Almost a full week into the transfer portal being open, things are beginning to heat up when it comes to players taking visits to schools. That was the case this weekend for the Virginia Tech women's basketball team who have plenty of portal needs this cycle.
Three players have entered the portal and with Rose Micheaux and Matilda Ekh out of eligibility, Megan Duffy is going to have to replace three of her five starters for next season after Lani White entered the portal to play closer to home in California. According to the X account Skim Milkey, run by Trilly Donovan, the Hokies hosted three key portal players this weekend in Blacksburg.
Reportedly on campus was Purdue transfer Sophie Swanson, Bucknell transfer Ashley Sofilkanich and Wake Forest transfer Demeara Hinds. When it comes to Hinds, who averaged 9.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists on a 9-20 Demon Deacons team this season, she was recruited to Winston-Salem by current Hokies assistant Jen Hoover, whcih makes you think puts Virginia Tech in play for her.
Sofilkanich, a guard, averaged 19.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 3.0 assists a game for the Bison this season. Hinds would fill a huge need that Virginia Tech has in the middle with Micheaux leaving and no big on the roster. It was a busy weekend for Duffy and her staff.
Baseball sweeps nationally ranked Wake Forest
After winning the first two games of their weekend series at Wake Forest, the Hokies baseball team rallied in the third and final game of the series for a sweep against the Demon Deacons with four runs in the top of the ninth inning for a 6-5 win. Tech improved to 20-8 and 7-5 in the ACC. Wake, ranked 16th, fell to 20-9 and 7-5 in the conference.
Ben Watson had a solo homer for the Hokies, who had a golden opportunity to extend their lead in the top of the seventh with the bases loaded and one out. Wake starting pitcher Blake Morningstar picked up two of his 10 strikeouts to escape the jam. Wake Forest scored two runs in the bottom of the inning on a two-out RBI triple and an RBI single.
In the top of the ninth for the Hokies, Hudson Lutterman, Jared Davis, Watson, and David Lewis drove in runs for a 6-3 lead before Wake Forest plated two in the bottom of the ninth, only to leave the tying run on third base to end the game.
It was another series win for John Szefc and his team over a ranked opponent in two weeks, which returns home for a game Tuesday afternoon against Radford before another ACC road series next weekend at Notre Dame.