no. 24 virginia tech cruises against davidson, 76-57

Jack Brizendine

Staff Writer

November 10, 2021

BLACKSBURG — There was an overwhelming sense of excitement before tipoff at Cassell Coliseum for the Hokies opening game of the year.

Playing in its first season opener as a ranked team in 22 years combined with fans being back in Cassell Coliseum for the first time in over 600 days created the makings for a special night in Blacksburg.

“It was awesome,” Aisha Sheppard said. “I love Cassell. I love the electricity our fans give us. It was fun to be back.”

No. 24 Virginia Tech (1-0, 0-0) kicked off its 2021-22 campaign with an emphatic victory over Davidson (0-1, 0-0) Tuesday night. The victory extends Kenny Brooks’ record to 6-0 in season openers during his time in Blacksburg.

The Hokies picked right back up where they left off last season, scoring a lethal 50% from behind the arc. Sheppard led the team with seven triples.

“My teammates giving me the ultimate confidence, so does my coaching staff. It was a little bit of that and whatever the defense gave me, I tried to take it,” Sheppard said.

While Sheppard led Virginia Tech in scoring on the night with 25 points, not far behind was Kayana Traylor with 18 points. The transfer guard from Purdue shot 70% from the floor in her Hokie debut, including three triples.

“I was a little nervous just [because] I played against Virginia Tech a couple years ago and did not do so well here, so I was a little nervous,” Traylor said. “Once I got out there, within the first couple minutes, I felt good.”

Traylor added two rebounds and an assist in her 20 minutes on the court, the most of any non-starter.

“Kayana Traylor was a tremendous addition,” Kenny Brooks said. “She’s exactly what we needed.”

Virginia Tech complemented that impressive offensive performance with stifling defense, forcing 17 Davidson turnovers while only allowing the Wildcats to shoot 32% from the floor.

“We wanted to make sure that we were pressuring the ball,” Traylor said. “Communication and also just doubling down on their post player a little bit to make her uncomfortable. I thought we did a good job of that, at least in the first half.

The performance showed why many expect the Hokies to get an invite to the NCAA tournament for a second straight season, a program milestone that was celebrated prior to Tuesday's tilt when the team unveiled it’s 2021 banner.

“A lot of emotions kinda went through just during that little ceremony where [it took] so many years to build this thing,” Brooks said. “Where we started. The trials and tribulations. The sweat, the tears, to get to that point. It kinda all was wrapped up in a 30-second ceremony for a second, but it was a great feeling.”

“It was awesome,” Sheppard said. “It was awesome just to be a part of history. The team from last year will forever be etched in Virginia Tech women’s basketball history, so that was pretty cool, but we want to put another one up there.”