BLACKSBURG – Kicking off the 29th season to its program history, the Virginia Tech women's soccer team will open the 2021 regular season on Thursday, Aug. 19, when the Hokies welcome Liberty to Thompson Field for a 7 p.m. non-conference match. Thursday's match will air live on ACC Network Extra.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW
• Home, Sweet Home: Virginia Tech is 21-3-4 all-time during home-opening matches, having last earned victory during the 2019 campaign against Thursday's opponent, Liberty. The Hokies are 9-1-0 all-time against their in-state foe and own a five-match series winning streak against the Flames.
• Scouting the Flames: Liberty arrives in Blacksburg on Thursday as the defending Atlantic Sun champions. After Tech prevailed, 5-3, on April 1, the Flames managed to win four consecutive postseason matches to earn the Atlantic Sun crown and advance to the NCAA tournament, where Liberty played to defeat against Washington. The Flames are one of eight programs on Tech's 2021 regular season schedule that advanced to the 2020 NCAA tournament (held during the spring of 2021).
• What 2 Watch 4: Virginia Tech has aspirations of making the program's 12th NCAA tournament appearance this fall. The Hokies return each of their top two point-earners from the 2020-21 season in Emily Gray (nine goals, 26 points) and Tori Powell (seven goals, 18 points), who found each other for two of Tech's four preseason goals. Holly Rose Weber provided the remaining two goals on the Hokies' preseason card and poses as one of many attackers equipped in Tech's arsenal.
UP NEXT
• The Hokies will return to Thomspon Field on Sunday, Aug. 22, for their Welcome Back to Blacksburg Match against William & Mary. Tech students who arrive early to Sunday's 4 p.m. match will receive free Hokies T-shirts.
