#HokieHuddle

Check back often for all of the latest on the Hokies!

February 28, 2017 - 3:55 pm
Beyond the Court: the Hokies and the French's
October 19, 2016 - 3:07 pm
@VT_VBall Q&A with Mandy Powers

Life is oftentimes unpredictable. Such was the case earlier this season when junior setter Mandy Powers was thrown into the Hokies’ starting lineup to replace Rhegan Mitchell, who has been sidelined with an injury. Powers, a biology major from Leesburg, Virginia, sat down with HokieSports.com to talk about her adjustment after transferring from UNC Asheville over the summer, her competitiveness, and her experience thus far as the starting setter.

You came in as a transfer when Rhegan went down with an injury and you were kind of thrown into the starting role. What has this whole experience been like for you so far?

“Coming in as a transfer was definitely really exciting. Tech is exactly what I wanted out of a program school-wise. Obviously the coaches had made it clear that I was going to be fighting for any playing time that I was going to get. I was just in training mode, trying to be the best version of myself I could be. Rhegan got hurt, which was really hard for the team as an adjustment, but I think coming into my own and gaining confidence every game has been exciting.”

What was it like walking onto the floor for the first time as the starting setter?

“It was definitely nerve-racking, but the team has been so great. They’ve been there for me, and they’ve backed me up. I might ask them about what would be the best thing to do in a certain situation and they tell me, ‘Hey, I’m going to do everything I can to make this the easiest it can be on you.’”

As a setter, maybe more so than any other position, you’re involved in every play. The transition had to have been tough.

“It was definitely tough because this is my first semester here and I had only been practicing with the girls since preseason and I wasn’t practicing with the starters as much – more on the training side. All of a sudden just being kind of ‘it’, you have to do it. You have to make it work. I feel like it’s a play-by-play type of thing. I’ll set a ball to the outside and I’ll say, ‘Hey Lindsey [Owens] was that okay?’ and she’ll say ‘Yeah, that was really great’ or ‘Oh no, that one could probably be a little faster.’ We’re just on the fly trying to make it work”

What’s your background like? Do you come from an athletic family?

“I wouldn’t really say my family was super sporty. I told my mom in middle school, ‘Mom, I want to play volleyball.’ So at my private school, she started the very first team. We were really, really bad. And it kind of just grew from there. I played bouncy, ping-pong volleyball in seventh and eighth grade and then I went to a really competitive high school for volleyball. We won the state championship in three out of the four years that I was there. That kind of grew my love for the sport. I wanted to be good. I wanted to work hard. I wanted to play for the best club team in the area. I kind of just came into my own just knowing that I could do this.”

It seems like you set high standards for yourself. Where does that drive come from?

“I don’t know. I feel like I’m a type-A personality. I have high expectations for myself. In academics, in sports, in life, I’m a stereotypical athlete where I want to set a goal for myself and I’ll get there. My goal was to play volleyball at the Division I level and I’ve done that. Being able to transfer to a science school at a higher-level conference has been really amazing.”

Has there been a moment that you have enjoyed the most in your time here so far?

“I would definitely say any time that I spend with the team has been really great. It’s really awesome to come into such a welcoming group of people. Despite what might happen on the court, what might happen in practice someday, or even in the classroom, you feel like you didn’t do well on an exam, you text your teammates and say ‘I feel this way’ and they say, ‘Hey, no worries let’s hangout, let’s do this, I’m here for you, I can help you study.’ It could go from ‘Let’s talk about today’s practice, I didn’t feel good’ to ‘Rhegan, can you come tutor me in chemistry?’ They’re there for you no matter what, so that’s been really amazing. It’s an awesome relationship.”

October 11, 2016 - 3:21 pm
Cunningham takes over HokieSports Snapchat account
October 8, 2016 - 8:39 am
FINAL | Hokies 3, Wake Forest 0

FINAL | #Hokies🏐 3, Wake Forest 0. Nothing like a road win in ACC play!

