Hokie ClubSharnee Zoll joined the Hokies as an assistant coach in April 2024 after spending two seasons on the staff at Penn State. A veteran of the professional ranks, Zoll was selected in the WNBA Draft and played three seasons in the league before continuing her career overseas.
In her second season in Blacksburg, the Hokies posted a 23-10 overall record and went 12-6 in ACC play, marking just the fourth time in program history Virginia Tech recorded 12 conference victories in a season. The Hokies advanced to the second round of the ACC Tournament with a win over Georgia Tech as the No. 6 seed before earning an NCAA Tournament berth.
Zoll played a significant role in the continued development of Carleigh Wenzel and Mackenzie Nelson, both of whom produced standout campaigns in 2025-26. Wenzel elevated her game after a breakout redshirt sophomore season, leading the Hokies with 15.1 points per game while averaging 16.4 points against ACC opponents. She tallied seven 20-point performances, added a double-double, and ranked second on the team with 112 assists.
For her efforts, Wenzel earned WBCA Division I Coaches’ All-America honorable mention recognition and All-ACC Second Team honors.
Nelson also made major strides under Zoll’s guidance, emerging as one of the conference’s top facilitators. She led the Hokies with 182 assists and averaged 5.7 assists per game while finishing first in the ACC and sixth nationally in assist-turnover ratio. Nelson also ranked second in the conference in assists per game and fourth in total assists, solidifying herself as a steady and reliable presence at point guard.
Her all-around growth was evident throughout the season, as Nelson improved across nearly every statistical category, recording 90 more field goals, 76 more assists, 33 more rebounds and 18 more three-pointers than the previous year.
In Zoll’s first season with the Hokies, Virginia Tech won 19 games, highlighted by a victory over previously unbeaten and 13th-ranked Georgia Tech. The Hokies earned the No. 8 seed in the ACC Tournament in Greensboro and concluded the season with an appearance in the WBIT.
A former point guard herself, Zoll was instrumental in the development of Wenzel during the guard’s breakout redshirt sophomore campaign in 2024-25. After averaging 4.2 points per game the previous season, Wenzel led the Hokies with 14.0 points per game, scoring 20 or more points four times and recording two double-doubles. She also paced the team with 117 assists, including two double-digit assist performances. Wenzel thrived in conference play, increasing her scoring average to 15.3 points per game during the ACC slate.
Nelson also showed tremendous growth during her freshman campaign under the guidance of head coach Megan Duffy and Zoll. She finished seventh in the ACC in assist-turnover ratio, providing a steady presence at the point throughout the season.
Working with the Lady Lions’ backcourt, Zoll helped Makenna Marisa, Leilani Kapinus and Shay Ciezki rack up several accolades. Marisa repeated as Academic All-American Third Team and All-Big Ten First Team selections, becoming the third Lady Lion to earn Academic All-America distinction for two or more seasons and 12th to repeat as a first team selection in the league.Kapinus was named an All-Big Ten Defensive Team selection and the only B1G player to be selected to the Naismith Women’s Defensive Player of the Year Watch List, Kapinus finished eighth in the nation in steals (97) and was one of two players in the nation to be averaging at least 10 points, five rebounds, three steals and one block per game.
Ciezki was just one of two freshmen in the nation to average at least 2.0 three’s per game with a 40.0 or better three-point percentage and finished second on the team in scoring (11.8 points per game).
“I have always dreamed of being back in the ACC competing against the best of the best,” Zoll said. “I am beyond grateful to Virginia Tech Athletics and to Coach Duffy for allowing that dream to come to fruition. Coach Duffy is a proven winner, phenomenal leader, and an amazing human. My family and I are excited for the opportunity to be a part of the winning tradition with Hokie Nation.”
Before Penn State, Zoll spent three years as an assistant coach at Rhode Island. Over her three seasons, Rhode Island had eight All-Atlantic 10 selections, including three first team honorees.
She served on the Rams’ staff after concluding a 14-year professional career, including three seasons in the WNBA.
Prior to Rhode Island, Zoll spent two seasons as an assistant with the Philadelphia Belles AAU program, helping the team with scouting reports, practice plans, player development and recruiting.
Zoll was the 29th overall pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks. She also spent time with the Minnesota Lynx.
She most recently played with InvestInTheWest AZS Gorzow in Poland. She led the team to a Top 16 finish in the EuroCup and second in the Polish League. She was the 2018 EuroCup Guard of the Year and was a five-time Eurobasket All-Polish First Team honoree. In 2017, she led the team to its first Polish League Championship in 30 years and was named both regular season and postseason MVP.
Zoll graduated from Virginia in 2008. As a Cavalier, Zoll was a 1,000-point scorer and started every game of her career. She’s the only woman in ACC history to record at least 200 assists in three straight seasons and broke Virginia and ACC record with 785 assists, both previously held by Dawn Staley. She won a gold medal as a member of the Team USA U19 team in 2005.