LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Wrestling action returns as Bellarmine University will hit the mat tonight in a dual at Urbana University in Ohio.

The Knights are competing for the first time since the Dec. 15-16 Midwest Classic took them into the holiday break. The match between Bellarmine (3-2) and Urbana (1-3) will begin at 6 p.m. (ET).

"The dual with Urbana will be a great start to the second half of the year," Knights Coach Spencer Adams said. "They are a young team like we are and most of our guys are from Ohio, so we will have a great crowd. Hopefully we can knock off the rust, get a win and get the ball rolling again as we prepare for the upcoming tournaments."

From a dietary standpoint, and no matter the age, holidays are typically a time to indulge, and that's particularly true during the extended Christmas break where sweets, among other willpower-testing foods, are often steps away. Adams said the Knights did a commendable job of policing themselves when it came to raiding the fridge and pantry.

"All the guys came back in relatively good shape," he said. "As always coming off of a break, it takes several workouts to get our conditioning back to where we want to be, but all in all, the guys seem to have taken care of business over break and came back with a solid cardio base."

Adams would have been disappointed if the Knights didn't cut loose, at least a little bit, in their time away from campus. He wanted them to refresh before it was time to refocus. That went for himself and his coaching staff as well. Adams said the moods were brighter upon the return to workouts.

"That really makes a big difference," he said. "The season is a grind so I split the schedule up and structure it in a way that we peak at the end of season. Right now, I feel like we are on pace to do so. We as coaches feel much better after a short break. Although I spent a lot of my time recruiting, it was nice to have a change in pace and to spend time with my family. Athletes and coaches alike both rely heavily on our support off the mat, which comes from family and friends. The holiday break is a great time to set wrestling aside and focus on those relationships and enjoying life. We were all happy to be back together and on the mat again, though."

Urbana's wrestling program was re-established this season. The Blue Knights didn't ease into scheduling, facing ranked opponents Indianapolis and Wheeling Jesuit in duals. Urbana competed Saturday in a dual at Kentucky Wesleyan and defeated the Panthers 39-15.

Bellarmine went 3-1 at the Newberry Duals and fell 27-12 to the NAIA's current No. 8 Lindsey Wilson on Dec. 6 in Knights Hall. Before the break at the Midwest Classic, the nation's largest Division II tournament, sophomore Andrew Sams became the first Bellarmine wrestler to place at the prestigious event after securing seventh at 174 behind a 6-2 record.

"For the last half of the season, I really want the team to focus on improving what has been working for them so far and starting to eliminate the mistakes," Adams said. "Nothing too drastic, just keeping it simple and wrestling hard each match. There are some great matches for our guys individually in the next three weeks and, as a team, we want to finish the year with a .500 record or better in duals. It should be exciting! I think the guys are ready for the challenge and eager to make a run at the national tournament."

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