A video posted by Virginia Tech Volleyball (@vthokievolleyball) on Oct 7, 2016 at 5:10pm PDT

September 13, 2016 - 3:16 pm
After battling injuries, the fight has been worth it for Christy

BLACKSBURG -- Physically, junior middle blocker Stacey Christy has been through a lot, perhaps more than any other student-athlete on the Virginia Tech volleyball team.

She has torn both of her ACLs and meniscuses. Her most recent ACL tear also included a torn MCL. Despite the times where it felt like her knees had betrayed her and taken away her chance to play volleyball at the Division I level, Christy has battled to get back on the court. All of the hard workhas paid off this season.

Christy has seen her first extended playing time not only at Virginia Tech, but also since her senior year of high school. She’s currently hitting at a .276 clip with 12 blocks and has appeared in all nine matches with six starts. Due to other injuries on the team, Christy will see a significant amount of time in the middle and could potentially start through ACC play.

“At first, playing this season was a little overwhelming,” Christy said. “I went out there and thought to myself, ‘I haven’t really played in four years.’ I’ve always been my hardest critic, and now when I get frustrated, I tell myself, ‘What if this was your last time you got to play again?’ I now play each point like it’s my last.”

It’s not a dramatic sentiment at all considering what Christy has gone through since joining the Hokies.

Four days before she was set to head to Blacksburg to begin her freshman year in 2013, Christy was playing for her club volleyball team in the Junior Olympics. The field for the Junior Olympics is exclusive – few teams have a chance to qualify and it was a tournament in which Christy had wanted to play. During the match, a ball was set wide outside of the pin when she went for it and came down awkwardly on her right knee. She knew something was wrong and went straight to the bench.

It took her until she first got on campus and went through team physicals for a torn ACL to be officially diagnosed. Throughout the process, associate head coach Shelbylynn Adair and head coach Chris Riley made it certain to Christy that her scholarship was never in jeopardy and her health was what was most important.

“It felt good to know that there was never any question of the coaching staff backing out,” Christy said. “The first time I got to talk to Shelblynn and Chris on the phone, they told me ‘Don’t worry about it, we’ll see you when you get here and we’ll have the doctors check you out.’”

After redshirting as a true freshman, Christy used a year of eligibility as a redshirt freshman, but appeared in only three sets. She felt like she still wasn’t ready to compete and the coaching staff didn’t want her to rush back. During a tournament that spring, Christy went down again. This time, it was a torn ACL and MCL in her left knee.

“At first, I used a lot of inappropriate language,” Christy joked. “But mainly I just said ‘Not this again.’ There was a lot of anger. It was a rough moment.”

Christy used her medical redshirt in 2015 before finally getting her first taste extended floor time this season. She played in four of five sets in the Hokies’ season-opening victory against Appalachian State, where she tallied four kills and a block. Since then, she has hit over .300 in five of Tech’s eight matches and set a career-high with five blocks against Ole Miss.

“I kind of expect this from myself,” Christy said. “Anything less is a disappointment. This is what I’ve prepared for since I was in the sixth grade was for this opportunity. There was a lot of adrenaline when I first stepped out on the court, but I started to calm down and especially when we played our next tournament, the nerves were gone.”

Christy is double majoring in human development and multimedia communications and will receive her first degree this upcoming May. When she was sidelined with her injuries, she found herself liking school more than she did in high school. She also received all of the support in world from athletics department staff and her teammates.

“I don’t think I would have been able to make it through if I had gone to school anywhere else,” Christy said. “The fact that I love Virginia Tech so much is the only reason I have been able to keep a positive attitude through it all. The support system with the physical therapists, the doctors, I always had full confidence in them and that they would help me get to where I needed to go as long as I cooperated with them. My teammates have always been supportive. I never felt that sense of loneliness or detachment from the rest of them. The environment at Tech itself, where we’re one big family, and the culture of Hokie Nation helped a lot.”

September 12, 2016 - 10:28 am
Cunningham named to Lipscomb Invitational All-Tournament Team

Junior middle blocker Cara Cunningham was named to the Lipscomb Invitational All-Tournament Team after a dominant weekend of defending at the net for the Virginia Tech volleyball team.

