Cavaliers Conquer: No. 4 Virginia Stuns No. 2 UNC to Claim ACC Title

Entering the weekend as the lowest seed in the field, the No. 4 seed Virginia Cavaliers completed a dominant postseason run Sunday, routing No. 2 seed North Carolina 16-6 to capture the 2026 Allstate ACC Men’s Lacrosse Championship at American Legion Memorial Stadium.

The victory marks Virginia’s 20th ACC title in program history — the most of any school — and their first tournament crown since 2019.

The afternoon did not start in the Cavaliers’ favor. The Tar Heels (12-4) appeared ready to justify their higher seeding immediately, winning the opening faceoff and sprinting to a 2-0 lead within the first five minutes of play. However, the underdog Cavaliers (10-6) responded with a historic 12-0 run that effectively ended the contest before halftime.

“After UNC scored those first two, we just settled in,” said Virginia goalie Jake Marek, who was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. “The defense started communicating, and we just found a rhythm.”

Behind a masterclass from goalie Jake Marek (#27), Virginia captured its first ACC Tournament title in seven years. Marek anchored the defense with 10 saves in the opening half and a critical run of 11 consecutive stops.

Marek was the story of the middle periods. After the initial Tar Heel surge, Marek anchored a defense that held North Carolina scoreless for nearly 30 minutes. He finished with a season-high 16 saves, including 11 straight during Virginia’s double-digit scoring blitz.

Offensively, the Cavaliers were paced by McCabe Millon and Truitt Sunderland, who each netted four goals. Sunderland sparked the first-half turnaround by scoring all four of his goals before the break, helping Virginia take an 11-2 lead into the locker room.

The Cavalier’s McCabe Millon (#9) scored four goals on top of two assists in his team’s 16-6 victory over the University of North Carolina in Sunday’s ACC men’s lacrosse championship game.

The Tar Heels, who entered the game boasting one of the nation’s most efficient offenses, were held to their second-lowest scoring output of the year. Owen Duffy finally broke the UNC drought with 10:42 remaining in the third quarter, but the mountain was too high to climb. Virginia’s faceoff unit held its own against UNC’s Brady Wambach, winning 13 of 25 draws to prevent the Tar Heels from mounting a comeback.

The win solidifies Virginia’s postseason resume as they head into the national tournament. The Cavaliers now await their placement in the NCAA bracket, which will be revealed during the selection show Sunday at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU.