Virginia Tech women climb in AP Top 25 poll to highest-ever regular-season ranking

For the second year in a row, the Virginia Tech women’s basketball team is peaking at the right time. Following a 74-62 victory over North Carolina at home Sunday afternoon, the Hokies won their 10th straight game and improved to 23-4 overall and 14-2 in the ACC. They clinched a tie for the ACC regular season title and can clinch it outright with one win in their final two games.

Regardless of how the final two games turn out, Kenny Brooks and his team know one thing, they have locked up the No. 1 seed for the ACC Tournament that begins next week in Greensboro, North Carolina. The 10th consecutive victory over vaulted Virginia Tech from No. 8 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 to No. 5. It is the highest-ever regular-season ranking for the program.

In the latest ESPN Power Rankings, the Hokies jumped up two spots to No. 4 and they checked in at No. 3 in the latest power rankings in The Athletic.

Virginia Tech is on pace to host the first and second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year. They are 15-0 this season at Cassell Coliseum and their last two ACC games are away from Blacksburg at Notre Dame (Thursday night) and Virginia (Sunday night). 

Virginia Tech only had one game last week, the win over the Tar Heels, and can strengthen their seed number by closing out the regular season strong and having another good showing in the conference tournament where they will attempt to defend their championship from last March.

Thursday night before the Hokies against the Irish, the tournament committee is expected to release the second and final Top 16 seeds before the full bracket is released on March 18. At the first reveal, Virginia Tech checked in as a 3-seed and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them slide up a line to a 2-seed this time around.