderland found nylon four times in the first half. Millon finished the game with four goals and two assists. The sequence was the Hoos' best half of the year as they looked invincible in nearly all facets. On the defensive end, Jake Marek recorded ten straight saves alongside a defense that clamped UNC’s best offensive players in Owen Duffy and Dominic Pietramala. With a nine-goal lead at the half, Virginia took its foot off the gas to cruise to a comfortable victory in Charlotte. The Hoos also won the groundball battle in the first half, 19-8, despite losing the faceoff battle 9-5.

The Virginia offense is electrifying

On Friday night, the Hoos offense dominated Notre Dame’s defense, scoring 15 goals on a defense that allowed 8.27 goals per game. In the ACC Championship, the offense remained in rhythm, scoring eleven first-half goals. The Cavaliers assisted 9 of their 11 first-half goals as the Hoos flashed perfect ball movement and patience as they picked apart the UNC defense. The Cavaliers also dominated in transition, with Hudson Hausmann scoring twice in transition.

Jake Marek is electric

The Air Force transfer delivered a season-high 16 saves and a .762 save percentage. Marek made all sorts of saves in the win, including a point-blank save while on his back. Marek is heating up at the right time and is showcasing himself as one of the best goalies in college lacrosse headed into the NCAA Tournament. Fun fact, last year for Air Force, Marek earned ASUN Tournament MVP.

Lars Tiffany has established himself as an all-time great coach

After losing to Towson 13-9 at home in early March, the Cavaliers looked dead in the water. After the loss, the Hoos lost in triple overtime to Maryland before winning seven of their last nine games, including wins over Notre Dame (twice), Duke, and North Carolina. Coach Tiffany never allowed this team to give up and deserves a ton of credit for guiding this team into a prime position to make a deep NCAA Tournament run.

Virginia is More Than Capable of Winning a National Championship

With an ACC Tournament title, the Hoos have solidified themselves as one of the favorites to win the National Championship. Further, the Cavaliers will host an opening round matchup, meaning the Hoos have the potential to play at home in three of their four tournament games, with the Final Four in their backyard at Scott Stadium. This team is firing on all cylinders, and with two blowout wins this past weekend, they should be viewed as a favorite headed into May Madness.

The Hoos will find out their next matchup during the NCAA men’s lacrosse Selection Show at 9:30pm Sunday night.

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Aidan Baller
AIDAN BALLER

Aidan has been writing for Virginia Cavaliers On SI since January of 2023 and covers UVA football, basketball, men's soccer, and men's lacrosse. He is from New York and is currently in his fourth year at the University of Virginia, enrolled in the M.S. in Accounting program.

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