Hello, Hokies! Whether you’re new to Blacksburg or returning, welcome to Virginia Tech! In case you’re a sports fan or otherwise just want a refresher, here is a recap of how every sports team did during their 2023-24 season.
FALL
Men’s cross country
The Hokies finished 11th at the ACC Championships in Tallahassee, Florida, scoring 312 points. Declan Rymer was the team’s first finisher, crossing the line in 58th place with a time of 24:25.2 in the eight-kilometer run.
Women’s cross country
At the same ACC Championships, they finished 10th with 267 points. Lindsey Butler crossed first in the six-kilometer race — placing 31st with a 20:44.8 time — after moving up three places in the last leg.
Football
After starting 1–3 and bottoming out with a loss to Marshall, the Hokies — behind transfer quarterback Kyron Drones — turned it around. They salvaged a 7–6 record, highlighted by a blowout win at rival Virginia and a Military Bowl victory.
Men’s soccer
Some strong wins — over No. 5 Louisville — and tough losses — to Radford — highlighted an odd season for Virginia Tech. It relied on a young core, including freshmen Oliver Roche, Marcos Escoe and Noe Uwimana, in its 4–9–4 campaign.
Women’s soccer
Virginia Tech finished eighth in the conference and failed to qualify for either the ACC or NCAA Tournaments for the first time since 2017. Natalie Mitchell scored nine goals, but no other Hokies player scored more than three.
Volleyball
The Hokies started 10–0 and swept through the Virginia Tech Classic, marking the best start in program history. Then, they went 3–16 the rest of the way, including a 3–15 conference record. Still, the start showed some promise and marked a sign of progress in head coach Marci Byers’ rebuild.
WINTER
Men’s basketball
Virginia Tech beat some good teams — including Sweet 16 participants Iowa State, Clemson and NC State — but couldn’t win on the road; it went 2–10 away from Cassell Coliseum. The Hokies missed the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season, although they made it to the second round of the NIT. Don’t bother learning most of the names on last year’s team, though; five entered the transfer portal after the season.
Women’s basketball
The Hokies reached nearly the highest of — regular season — highs and then the lowest of lows. They went on a 10-game winning streak, reached No. 5 in the national rankings and hosted ESPN’s College GameDay ahead of Senior Day. One week after that, three-time ACC Player of the Year Elizabeth Kitley suffered a torn ACL, which derailed any chances to replicate their 2023 Final Four run. The team lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament and, two days later, head coach Kenny Brooks accepted a job at Kentucky.
Men’s swim and dive
The team finished ninth at the NCAA Championships in March, tying the program’s other best-ever finish in 2023. It set school records in the 200-medley relay, 200-freestyle relay, 400-medley relay and the 400-free relay.
Women’s swim and dive
The Hokies finished 26th at the NCAA Championships and earned two All-American honors. Caroline Bentz placed seventh in the 200 backstroke, marking their highest finish of the year.
Wrestling
Get used to hearing “Caleb Henson” and “national champion” in the same sentence. He won Tech’s second ever wrestling title after defeating Michigan’s Austin Gomez in the 149-pound weight class. His championship followed Mekhi Lewis’ 2019 title in the 165-pound division.
SPRING
Softball
The Hokies had the pitching depth they lacked a year ago — relying on a mix of Emma Lemley, Lyndsey Grein and Emma Mazzarone — and their offense hit a school-record 115 home runs across the season. Still, baffling losses to NC State, Syracuse and Georgia Tech down the stretch derailed their chances to host an NCAA Regional as a top-16 seed, and they dropped in the first round of the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season.
Baseball
It started so well and ended so poorly. Tech won its first four ACC series — with a 21–5 overall record — and was in prime position to host an NCAA Regional. Then, it faced more competitive pitching from conference opponents Wake Forest, Duke, North Carolina and Virginia, and quickly faded out of the postseason picture with each passing game.
Lacrosse
Tech continues to make progress towards being competitive in the ACC, the strongest lacrosse division in the country. Olivia Vergano led the team with 38 goals, while Paige Tyson followed her with 30.
Men’s golf
Individually, Kobe Valociek and Daniel Azallion were Tech’s only top-five finishers, after Valociek won the Steelwood Collegiate on Oct. 27 and Azallion came in second at the Palmetto Intercollegiate on March 3. The team finished fifth at both of those tournaments.
Women’s golf
The team finished eighth in the ACC Championship and third in the NCAA Cle Elum Regional this spring. Morgan Ketchum won the Schooner Fall Classic in September, marking Tech’s only win of the season.
Men’s tennis
Virginia Tech ended its season with a 10–11 record and a second-round loss in the ACC Championship to Florida State. Ryan Fishback earned his third consecutive All-ACC nod after his ranking rose to as high as No. 56 in the country.
Women’s tennis
The Hokies advanced past Louisville to the second round of the ACC Championship but ended their season after a 4–0 loss to Miami. Their season finished with a 9–13 record.
Men’s track and field
The men’s team finished second in the ACC Outdoor Championships, totaling 102.33 points. The ACC named Judson Lincoln IV as its most valuable performer, after he accumulated a tournament-high 31 points and scored first in the 400-meter, 200-meter, and 4x400-meter relays.
Women’s track and field
The women’s side notched 63 points, good for seventh in the conference. Victoria Gorlova finished first in the triple jump and earned an All-ACC First Team nod. Longtime coach Dave Cianelli, who led both the men’s and women’s cross country and track and field programs, retired after the season ended and will be inducted into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame this fall.
