The Virginia Tech women’s basketball team earned a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament, the selection committee announced Sunday night, the highest seed the program has ever received for the tournament.
The Hokies began their run on Friday against Chattanooga. USC and South Dakota State will also take part in the opening weekend in Blacksburg. Tech is in the Seattle Regional 3.
First- and second-round games will take place in Cassell Coliseum, and ticket information has already been released.
Tech (27-4) won the ACC Tournament last week by defeating Miami, Duke, and Louisville in consecutive days at Greensboro Coliseum to lift the trophy for the first time since joining the conference in 2004.
This is the program’s 12th appearance in “The Big Dance” and the third in a row under the leadership of head coach Kenny Brooks. Tech’s overall record in the competition is 9-11 and the Hokies’ last appearance in the tournament was the second weekend of 1999, which also was Tech’s only appearance in the Sweet Sixteen.
A semifinalist for the Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year, Brooks is making his ninth appearance in the competition where his record is 2-8.
One of the hottest teams in America, the Hokies have won 11 straight games since Jan. 26, a stretch that included five ranked opponents, four road games, and three games at a neutral site.
The Hokies are led by two-time ACC Player of the Year Elizabeth Kitley, now the program’s all-time leading scorer. For the season, she averaged 18.6 points per game, 10.5 rebounds per game, and 2.2 blocks per game while shooting 56.3% from the field. The senior center also earned All-Defensive honors and won the Kay Yow Scholar Athlete of the Year Award for a second consecutive season.
At point guard is junior Georgia Amoore, the ACC Tournament MVP and First Team All-ACC member. She scored 21.6 points per game in Greensboro and set an ACC Tournament record with 14 3-pointers made.
Tech’s third all-conference performer is forward Taylor Soule who was named to the ACC’s Second Team, the fourth all-conference honor of her career. This season she averaged 11.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game
The Hokies set numerous program records this season, including winning 14 ACC games for the first time, securing a top-four seed in the ACC Tournament for the first time and defeating six ranked opponents. Tech went 14-1 at home and 8-1 in league games for the second straight season.
Southern Conference Champion Chattanooga (20-12) is back on the dance floor for the 16th time, the first since 2016. The Mocs thwarted a season-sweep by Wofford, taking down the Terriers 63-53 at Harrah’s Cherokee Center in Asheville last Sunday.
SoCon Tournament Most Outstanding Player Raven Thompson led the way with 19 points and nine rebounds. Yazz Wazeerud-Din added 16 points with Addie Grace Porter chipping in 13 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Helen Matthews led the Terriers with a game-high 25 points.
– Staff Reports
