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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The 12th-ranked Virginia men’s swimming and diving team fell at No. 16 North Carolina, 166-134, Saturday at Koury Natatorium in an Atlantic Coast Conference dual meet.

The setback moved UVa’s dual meet record to 3-3 and 2-1 against conference foes, while the Tar Heels improved to 6-1 and 5-0 vs. ACC schools. It was Virginia’s first dual meet loss against UNC since 2008 (a 151-149 North Carolina win in Chapel Hill).

Sophomores Jan Daniec and Taylor Grey led the Cavaliers, each winning two individual events. Daniec was victorious in the 1000 freestyle (9:07.61) and 500 freestyle (4:25.39) while Grey took top honors in the 100 breaststroke (56.53) and 200 breaststroke (2:01.91). Junior Brady Fox also claimed a win with his performance in the 200 backstroke (1:47.01) and senior Briggy Imbrliglia set a Virginia school record on the 3-meter board.

“On the positive side, we swam as a unified team today,” Virginia head coach Mark Bernardino said. “We battled back yet again from another significant deficit. But each time we got back to a place we could gain some level of control, (UNC) responded with a key victory. We are a team that is in need of wins from our key athletes at important junctures of the meet and we haven’t been able to make that happen this year. It’s critical that we reverse that trend.”

After UNC opened with a win in the 200 medley relay, Daniec and Bradley Phillips went 1-2 in the 1000 freestyle. Phillips clocked a time of 9:14.50.

Parker Camp (1:38.55) and Jack Murfee (49.74) placed second in the 200 freestyle and 100 backstroke, respectively, before Grey led another 1-2 finish for Virginia in the 100 breaststroke. Teammate Tom Casey was second in 57.00.

David Ingraham (1:48.16) was UVa’s top finisher in the 200 butterfly, taking third, while Tom Barrett placed second in the 50 freestyle (20.42). At the first diving break, the Cavaliers trailed 75-56.

Barrett went on to take third place in the 100 freestyle (45.19) before Fox won the 200 backstroke. He was followed by Camp in second (1:48.20) and Kyle Dudzinski (1:49.45) in fourth, a big event for Virginia.

In the next event, the 200 breaststroke, the Cavaliers had another strong showing. Grey won the event, his second victory of the day, ahead of Casey again in second (2:03.95) and Nick Montes de Oca in fourth (2:04.42).

Virginia won its third consecutive event in the 500 freestyle with a victory from Daniec, who was followed again by Phillips (4:27.82) in second. That cut the North Carolina lead to 116-100.

Out of the second diving break, the Tar Heels went 1-2 in the 200 individual medley. Grey was third in the event (1:51.24) followed by Casey in fourth (1:51.99). North Carolina then took first-place honors in the 400 freestyle relay with a winning time of 2:59.37 to clinch the meet.

On the boards, Imbriglia took second on the 3-meter (373.73) while JB Kolod was second on the 1-meter (3.54.83). Imbriglia’s score broke fomer Cavalier Alex D’Ambrosio’s previous school record of 371.02, set in 2009.

Virginia is back in action next Saturday (Jan. 28) when the Cavaliers host Pittsburgh in the first home meet of the season at the Aquatic and Fitness Center.

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