Cunningham collected 21 total blocks and had a career-best 11 blocks against Ole Miss. Her 11 rejections are tied for sixth for blocks in a single-match in program history. The Fairfax, Virginia native also hit .364 with six blocks vs. Northwestern.

Cara Cunningham had herself a weekend in Nashville! So. Many. ✋. #Hokies🏐

A photo posted by Virginia Tech Volleyball (@vthokievolleyball) on Sep 12, 2016 at 6:47am PDT

September 6, 2016 - 2:00 pm
Raffety named to Puerto Rico Clasico All-Tournament Team

After an impressive weekend against some of the Virginia Tech volleyball team's toughest competition this season, freshman libero Carol Raffety has been named to the All-Tournament Team of the 2016 Puerto Rico Clasico.

Raffety led all liberos in the tournament with 4.11 digs per set. She recorded a tournament-best 20 digs against Alabama.

September 5, 2016 - 1:19 pm
Hokies 3, Temple 2: Cara Cunningham interview
September 3, 2016 - 8:34 am
Hokies in Puerto Rico: Day 3

RECAP| Hokies 3, Temple 2

SAN JUAN -- After a gritty five-set victory over Temple on Friday evening in its second match of the Puerto Rico Clasico, the Virginia Tech volleyball team took in the sights and sat-down for a well-deserved local meal in Old San Jaun, the Puerto Rican capitol's historic district.

The student-athletes caught a glimpse of explorer Juan Ponce de Leon's first home on the island, Christopher Columbus Plaza and statues of all of the American presidents that visited Puerto Rico while in office.

While it was an evening of many firsts for the Hokies, its five-set match against Temple was not one of them. Head coach Chris Riley's squad is now 2-1 in five-set matches this season and will wrap-up action against No. 14 Texas A&M this evening tonight at 5:30 p.m.

September 2, 2016 - 8:50 am
Hokies in Puerto Rico: Day 2

SAN JAUN -- The Virginia Tech volleyball team took the court at Coliseo de Ruben Rodriguez on Thursday morning for a practice session in preparation for their match that evening against Alabama.

The Coliseo, located in downtown Bayamon, can hold a capacity crowd of 10,000. The Hokies used the practice session to get accustomed to the lighting and go over offensive plays and defensive sets.

After returning to the hotel for a snack the team departed for its first game in the Puerto Rico Clasico against the Crimson TIde. Tech dropped a five-set heartbreaker despite rallying in the fourth set to force a deciding fifth set.

August 31, 2016 - 8:08 pm
Hokies in Puerto Rico: Day 1

SAN JUAN -- After a travel day that saw the Virginia Tech volleyball team leave Blacksburg at 5 a.m., the Hokies are settled in and set for their first match in the Puerto Rico Clasico tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. against Alabama.

The student-athletes and coaching staff bussed to Charlotte and had a connecting flight in Miami before landing in San Jaun just before 3 p.m. After some free time, the travel party gathered for dinner before settling in for the evening.

"It was a really crazy day but we're just happy that we're finally here," said senior outside hitter Amanda McKinzie. "This weekend is going to be a huge test for us and it starts with Alabama tomorow. We're ready to get after it."

Tomorrow will be the first meeting between the two programs since 1977, a 2-0 victory for the Crimson Tide. All matches this weekend can be streamed live on FloVolleyball.TV.

August 30, 2016 - 4:39 pm
Owens one of nine players to watch this weekend

Senior outside hitter Lindsey Owens is one of nine players to watch this weekend at the Puerto Rico Clasico, FloVolleyball has announced: http://vthoki.es/PuertoRico

For information on how to watch this weekend's matches, click here.

