Feb. 8, 2011

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Virginia 149-pound junior Derek Valenti has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestler of the Week presented by Chevrolet after scoring an upset victory over the nation's ninth-ranked wrestler in the Cavaliers' match at Virginia Tech last Saturday.

Valenti provided a bright spot for Virginia in its 20-12 loss to the seventh-ranked Hokies with his 7-2 win over defending ACC champion Brian Stephens.

Valenti, a native of Newton, N.J., scored on two big moves in the third period. With the match tied at 2-2 midway through the final period, Valenti shot in and scored on takedown. He then tacked on three more points on a near-fall after getting Stephens to his back to put the match out of reach. It marked Valenti's fifth straight win as he improved to 17-11 this season.

The ACC meeting between the Hokies and the Cavaliers took place in front of 3,378 fans at Virginia Tech's Cassell Coliseum, a building record attendance for a wrestling match.