Marty Gordon
The men’s Atlantic Coast basketball tournament is underway this week at Washington, D.C.’s Capital One Arena, but this is a one and done as the conference has announced a return to North Carolina in the following year.
This will include a pair of different sites over the next five seasons. The schedule includes:
2025: Charlotte, Spectrum Center
2026: Charlotte, Spectrum Center
2027: Greensboro, Greensboro Coliseum
2028: Charlotte, Spectrum Center
2029: Greensboro, Greensboro Coliseum
Two years ago, Virginia Tech won the tournament at Brooklyn, New York’s Barclay’s Center as the number 7 seed.
On the women’s side, Greensboro will host the ladies through 2026. When the men return to Greensboro, the ladies’ tournament will move to Charlotte.
In other sports notes:
Bocce ball tourney
The Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce has announced its 2024 Bocce Ball Tournament will be Thursday, June 20 at Huckleberry Park in Christiansburg. Each Bocce Ball team has two players.
For more information or to register, contact the chamber office at (540) 382-3020.
ACC player of week
Virginia Tech outfielder Emma Ritter has been named the ACC Player of the Week, the league announced Tuesday morning. The senior earns the award after leading the Hokies at the plate last week.
Ritter was dominant for Tech offensively, going 5-for-10 with five RBIs, four runs, and nine total bases against Louisville. She also recorded two stolen bases to bring her season tally to 14, the fourth-highest total in the ACC. In game one, Ritter reached base every at-bat with two RBI singles and a walk. She also hit a solo shot in the 5-2 extra-inning win in game two of Saturday’s doubleheader.
In the series finale, the senior drove in two runs thanks to a double to center and a fielder’s choice. The leadoff batter currently leads the team with 24 runs and is second with 28 hits.
Kitley recognized
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the 10 finalists for the 2024 Naismith Women’s Defensive Player of the Year earlier this week, including Virginia Tech standout center Elizabeth Kitley.
The Summerfield, North Carolina native, Kitley won ACC Player of the Year for the third consecutive season and ranks second in the conference in scoring (22.79), second in field goal percentage (55.6%), first in rebounds (11.38), second in blocks (2.07), first in double-doubles (19) and first in 30-point games with eight.
She won ACC Player of the Week six times, the most of any athlete, including a stretch of four consecutive weeks in February. The six POW honors ties Alana Beard for the most in any single season in conference history.
With her Player of the Year Award comes a fourth first team All-ACC nod, just the second player in conference history to accomplish the feat (Duke’s Elizabeth Williams). Kitley was also recognized as an All-Defensive Team member for the third consecutive season.
Nationally, Kitley ranks second in field goals, trailing only Iowa’s Caitlin Clark. She is fifth in points per game, seventh in rebounds per game and eighth in double-doubles.
ACC honors Pedulla
Virginia Tech’s Sean Pedulla was named to the 2023-2024 All-ACC third team as part of the league’s postseason awards, which were announced by the conference office Monday evening.
The 6-foot-1 guard led the Hokies in scoring and assists during the regular season, averaging 16.1 points and 4.4 assists. In ACC play, Pedulla raised his game to another level averaging 17.3 points and 4.5 assists, ranking him eighth and fifth among league players, respectively.
Pedulla joined former teammate Grant Basile as the only two Tech men’s basketball players since 2004 to have back-to-back games of at least 30 points, earning him ACC player of the week on Jan. 15. This season, Pedulla had seven games with at least 20 points and 15 games with at least five assists. Pedulla recorded a pair of double-doubles as well – one of two ACC point guards to accomplish the feat.
