Virginia Eyes ACC Title in Sunday Showdown with North Carolina

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — One win away from its 20th ACC title and eighth ACC Tournament crown, No. 4 seed Virginia (9-6) clashes with No. 2 seed North Carolina (12-3) in the 2026 Allstate ACC Men’s Lacrosse Championship final on Sunday (May 3). 

Opening faceoff from American Legion Memorial Stadium (Charlotte, N.C.) is set for noon on ACC Network and WINA (98.9 FM/1070 AM). 

In the regular-season meeting between the two rivals on April 18, the Tar Heels edged the Cavaliers 16-15 in overtime at Klöckner Stadium. 

A WIN FOR THE CAVALIERS WOULD... 

• Be UVA's 20th overall ACC championship, with its most recent coming in 2022, when the Cavaliers shared the title with Notre Dame, when the league's champion was determined by regular-season finish. 

• Mark UVA's eighth ACC Tournament crown and first since 2019, when it defeated Notre Dame 10-4 at Klöckner Stadium. UVA won ACC Tournament titles in 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2010 and 2019. 

• Improve their all-time ACC Tournament record to 25-21, dating back to the event's inception in 1989. In 45 tournament games played, UVA has scored 492 goals, while its opponents have totaled 483. 

• Be UVA's first-ever win over Carolina in the ACC championship game. The Cavaliers have dropped all four title games with the Tar Heels (1990, 1994, 1996 and 2013). 

• Mark UVA's seventh 10-win season under Lars Tiffany, who is in his 10th season as Cavalier head coach. 

SERIES HISTORY 

• UVA owns a 59-34 advantage since the series began in 1938. 

• The 59 wins are UVA’s most against any opponent in program history (followed by 51 against Duke). 

• Virginia and North Carolina have gone head-to-head 13 times in the ACC Tournament, most recently in 2013. The Tar Heels are 7-6 in such games. 

• UVA has won nine of the last 12 meetings, dating back to 2018. 

• In this year's regular-season matchup at Klöckner Stadium on April 18, the Hoos outscored the Heels 8-4 in the second half and Ryan Duenkel scored with one second left in regulation to force overtime. On the overtime faceoff, the official deemed that the foot of UVA freshman Griff Meyer made illegal contact with the crosse of UNC's Brady Wambach, and on Carolina's ensuing possession, James Matan corralled a rebound on the crease and scored his only goal of the game to seal a 16-15 win for the Heels. 

• In Chapel Hill last year, the Tar Heels defeated the Cavaliers 18-9, snapping UVA's six-game series win streak. 

• The Tar Heels' four goals in 2022 marked the fewest goals in a game under Joe Breschi, who was named UNC's head coach in 2006. 

• In 2021, Virginia won the last two of three meetings against UNC that year, including a 12-11 thriller in the NCAA semifinals on its way to capturing the 2021 national title over Maryland. 

• The Cavaliers are 3-2 against Carolina in the NCAA Tournament all-time. 

• In the 1986 NCAA championship game against Virginia, Carolina's Gary Seivld scored the game-winning goal in overtime as the Tar Heels won their third national championship. UVA's Will Rosebro had tied the game at nine with 1:05 left in the fourth quarter. 

• The 1986 NCAA Tournament was notable because for the first time in nine seasons Johns Hopkins was not in the championship game, having been upset in overtime by UNC in the semifinals. 

• Dating back to 1964, UVA has faced UNC every year except for 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the remainder of the season before conference play began. 

ACC CHAMPIONSHIP PEDIGREE 

• Virginia has claimed at least a share of 19 ACC championships, including two (2019 & 2022) under head coach Lars Tiffany. 

• The Cavaliers won 11 titles (1962, 1964, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1975, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1986) prior to the ACC establishing a tournament from 1989-2019 to determine the champion. 

• Virginia has won seven ACC Tournament championships: 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2010 and 2019. 

• In the 2019 ACC Tournament, which was held at Klöckner Stadium, UVA defeated Notre Dame 10-4 in the championship game. 

• From 1989-2019, Virginia won 14 regular-season titles (1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2019), more than any other ACC school. 

MILLON BROTHERS ARE NATION'S BEST TANDEM 

• Brothers Brendan Millon and McCabe Millon are perhaps the nation's best 1-2 punch in all of Division I men's lacrosse. 

• For games played through May 1, Brendan Millon, the ACC Freshman of the Year, leads the ACC in points (4.80/gm) and is third in assists (2.60/gm), good for seventh and eighth, respectively, among all Division I players. 

• He also leads all DI freshmen in both assists and points per game. 

• Against ACC opponents, Brendan Millon averaged 4.5 points per game. He notched six points in two ACC meetings, at then-No. 7 Duke and against then-No. 3 North Carolina. 

• McCabe Millon leads the ACC and is fifth nationally in assists (2.80/gm). He's also third in the ACC in points (4.53/gm). 

• After being named to its preseason watch list, McCabe Millon was named one of 25 nominees for the Tewaaraton Award, given annually to the top player in college lacrosse. 

• McCabe Millon has notched at least four points in all but three games this season. He achieved career highs in both points (9) and assists (5) in UVA's season opener, a 19-14 win over Colgate (Feb. 8). 

• During UVA's most recent four-game win streak, Brendan Millon averaged 6.0 points per game, including 4.0 assists per game. 

• Brendan Millon has tallied at least five assists in three games this year, all of which were UVA wins. He had five helpers in his collegiate debut against Colgate (Feb. 8) and on the road against then-No. 7 Duke (April 4). 

• Against Dartmouth, he tallied a whopping 10 points on four goals and a career-high six assists. He's the only Division I freshmen to tally at least 10 points in a game this season and one of only nine players overall (for games played through April 28). 

HOOS IN THE NATIONAL STATISTICAL RANKINGS 

• For games played through May 1, UVA leads the nation in assists (9.67/gm).  

• The Cavaliers are third in points (23.87/gm), fourth in caused turnovers (10.67) and ground balls (37.07), seventh in scoring offense (14.20/gm) and shooting percentage (33.8). 

• Truitt Sunderland (3.00/gm) leads the ACC in goals and is tied for sixth among all Division I players in scoring. 

• Two-time All-ACC defenseman John Schroter leads the ACC and is 30th in caused turnovers (1.62/gm). 

ON THE HORIZON 

• The Cavaliers will learn their postseason fate during the NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Selection Show on Sunday (May 3) at 9:30 p.m. on ESPNU. 

• The NCAA Tournament officially begins Wednesday (May 6) with two opening-round matchups. 

• After the field is trimmed from 18 to 16 teams, eight first-round games will commence at campus sites Saturday and Sunday (May 9-10).