August 29, 2016 - 5:38 pm
Puerto Rico Clasico: Stream Information
August 27, 2016 - 5:37 pm
FINAL | Virginia Tech 3, UMBC 0
August 27, 2016 - 5:36 pm
@VT_VBall Player of the Game vs. Appalachian State
August 26, 2016 - 5:34 pm
FINAL | Virginia Tech 3, Appalachian State 2
August 25, 2016 - 5:34 pm
@VT_VBall 30 day countdown - 1 day
August 24, 2016 - 5:33 pm
@VT_VBall 30 day countdown - 2 days
August 23, 2016 - 5:32 pm
@VT_VBall 30 day countdown - 3 days
August 22, 2016 - 5:31 pm
@VT_VBall 30 day countdown - 4 days
August 21, 2016 - 5:29 pm
@VT_VBall 30 day countdown - 5 days
August 20, 2016 - 9:37 am
@VT_VBall 30 day countdown - 6 days
August 19, 2016 - 9:35 am
@VT_VBall 30 day countdown - 7 days
August 18, 2016 - 9:01 am
@VT_VBall 30 day countdown - 8 days
August 17, 2016 - 8:52 am
@VT_VBall 30 day countdown - 9 days
August 16, 2016 - 8:48 am
@VT_VBall 30 day countdown - 10 days
August 15, 2016 - 9:48 am
@VT_VBall 30 day countdown - 11 days
August 14, 2016 - 9:47 am
@VT_VBall 30 day countdown - 12 days
August 13, 2016 - 9:46 am
@VT_VBall 30 day countdown - 13 days
August 12, 2016 - 9:44 am
@VT_VBall 30 day countdown - 14 days
August 11, 2016 - 9:37 am
@VT_VBall 30 day countdown - 15 days
August 10, 2016 - 2:18 pm
@VT_VBall 30 day countdown - 16 days
August 9, 2016 - 2:17 pm
@VT_VBall 30 day countdown - 17 days
August 8, 2016 - 11:33 am
@VT_VBall 30 day countdown - 18 days
August 6, 2016 - 1:31 pm
@VT_VBall Freshman Spotlight: Abby McKinzie
August 4, 2016 - 12:05 pm
@VT_VBall 30 day countdown - 22 days
November 10, 2015 - 5:37 pm
Hokies' weekend review: Nov. 10

Virginia Tech traveled north last weekend to Notre Dame and then-ranked No. 22 Louisville, improving its overall record to 15-11 overall and 6-8 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The Hokies clinched their first ever win at Notre Dame on Friday night in three-set fashion. Kenedy McGrath collected 29 digs, a mark Tech has not seen since 2012. Tech fell short on Sunday afternoon to the ACC’s top-ranked squad, No. 22 Louisville. The Hokies were able to even up the score multiple times but could not overcome the Cardinals.

In addition to McGrath’s single-match high, Lindsey Owens and Amanda McKinzie led the offense with 14 and 11 kills, respectively, on Friday night. Despite Sunday’s setback, Briana Lanktree slugged four kills in the final set, attacking at a .500 clip.

The Hokies continue their road trip at NC State and North Carolina this weekend before returning to Cassell on Nov. 20.

November 3, 2015 - 11:19 am
Hokies' weekend review: Nov. 2

The Hokies started off their weekend at home on a high note as junior Lindsey Owens reached the 1,000-kill milestone. Despite the squad’s hard-fought efforts, Tech concluded the weekend with a 14-10 overall record, 5-7 in ACC play.

Owens highlighted the weekend by putting her name in the record books on Friday night as she opened the match against Miami with her 1,000th kill. In the previous match at Duke, Owens downed 19 kills to come within one of the mark. The junior notched her milestone kill as the equalizer in the opening set against Miami before continuing on to swat 15 more in the match.

As a freshman, Owens slugged 311 kills, placing her fifth in the freshman record books. She followed suit with an even 400 as a sophomore, adding 311 to-date this season. Owens has totaled 1,022 kills – 157 away from the 10th spot in the Virginia Tech overall record book.

The Hokies are on the road the next two weekends beginning with Notre Dame Friday and No. 22 Louisville Sunday before heading back south to North Carolina.

October 27, 2015 - 4:08 pm
Hokies' weekend review: Oct. 27

The Hokies return home this weekend with a 14-8 overall record and an even 5-5 in conference play after a pair of matches in North Carolina.

