LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Bellarmine University wrestling team returns home for the first time in over two months as the Knights get set for their first two home SoCon duals of the season this weekend, hosting Appalachian State on Friday, January 31 and VMI on Sunday, February 2 in Knights Hall.
 
Bellarmine's first official conference dual of the season against App State is scheduled for 7 pm E.T. on Friday night while its dual on Sunday against VMI is set for 1 pm E.T. Both events will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with live stats available on TrackWrestling.
 
In their last time out, the Knights opened SoCon play at Campbell. Despite a 29-10 loss, the Knights wrestled tough at each weight class with four of the seven bouts being decided by three points or less. Redshirt freshman AJ Rallo (141) earned the highlight victory of the night, defeating then No. 21 ranked Shannon Hanna by 9-5 decision. The victory led Rallo to be the first Knight to earn an individual ranking in program history after he was listed at No. 27 in FloWrestling's newest 141-pound weight class Top 33.
 
Rallo was also named this week's conference wrestler of the week thanks to his win. He is the first Knight this season and just the third all-time to win the honor. The last Knight named SoCon wrestler of the week was senior Cole Nance in March 2023. Redshirt junior Sam Schroeder was the first to win the award in January 2022.
 
App State enters the dual at 4-3 on the season, 3-0 in SoCon action, as the top ranked team in the league. In the Mountaineers last time out, they shutout Presbyterian 42-0. App State, much like Campbell last week, features a stacked roster of individually ranked wrestlers. In the most recent NCAA Coaches poll, four Mountaineers were ranked in their weight class's Top 33 in senior Chad Bellis (133, #33), senior Will Miller (165, #7), redshirt junior Luke Uliano (174, #28) and junior Carson Floyd (197, #28). App State opened its SoCon schedule on December 12 at VMI, defeating the Keydets 40-6. Since Bellarmine's jump to Division I in 2020, the Knights and Mountaineers have faced off four times with Appalachian State winning all four meetings. In their last meeting on February 18, 2024, App State defeated Bellarmine 38-6 in Boone, NC.
 
VMI sits at 4-7 overall and 0-2 in SoCon action, putting the Keydets in seventh in the league standings, one spot behind Bellarmine. In their last time out, the Keydets dropped a 28-10 contest at Chattanooga. VMI opened its SoCon schedule on December 12 against App State, falling 40-6. Before arriving in Louisville for Sunday's dual, VMI will first take on Gardner-Webb on Friday, January 31 in Richmond, VA. Bellarmine and VMI have met four times since BU's rise to Division I with VMI holding a 3-1 advantage in the all-time series. In their last meeting on February 9, 2024, the Keydets defeated the Knights 25-11 at home. The last time the two squads met in Knights Hall, January 27, 2023, Bellarmine pulled out a 20-19 victory.
 
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