WritingHERstory Spotlight: More Than the Game

Before Samyha Suffren ever stepped into Cassell Coliseum wearing maroon and orange, she had already built a reputation as a versatile, high-impact guard with a relentless motor and a feel for the game. 

Coming from Charlotte, North Carolina, Suffren arrived at Virginia Tech after a standout high school and club career. Ranked No. 69 nationally in the 2023 ESPN HoopGurlz recruiting rankings, she competed on the Under Armour circuit with Team Curry, where she emerged as one of the program’s top scorers. In high school, she earned multiple all-conference honors, helped lead her team to a conference championship, and even made her mark on track as part of a record-setting 4x100 relay squad. 

That versatility followed her to Blacksburg. 

As a freshman in 2023–24, Suffren appeared in 15 games, gaining valuable collegiate experience, including a nine-point performance at Duke on Jan. 18. The following season she began carving out steadier minutes, averaging 8.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists across 10 appearances. She also knocked down the first 3-pointer of her career against Coppin State and scored 16 points versus Rutgers. Her progress showed again most recently at California on Feb. 15, when she led the Hokies with a career-high 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting in the road win. 

Yet, while basketball has shaped much of her journey, it isn’t the only space where Suffren has found purpose at Virginia Tech. 

Outside of the court, Suffren is a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated, an experience she says has deeply influenced how she carries herself as a student-athlete and as a woman. 

Both Suffren’s mom and aunt are Zetas themselves, and from an early age, Suffren was exposed to the sense of pride and community that defines the organization. 

“One time I went to one of their events back home in Charlotte,” she recalled. “It was just a bunch of women loving on each other—hugging, supporting each other. Sisterhood can sound cliché, but with Zetas, it’s very real. They’re very passionate about it, and I loved that.” 

Founded on the principles of scholarship, service, sisterhood, and finer womanhood, Zeta’s values aligned naturally with Suffren’s own. 

“The core values of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated really align with my core values as a person,” she said. “They’re the same standards I already hold myself to.” 

One of the ways the Zeta Phi Beta chapter express their values is through service. Suffren has been actively involved in community outreach efforts throughout the New River Valley, including Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Radford, and Roanoke. 

“One of my favorite service projects is the Welcome Back to School drive,” she said. “We collect crayons, notebooks, bookbags—anything students might need when they’re getting ready for school. It feels good knowing you’re helping kids start the year on the right foot.” 

Her chapter has also organized preemie drives, providing diapers and essential supplies for newborns and mothers in need, demonstrating the organization’s commitment to being, as Suffren describes it, a “community-conscious, action-oriented organization.” 

Celebrating sisterhood, both on and off the court 🫂 pic.twitter.com/9F5mBeqwYf

— HokieSports (@hokiesports) February 17, 2026

Balancing life as a student-athlete and a sorority member isn’t always easy, but for Suffren, the dual support systems have made all the difference. 

“Having both groups on campus means everything to me,” she said. “It’s like a home away from home. I can go to practice and be surrounded by my teammates, and then afterward I can go spend time with my line sisters. No matter where I am, I know I have family.” 

That sense of family is especially powerful on game days. 

“When I’m on the court with my sisters on the team and I look up into the stands and see my Zetas there too—it’s the best feeling ever,” Suffren said. “Even when my family can’t come from Charlotte, I still know I have family here supporting me.” 

The lessons she’s learned from both women’s basketball and Zeta Phi Beta are ones Suffren plans to carry far beyond her time at Virginia Tech. 

“Whether I’m in an interview, on the court, or just out in the world, I want to carry myself with that same standard,” she said. “Being a finer woman—and being a Hokie—that’s something I’ll always take with me.” 

For Suffren, those identities aren’t separate. They intersect daily, shaping her path and strengthening her love for Virginia Tech, one game, one service project, and one sisterhood moment at a time. 

Hokie Nation will have more opportunities to watch Suffren and the Hokies in action as ACC play continues inside Cassell Coliseum. With the postseason approaching and momentum building, the atmosphere in Blacksburg only gets louder. Make sure to get your tickets and see Virginia Tech women’s basketball make its push toward March.