Virginia Tech continued its Friday night win trend with a 3-1 victory over the Demon Deacons, hitting at a .347 rate – the squad’s second best hitting percentage in conference play.

The Hokies suffered a heartbreaking 1-3 defeat on Sunday after winning the third frame and outhitting Duke .268-.241.

Outside hitters Lindsey Owens and Amanda McKinzie led the Hokies throughout the two matches as each recorded double-doubles on both occasions. Owens averaged a team-high of 5.12 digs per set this weekend and now is a lone kill away from reaching the 1,000 kill milestone. Rhegan Mitchell also notched a double-double in Friday’s matchup.

Tech returns to a Haunted Cassell Coliseum on Friday, taking on Miami at 7 p.m. followed by No. 17 Florida State Sunday at 1 p.m. Friday’s Haunted Cassell match features many off-the-court additions for fans:

  • Trick-or-treat for kids on the concourse beginning at 6:15PM (all candy is peanut & peanut butter free)
  • Halloween arts & crafts on the concourse
  • Costume parade during the long break
  • Student Hokie Club on site giving away SHC key chains to students
  • Spirit Squads with a special Halloween themed performance
  • Halloween music throughout the night

    • See you there to cheer on your Hokies!

    October 20, 2015 - 11:55 am
    Hokies' weekend review: Oct. 20

    Virginia Tech served as host to a pair of ACC opponents last weekend, improving its overall record to 13-7 and 4-4 in conference play.

    The Hokies secured yet another Friday night sweep with a win over Clemson in Cassell. Despite falling behind early in the first two sets, Tech clinched the win, holding the Tigers to a mere .026 attacking percentage.

    Sunday’s match aired on the ACC’s Regional Sport Networks resulted in a different outcome for the Hokies as the squad fell in four sets. Tech came back after a first set loss to tie it up at 1-1 overall. However, following the intermission, Georgia Tech closed out the win.

    Rhegan Mitchell paced the Hokies through the two matches, posting 73 assists and 25 digs to record a double-double on Sunday. Lindsey Owens steadied the Hokies’ offense as she recorded double-digit kills in both matches. Middle blockers Kennedy Bryan and Jaila Tolbert added 22 and 15 kills, respectively.

    The Hokies hit the road this weekend, taking on Wake Forest Friday at 6 p.m. before facing Duke for their second match on the ACC’s Regional Sport Networks on Sunday at noon. Click here for Sunday’s channel listings.

    October 13, 2015 - 3:29 pm
    Hokies' weekend review: Oct. 13

    The Hokies left town midday Thursday for the journey north to Boston College and Syracuse for their fifth and sixth ACC matchups.

    Tech dominated on Friday night against Boston College, attacking at a .404 percentage with .600 in the second set. The squad's 3-0 sweep was its first facing Middle Tennessee in the Hokie Invitational and first on the road since Nov. 26, 2014.

    The Hokies got off to a shaky start on Sunday afternoon at Syracuse as they dropped the first set, but Tech fought back to clinch decisive victories in sets two and three. The squad outhit the Orange .467 to .192 in the third frame, however the Hokies fell short in five sets.

    Despite the split weekend, Lindsey Owens registered 32 kills, upping her career total to 939 - 61 shy of the prestigious 1,000 kill mark. Kennedy Bryan posted two matches with attack percentages above .400 to lead the team with a .340 rate this season. Freshman Haley Price recorded her first collegiate aces this season, including a team-high three at Syracuse.

    See the Hokies play at home again this weekend on Friday and Sunday. Friday's 7 p.m. match is Youth Night and Hokies Kids' Club night. Beginning at 3:30 p.m., Sunday is the Hokies' Dig Pink where the first 150 fans will receive a free pink rally towel as we help raise awareness for breast cancer.

    August 25, 2015 - 5:03 pm
    New court for the new season

    The 2015 season is just three days away. The Hokies are bringing back the same energy that they left off with last season when they finished with six straight wins. Although the program graduated four seniors, the returning squad welcomed four new members this year. The Hokies added two middle blockers: sophomore Cara Cunningham and freshman Jaila Tolbert. Two liberos/defensive specialists joined the ranks as well: freshmen Haley Price and Alex Toben.

