Later this afternoon, Seth Greenberg and the Virginia Tech men's basketball team will be heading over to Virginia Tech Montgomery Executive Airport and board the team charter for the flight to Windsor, Ontario. The Hokies will play three exhibition games this weekend in the Canadian city, just across the river from Detriot.

The Hokies will play a pair of games on Saturday. The Hokies will play the London (Ont.) All-Stars at noon and then play the host University of Windsor at 8 p.m. On Sunday, the Hokies will play the Windsor (Ont.) All-Stars at noon before returning to Blacksburg that night. All games will be played at the University of Windsor.

The team has practiced 10 times since the start of classes. The NCAA allows programs to take international exhibition trips once every four years. The Hokies will begin regular season practice on Oct. 12 in preparation for the season open on Nov. 9 at home against Elon.

The Suntrust Rock'n'Roll Half Marathon is being held this Sunday in Virginia Beach, where a team called "The Run for 32" will be running in support of the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund.

The 150-person team is comprised of individuals who are either Virginia Tech employees, graduates, students or fans. To date, the team has raised over $13,500 for the scholarship portion of the Spirit Fund. For its efforts, the team has been named an official training charity team of the vent, and it also received a letter of recognition and commendation from Virginia Governor Tim Kaine.

There are a few employees from the Tech athletic department who will be leaving for the race following the Saturday's football game, and they want to give a big thanks to everyone who has been involved with the event's efforts!

Visit the official site of the marathon here.

As Saturday's football season opener approaches, the Hokies are making some finishing touches to their roster. Although the dress squad could change before the weekend, the following walk-ons have been assigned numbers and fitted for uniforms. Some - such as Scott King, Cody Grimm and Devin Perez - have seen varsity action in the past, while others like Matt Finnegan could be running out the Lane Stadium tunnel for the first time in their careers.

14 - Grant Throckmorton, h
15 - Jeff Beyer, qb
26 - Cody Grimm, lb
30 - Brian Saunders, p
34 - Matt Wright, lb
40 - Billy Gorham, fb
44 - Devin Perez, fb
46 - Dylan McGreevy, lb
48 - Kenny Younger, fb
52 - Barrett Mears, c
53 - Matt Reidy, rov
61 - Scott King, ds
80 - Brandon Dillard, fl
85 - Matt Finnegan, fl
87 - Prince Parker, wr
89 - Jonas Houseright, lb
96 - Mark Muncey, lb

Also, be sure to stop by ESPN.com's SportsNation to chat with quarterback Sean Glennon on Wednesday at 2 p.m EST.

There were plenty of happenings involving members of the Virginia Tech golf team over the weekend.
 

Nick MacDonald won the Valentine Invitational at the Hermitage Country Club outside of Richmond on Sunday afternoon. One of the two Hermitage courses that were used over the weekend, the Manakin Course is the same course where the Hokies will open their Fall 2007 season at the VCU Shootout on Oct. 1-2.
 

MacDonald, a senior from Harare, Zimbabwe, shot a three-round total of 209 and defeated Jon Hurst of Fredericksburg by four strokes. MacDonald shot an opening round 66 in the tournament.

Will Oldham finished seventh at 215, Aaron Eckstein was 21^st at 222, Chad Fultz was 24^th at 223, and Garland Green was 51^st at 229. The field included many of the Mid-Atlantic's top amateurs and collegiate players.

In other news, Hokie Drew Weaver was selected as a second alternate for the USGA's Walker Cup team. Michael Thompson of the University of Alabama, runner-up at yesterday's U.S. Amateur, is the first alternate and Alex Prugh of the University of Washington is the third alternate to the team that will compete in Sept. 8-9, at Royal County Down Golf Club in Newcastle, Northern Ireland. Weaver finished ninth in stroke play at the U.S. Amateur  last week before falling in the first round of match play.

Hokies' starting quarterback Sean Glennon will take part in an online chat with ESPN.com's SportsNation on Wednesday at 2 p.m. ET. Click here to submit a question now, or join Sean on Wednesday to see what he has to say as the season opener approaches.

The Hokies' volleyball team will officially kick off the 2007-08 Virginia Tech athletics schedule on Friday with a pair of games in the Hawthorn Suites Hokie Invitational. Game one is at 10 a.m. against the William & Mary Tribe, while the nightcap is at 7 p.m. vs. the VCU Rams. Tech will also face off with the Thundering Herd of Marshall on Saturday at 6 p.m.

The first 200 fans arriving at the VCU contest on Friday will receive a free VT/Coke t-shirt, and all fans will be eligible for great contests and giveaways throughout the match. Click here for more info, and be sure to come out and support the team at all three matches as they kick off another exciting year of Hokie sports!

Virginia Tech head football coach Frank Beamer announced Wednesday that redshirt freshman tailback Devin Radford (Fayetteville, N.C.) has decided to transfer and is no longer with the team.

Virginia Tech golfer Drew Weaver has advanced to match play at the 2007 U.S. Amateur Championship on Wednesday at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. Weaver finished ninth overall in two rounds of stroke play and was one of 64 players to move into match play. He shot 72-69=141, one over par in the two rounds of stroke play.

Weaver, a junior from High Point, N.C. will tee off at 12:40 p.m. PDT (3:40 p.m.EDT) on Wednesday afternoon against Travis Howe of the United States.

Teammate Marshall Bailey, a freshman from Fincastle, Va., shot 85-76=161 and did not advance into match play.

Live scoring of the first round matches is available at:

http://www.usamateur.org/scoring/matlst1.htm

Hokie junior Drew Weaver completed his weather-delayed first round, took a short break and went out Tuesday morning and shot a second round one-under-par 69 on the second day of the U.S. Amateur at the Olympic Club. Weaver finishes stroke play with a 141, which should be more than sufficient to advance into match play starting Wednesday.

Several golfers, including Hokie teammate Marshall Bailey, were unable to finish their rounds on Tuesday and will finish up on Wednesday morning. Bailey, who shot an 85 on Monday, likely will not be among the top 64 to advance to match play.

This is the second consecutive year that Weaver has advanced into match play at the U.S. Amateur. Pairings for match play will be announced after the completion of the second round Wednesday morning.

Weaver is currently listed in 11th place in stroke play. He has posted no score higher than a five on any hole during play to date. His one-over-par 141 consists of nine birdies, 10 bogeys and 17 pars. He is playing the par 3s and par 5s even-par for the first two rounds.

For more information on the U.S. Amateur, log on to:

http://www.usamateur.org/

Under the link for NEWS, there is a feature story about Drew Weaver written by USGA web editor Ken Klavon.

Two major depth chart changes highlighted Tuesday's practice, as head coach Frank Beamer announced that Ike Whitaker, a redshirt sophomore from Germantown, Md., would be moving to receiver on a full-time basis and that Tyrod Taylor, the heralded freshman from Hampton, Va., is now the No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart behind Sean Glennon.

In discussing Whitaker, Beamer left the door open for the young man to return to the quarterback position after the season.

"We want him on the field and he wants to be on the field," Beamer said. "We'll see how things work out this season and then meet after the season and talk about it." 

Whitaker had been working at both quarterback and receiver the past week or so, but had struggled throwing the ball both in practices and in the scrimmages. The move to receiver allows Whitaker a chance to fully acclimate to the position before possibly moving into a starting role next season. The Hokies lose four senior receivers after this season. 

"I'm doing this for the team and for a chance to get on the field this season," Whitaker said. "Doing both has been tough. I've messed up mentally on some things just trying to do both. I think some of that is because I've been so tired in the scrimmages. It's been tough, so I think this is the right move." 

Whitaker also said he could see that Taylor was progressing nicely. 

"I knew early on that he was legit," Whitaker said. "I've got nothing against him at all. This is a D-I school and there are always going to be great players coming in. And he can do the job. So why not have him back there? 

"I may work on both next summer when I'll have more time. I don't know. We'll see how it goes. I'll talk to my family and then go from there." 

Taylor got plenty of action against Tech's No. 2 defense - a stout unit in and of itself - on Tuesday afternoon. He had been getting most of his reps against the No. 3 unit, particularly in scrimmages, but today, he fared reasonably well against the second-teamers, throwing no interceptions during the team periods. 

