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BLACKSBURG – The No. 19 Virginia Tech women’s soccer team travels to North Carolina for a showdown against No. 18 UNC on Thursday, Sept. 22, before coming home to take on NCAA runner-up No. 7 Duke on Sunday, Sept. 25.

First kick from Fetzer Field in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, is set for 7 p.m. Thursday’s contest will be streamed live on the ACC Network Extra through WatchESPN and the ESPN app. Tech will then conclude the weekend with a match against the Blue Devils on Sunday, at 4 p.m.

Sunday’s match also is “Orange Effect” night at Thompson Field. Admission is free, and fans are encouraged to wear orange in support of the Hokies. The team will giveaway orange metallic pom poms and free ice cream to the first 100 kids at the game.

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Tech (8-2-0, 0-1) enters Thursday’s match 0-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), falling to then-ranked No. 5 Virginia, 2-0, on Sept. 16.

VT and UNC will met for the 15th time in program history, as the Tar Heels hold a 12-2 all-time series advantage over the Hokies. Last season, senior forward Murielle Tiernan tied the game at one apiece early in the second half, but the Hokies could not sustain the Tar Heels offense, as UNC came out on top, 2-1, in Blacksburg.

North Carolina (5-2-1, 0-1) also dropped its ACC opener last weekend, as N.C. State walked away from Fetzer Field with a 1-0 upset over the Tar Heels on Sept. 16. N.C. State’s forward Kia Rankin scored the game winner in the 67th minute, snapping UNC’s 14-game win streak over the Wolfpack.

Duke owns a 9-4-1 all-time series edge over the Hokies. However, Tech has not lost to the Blue Devils since the 2012 season, capturing back-to-back-to-back wins from 2013-15, including a 3-0 victory in the NCAA Tournament on Nov. 29, 2013. That same year, head coach Charles “Chugger” Adair led his squad to the NCAA College Cup for the first time in program history.

The Blue Devils (6-2-1, 1-0) are coming off a 3-2 win vs. then-ranked No. 16 Boston College on Sept. 17, at Koskinen Stadium. Sophomore forward Kayla McCoy, the reigning ACC Co-Offensive Player of the Week, recorded a two-goal performance to spark a come-from-behind victory over the Eagles.

Duke will play host to Louisville tomorrow evening before traveling to Blacksburg on Sunday.

Tech’s defense has held its own during the month of September, as the unit has allowed only three goals in five matches and posted three shutouts. Not to be outdone, the Hokie offense is averaging 2.00 goals this year, and Tech is 5-0-0 when scoring two or more goals this season.

Junior forward Alani Johnson and Tiernan own a team-best five goals, tied for the fourth-best total in the ACC. Johnson (5 G) and Tiernan (5 G) also pace the team with 10 points each.

Fans can follow all the action during each match of the 2016 season by following the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

For updates on Virginia Tech women's soccer, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @VT_WSoccer