    Fans may notice something different on the court besides the new faces to the team. Earlier this month, Virginia Tech Athletics announced the sponsorship of Carilion Clinic to the floor of Cassell Coliseum, naming it Carilion Court. To celebrate this exciting news, Friday night’s match between the Virginia Tech and LIU Brooklyn will feature a special presentation prior to the 7 p.m. start time. In addition, free pizza and bandage kits will be given away to students.

    Please be sure to join us this weekend at the Radford/Virginia Tech Invitational! Hope to see you there!

    July 16, 2015 - 2:30 pm
    Summer Preparations for 2015 Season

    With the volleyball season just over one month away, the Hokies are crossing items off their summer to-do lists while everyone is on campus. The Hokies will host East Tennessee State in 43 days as part of the Radford University/Virginia Tech Invitational.

    Hokie Vision hosted the pre-game video shoot complete with artificial smoke and Halloween props.

    #VTVB is 45 days until their first match! Check out photos from last week's video shoot. #Hokies

    A video posted by Virginia Tech Athletics (@hokiesports) on Jul 13, 2015 at 1:06pm PDT

    Not long after, the team was ready to go for their head shots and team picture with Burruss Hall and the Drillfield as backdrops.

    Stay tuned for upcoming information regarding the 2015 season by following @VT_VBall on Twitter or checking right back here on hokiesports.com.

    #GoHokies

    November 26, 2014 - 10:04 am
    Senior night thoughts

    Hey Hokie fans!

    First, I want to take the time to thank everyone who made it out to our matches this past weekend against Wake Forest and Georgia Tech. It created such a fun and exciting atmosphere and was a fantastic way to end the season at home.

    Kathryn said it perfectly… the last eight matches is how we have wanted to play this entire season and it has been such a great way to end our careers in Cassell. Senior night was such a blast and the team made it very special for each of us. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience this past weekend and for the season. It has been very challenging at times, but so much growth has taken place over the course of the season. I couldn’t have asked for a better team and experience to finish my career on.

    The last three years have just flown by, and I will definitely miss the energetic and supportive atmosphere on game days in Cassell! I can’t wait to see what next season holds for the Hokie volleyball family!

    Hope you all have a fantastic holiday season!

    Go Hokies!

    Megan Beckwith #21

    November 20, 2014 - 9:22 am
    Hokies sweep road weekend

    Hey VTVB fans!

    So, it was an exciting weekend on the road for us! It was so much fun beating UVA at their place. In a packed gym, it was awesome to hear our group of crazy VT fans cheering “Let’s Go…Hokies!” over all of the UVA fans (you guys rock, seriously). Then we traveled to Pittsburgh and beat them in four sets on Sunday.

    Now, we are looking forward to playing Wake Forest and Georgia Tech at home! This is our last home weekend so we want to finish it out the right way with wins! We are eager to take on Wake Forest again since they beat us earlier in the season. They are a very good team and we will have to practice hard all week to prepare for them. These past couple weeks we have been focusing on just competing as hard as we can in practice and it has definitely been paying off in games. Georgia Tech is also a great team and we will be facing them on Senior Night!

    It is going to be a fun weekend for us and we hope to see all of our VTVB fans there!

    As always, Go HOKIES!!!!!!

    Jordan Fish #4



    November 7, 2014 - 10:44 am
    The Amazing Race, Hokies' volleyball style

    The Hokies held their own version of The Amazing Race yesterday, pairing off into teams to complete tasks around the Virginia Tech athletic department. First on the list was helping their partner put on their shoes before receiving the clue to move on to the next task, taping their partner's ankle in the training room. The next task challenged the teams to find the photo in the Hall of Legends of former Virginia Tech running back who was known for doing backflips in the end zone (David Wilson) or to take a picture with the volleyball player in the Tech Hall of Fame before moving on to a serving game back on the court. The fifth task sent the teams to the equipment room where they had to put on a full baseball uniform while blindfolded followed by taking a photo with a men's head coach or counting the setps of Cassell. The final challenge on the list was a three-legged race from the volleyball lockerroom to volleyball administrator Chris Helms' office... not an easy task with a volleyball between your knees.

