50 & Forever: A family's lifelong bond with Virginia Tech women's basketball

Long before Virginia Tech women's basketball saw sold-out crowds or gained national recognition, dedicated fans like Jeffrey and Sandy Birch were turning the program into family. As inaugural season ticket holders, the former Virginia Tech staff members began consistently attending games in the 1990s, driven by their love for women's sports and the community. 

"When I was about [the players'] age, there wasn't much in the way of women's sports," Sandy, a retiree from Tech’s computer science department, explained.  "So, I can kind of live through these young ladies – we love seeing the athleticism, we love the camaraderie around the team, and we love seeing our friends at the games." 

Camaraderie extended beyond just the basketball court. Jeffrey, who spent 40 years as a professor of statistics in the College of Science at Virginia Tech, played in a faculty pickup league they jokingly called the “Noontime Basketball Association” (NBA), where many of the same people who now sit with them on the front row once played hoops and softball together. Over nearly 25 years, that lunchtime game grew into a network of friendships and traditions that now live on in Cassell Coliseum, where they still greet those familiar faces by name along the bench.  

"When we sit down, we can say, “Hello, Damien! Hello, Holly! and Hello, Alan!," Jeffrey said. "These are all people sitting in the front row with us that we've known for decades. We love getting to see our friends down there on that bench – our basketball community." 

For the family, that continuity of seeing their old “teammates” in the same seats, season after season, is a big part of what makes Virginia Tech women’s basketball feel like home. 

Community – an integral and uniquely Hokie part of the program – means that whether you're a new family in Blacksburg, a student or a long-time supporter, you love women's basketball. And as the program grew in the 1990s, the excitement and community did too. 

Sandy especially loved the fan energy about the "Bonnie Ball" era, a fast-paced, team-first style of play implemented by then-head coach Bonnie Henrickson, who led the Hokies to a Sweet 16 run in 1999.  

"Around that time, when they got really good, we'd stand in line till the doors open, then run to get into a good seat, because we like to sit in the front row," Sandy laughed. "Sometimes we would even have our students stand in line for us and let them run in to save the seats for us, since it wouldn't look appropriate for faculty to jump over seats." 

Beyond the games themselves, the Birches also loved participating in "socials" with other supporters of the women's basketball program. After home matchups, they'd join their friends, coaches and even some players in the dining hall for an exciting chance to build relationships with other fans and the team. A fan would always supply the food – and the coaches would share insight on the game they had just played as well as upcoming games. 

During these gatherings, one moment in particular stood out to the Birches – the day that their then-11-year-old granddaughter Abbey was "recruited" to join the team.  

Jeffrey and Sandy had won a women’s basketball auction package that let her experience a mock recruiting visit with Virginia Tech. A lifelong Hokie fan and basketball player who had been attending games since she was a baby, Abbey arrived already in love with the program – but the day still exceeded her expectations. Then-head coach Kenny Brooks and the staff were warm and genuine, making the visit feel less like a staged promotion and more like a real recruiting experience.  

And the sense of being truly seen by the program didn’t start or end with that recruiting visit. It echoed an earlier ritual with Coach Brooks' predecessor Dennis Wolff, who made a habit of finding young Abbey in the front row for a hug before every game. 

Now a sophomore mechanical engineering major at Virginia Tech, Abbey still attends the women's basketball games with her grandparents, but just sometimes from the student section. 

"Being in the student section now is a different vibe, but it’s still the same community I grew up in,” Abbey said. “The girls on the court aren’t just celebrities anymore — they’re my age, people I might pass on campus or sit next to in class, and that makes it feel even more real and special." 

Abbey now also shares a gameday ritual with her parents: even though they live five hours away in southern Maryland, they watch Virginia Tech women’s games on TV and look for her in the crowd, often spotting her in their front-row seats when the camera pans the court. They text back and forth in real time, turning each broadcast into a shared experience that keeps them closely connected to one another and to the program, no matter where they’re watching from. 

"It really is a strong community of folks who have supported the women for a long time," Sandy reflects, speaking to the family-like culture of the women's basketball fanbase. "And I love to see a lot of little girls in the stands. I think that it is very inspirational when they're watching the Hokie players play.” 

With the 2025-26 season now underway, the family is eager to see how much the team can grow under head coach Megan Duffy’s second year, and excited to keep adding new memories to a story that’s already spanned generations in Cassell Coliseum.  

Celebrating 50 Seasons of Women’s Basketball

The 2025-26 season of Virginia Tech women’s basketball marks the 50th season in which the program has electrified Cassell Coliseum! Be sure to celebrate this momentous achievement by securing a 50 Seasons Celebration Pack, complete with two commemorative glasses and two tickets, for the anniversary celebration on Feb. 1, 2026, against Virginia in the Smithfield Commonwealth Clash. Additionally, show your support for the program by contributing to the 50 for 50 campaign.  

For more information on the season-long festivities, visit the 50 Seasons of Women’s Basketball website.