virginia tech comes in ranked at no. 19 for first time this season

Ishan Lamba

Staff Writer

September 28, 2021

BLACKSBURG — Following its hard-fought week that resulted in two draws with top-5 ACC foes in Duke and North Carolina, Virginia Tech women’s is ranked for the first time in the 2021 season, coming in at No. 19 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll.

The Hokies (7-2-2, 1-0-2 ACC) had opened ACC play last week at home against NC State. In a rain-soaked affair, they managed to squeak out a win, garnering some attention around the league. The number of ranked votes they received jumped after that performance.

In the past week, the team traveled to Chapel Hill to face then-ranked No. 4 North Carolina. At a venue it had never won at before, the Hokies held a two goal lead with less than 10 minutes to play. Despite their strong play throughout the match, they capitulated, letting up two goals in three minutes. Their match eventually ended in a 2-2 draw, an overall positive result.

Virginia Tech came back home to face then-ranked No. 2 Duke with its seven game home winning streak in jeopardy. Like the UNC match, the team opened up the scoring to jump to an early lead. Duke would score soon after, leveling up the score. The second half and both overtime periods had quite a few chances, most breaking for Virginia Tech, but the score would remain 1-1.

Tech, now sitting at No. 19, is a welcome sight after being unranked all of last season. Duke and UNC fell to No. 4 and No. 5, respectively. The Hokies next opponent, Pitt, remains unranked.