    The winner was crowned by making it back to the Cassell Court first where Director of Athletics Whit Babcock, head coach Chris Riley and the HokieBird awaited the winner. LaTasha Samson-Akpan and Katie Krueger were crowned the champs of the event.

    The #Hokies participated in "The Amazing Race" yesterday afternoon. #flipagram made with @flipagram

    A video posted by Virginia Tech Athletics (@hokiesports) on Nov 11, 2014 at 7:33am PST

    November 5, 2014 - 4:00 pm
    A look back at weekend wins

    Hello VTVB fans!

    This was a great weekend for the volleyball program!! We went 2-0 this weekend beating Pittsburgh on Friday in four sets and #21 Duke on Saturday in five sets! This was a big and much needed weekend for us and the fans were amazing, providing a lot of energy and support for us to feed off of.

    We prepared all week in practice for our game against Pitt. We knew that they were a good team and it would be a great game for us to prove ourselves. We lost the first game in a tough battle but came back strong in the second game to win that one. During the break, we knew that we had to jump on Pitt right away to finish the game in 4. We did not want to give them any hope of coming back on us. With a great team effort, we were able to do just that! After this game, we knew we had another challenge to face on Sunday.

    Saturday’s practice was spent focusing on what Duke would do and what we needed to do in order to stop them. We lost the first set but that did not make us crumble. We gathered ourselves and came back to win the second set. I think at that moment, we really believed in ourselves that we could win this game! From there on out, it was a battle! Duke won the third set and we won the fourth. Now we were on to the fifth set, which seems to be a regular thing for us. The fifth set was intense with us having a run in the beginning and then Duke having a run right after. There was pressure on us to finish the game and we did just that!

    These two games were great ACC wins for us! I am very proud of our team with how well we played this weekend, along with the excitement and energy that the team and the crowd had. Our next game is Sunday against #6 UNC. I cannot wait to see how our team plays on Sunday and for the last month of ACC play!

    Thanks for your support!! We will be back in Cassell for the final times on November 21 against Wake Forest and November 22 against Georgia Tech for Senior Night!!! We hope to see you there! Go HOKIES!!!!!!

    LaTasha Samson-Akpan #32


    The Hokies have fantastic fans:




    Head coach Chris Riley topped the 300th career win mark over the weekend, reaching 301 win the pair of victories. Congratulations coach!


    October 10, 2014 - 2:42 pm
    Cassell gets new sound system

    Fans coming to Virginia Tech men’s basketball, women’s basketball, wrestling and volleyball contests will hear a big improvement in sound quality at the events as the athletics department recently completed the installation of a new state-of-the-art sound system.

    Clair Solutions installed the approximately $190,000 system over the past week and it will debut on Sunday for the volleyball match against rival Virginia.

    The sound system is JBL Equipment, but includes components from Crown, BSS, Mid-Atlantic and others. It is similar to what was recently installed at Penn and in one of the auxiliary arenas at Madison Square Garden.

    Clair Solutions subcontracted with Extreme Tree Company to assist with getting the speakers and wiring into the rafters of Cassell.

    It took over two miles of wiring and has an added feature that will allow for expanded camera capabilities including the option to hang a center mounted camera for above the court shots. The speaker set-up gives the department the option to zone sound as well as isolate and direct the sound to specific locations around the arena.

    The new sound system is one of several upgrades planned for Cassell Coliseum.

    October 1, 2014 - 6:00 pm
    Hokies read to students at Kipps Elementary

    Our #womancrushwednesday goes to a few members of our VT Volleyball team, these girls took time out of their busy schedules to go to Kipps elementary school to read and play at recess with some lucky 1st and 2nd graders! Awesome job girls! #wcw

    September 30, 2014 - 6:41 pm
    Hokies visit with Virginia Tech AD Whit Babcock