Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG, Va. - Home contests against Duke and Virginia, a date at Wisconsin in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, along with 15 postseason participants, highlight the 2008-09 Virginia Tech women's basketball schedule. The Hokies return 11 letterwinners from last year's 15-15 squad and welcome three newcomers to the team.
Tech will have three regular-season contests televised this year. Home contests with Duke and NC State along with a road game at Maryland will be broadcast as part of the ACC television package on the Regional Sports Network (RSN). RSN affiliates include Fox Sports Net South, ComCast Sports Net, SunSports and the New England Sports Network.
2008-09 ScheduleView The Virginia Tech Schedule
View The Composite ACC ScheduleThe 2008-09 schedule will be another challenging one, as the Hokies face 2008 Elite Eight participants Maryland and North Carolina, nine teams (Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Liberty, Maryland, North Carolina, Southern Methodist, Vanderbilt and Virginia) that made the 2008 NCAA Tournament and six (Boston College, James Madison, North Carolina A&T, NC State, Radford and Wisconsin) that participated in the WNIT. In addition, the schedule includes five teams (#5 North Carolina, #7 Maryland, #9 Duke, #15 Vanderbilt and #22 Virginia) that ended the year in the ESPN/USA Today Top 25.
The non-conference schedule presents the Hokies with many challenges, including home contests against UNC Greensboro, Radford, North Carolina Central, James Madison, Presbyterian, Longwood and USC Upstate. Tech will host its annual holiday tournament, the Hokie Hardwood Classic, featuring Liberty, Lafayette and North Carolina A&T.
The non-conference away schedule has Tech traveling to Nashville for the Vanderbilt tournament, where the Hokies will face St. Joseph's in the opening round and play either Vanderbilt or Davidson on the second day. Tech also makes a trip to the Texas Gulf Coast to participate in the South Padre Island Shootout featuring Southern Methodist (NCAA participant) along with IUPUI and Jacksonville. The remaining away non-conference contests are against George Mason and Wisconsin. The Wisconsin game is part of the ACC-Big Ten challenge in women's basketball.
"The challenging non-conference schedule includes three tournaments as well as a game at Wisconsin in the ACC-Big 10 Challenge," said Virginia Tech head coach Beth Dunkenberger. "Laura Haskins and A.J. Lemaitre will travel home and Hokie fans in the Washington, D.C. area will be able to see us play at George Mason. We have the possibility of facing seven non-conference opponents who participated in the postseason last year."
The ACC schedule will once again present a tremendous challenge as the Hokies battle in the toughest league in the nation. The ACC sent six teams to the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive season including two "Elite Eight" teams. With NC State participating in the WNIT, the ACC had over half of its teams in the postseason.
The women play a 14-game, regular-season conference schedule, with each team playing each member at least once a year. Primary partners will be utilized, meaning certain teams are guaranteed to play twice - home and away - every year. The primary partners can be changed after a minimum of two seasons of play. Tech's primary partners this year are Duke, Virginia and Wake Forest. The Hokies will play Florida State, Duke, Virginia, NC State, Miami, Wake Forest and Georgia Tech at home. Conference road contests include trip to Boston College, Maryland, Clemson, North Carolina, Virginia, Wake Forest and Duke.
"Once again, we are poised for play in one of the top leagues in the nation," said Dunkenberger. "I am excited to have senior leadership this year with three returning starters among that senior class, after not having any seniors last season. I look for this experience to help us close out some tight games, which we lost last year, such as the thrilling overtime game vs. No. 5 Maryland."