A new era of women’s basketball at Virginia Tech kicks off on Monday night when first-year coach Megan Duffy and the Hokies begin the 2024-25 season at Cassell Coliseum. After an offseason of changes on the coaching staff and roster, it is going to be interesting to see how things play out.
The schedule, as usual, will be interesting, to say the least, as they face a non-conference schedule that includes key early-season matchups and then once they get into ACC play full-time, it’s a brutal schedule. With that said, here are five must-watch games this season.
Nov. 4 vs. UNC Wilmington
Of course, there are going to be a lot of eyes on the season-opener at home. What does the starting lineup look like and how deep is the bench going to be? You know what you’re going to get from Matilda Ekh, Carleigh Wenzel, and Rose Micheaux, but after that, there are more questions than answers.
Nov. 10 vs. Iowa (Charlotte, N.C.)
Last season, this game had a lot of juice when they met in Charlotte on the same weekend with a ton of star power. This year, not so much. This is still a very good early-season test for Virginia Tech playing against the Hawkeyes at a neutral site. It’ll get a lot of the newcomers a game with a big crowd expected in an exciting atmosphere.
Dec. 4 at Georgia
For the second year in a row, the Hokies will be on the road for the ACC/SEC Challenge. Last season they lost at LSU in a Final Four rematch and this season, they get the Bulldogs in Athens. This is a winnable game for Duffy’s team and they would get a huge confidence boost going into ACC play with a road win over an SEC team.
Dec. 8 at Duke
The next game as Georgia is a very difficult ACC opener at Duke. Kara Lawson and her team made a run last season in the NCAA Tournament and brought back a lot of talent which makes them a major factor this season. It will be interesting to see how Duffy and her team plays in a very tough environment.
Jan. 19 vs. Louisville
This may seem like an ordinary mid-January ACC game at Cassell Coliseum, but it’s far from it. This is the night where Elizabeth Kitley’s No. 33 will be raised to the rafters. It is going to be a special weekend in Blacksburg before the Hokies and Cardinals battle.
A young team will be tested early and even if the results don’t go their way, it’ll make them better in the long run. Sometimes the teams with not a lot of expectations are the ones that surprise.