"They're [the No. 2 unit] faster," Taylor said. "I'm adjusting to it. I've got to react quicker and move faster. Plus, those guys know the [defensive] scheme a little better [than the No. 3 unit]. I thought I did OK. I can do better. 

"This was the coaches' decision. I have the same mentality that I had before. I'm going to work hard and prepare myself every day and whatever happens, happens." 

It's still not a given that Taylor will play this upcoming season. A couple of years ago, Glennon served as the No. 2 quarterback while redshirting to preserve a year. 

"Tyrod's thrown the ball accurately for the most part and he's made some plays with his feet," Beamer said, explaining the move. "He's also shown a lot of poise. 

"He needs to get more work than what he's been getting. He's going to be getting reps against the second-team defense when things are going faster and then we'll evaluate further whether he redshirts. Instead of getting a couple of reps [each team period], he's going to be getting 6, 7, maybe 8. That'll enable us to get a good evaluation on him and then we'll decide." 

Here are a couple of nuggets from the rest of practice: 

• Beamer put his kickers through two kicking competitions. In the first one, Dustin Keys and Matt Waldron tied for the top spot. In the second one, Keys won it outright.

However, Jud Dunlevy, who missed three field goals and had one blocked in Saturday's scrimmage, was the kicker during the team periods and drilled all his attempts. Dunlevy still leads in the battle for the kickoff job as well.

Beamer also changed the rules for the competition. A kick now must be down the middle for it to be good. If it's remotely close to the goal posts, it's ruled no good. Also, if it hits the cross bar and bounces through, it's still no good.

"That shows how much this kicking duty means to Coach Beamer," Keys said. "If he thinks it's too close to call, he tells you that, and you're out."

• Only three players missed Tuesday's practice because of injury - Cody Grimm (knee), Andrew Bowman (knee) and Hivera Green (high ankle sprain). Grimm and Green should be back soon. Bowman's status is more up in the air.

Former Virginia Tech All-American David Hoffman will take over as Dan Wirnsberger's top assistant on the Bucknell wrestling staff, Wirnsberger announced on Monday. Hoffman's promotion comes after he spent his first season with the Bison coaching the varsity lightweights and helping guide 133-pounder David Marble to an appearance at the NCAA Championships in 2007.

Hoffman, a Spring City, Pa. native, graduated from Tech in 2006 where he was a four-time NCAA Championship qualifier and an All-American his senior year. During his career with the Hokies, Hoffman compiled a record of 116-32, including 19 major decisions, five technical falls and 38 falls. He also earned Freshman All-America honors from Amateur Wrestling News in 2002.

Play was delayed four hours by fog Monday morning at the 2007 U.S. Amateur Golf Championship in San Francisco. Hokie golfer Drew Weaver was unable to complete his first round. He was one-over-par at the turn and will finish his round Tuesday morning before beginning his second round. Teammate Marshall Bailey, an incoming freshman from Fincastle, Va., completed his first round and shot an 85

Live scoring of the event is available at:

http://www.usamateur.org/scoring/alllb.htm

Virginia Tech track and field administrative assistant Cleopatra Borel-Brown will compete Sunday at the 11th annual International Association of Athletics Federations World Track and Field Championships in Osaka, Japan. Borel-Brown is currently ranked 11th in the world and has the world's 13th-longest recorded shot put this year, 62'0 1/2" (18.91m). The qualifying round begins at 10:30 a.m. local time with finals at 7:45 p.m.

Borel-Brown won the bronze medal in the shot put at the XV Pan American Games for Trinidad and Tobago. She registered a 59'9 1/2" (18.22m) mark in a pressure-packed fifth round for her best effort of the meet.

Borel-Brown owns Trinidad and Tobago's national record and won the bronze medal at last year's Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia, and at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Cartagena, Colombia.

After serving as a volunteer throws coach at Tech for four seasons, Borel-Brown enters her third year as the track and field program's administrative assistant. Borel-Brown graduated from the University of Maryland Baltimore County with a degree in interdisciplinary studies/health psychology in 2002.

Please check the IAAF World Track and Field Championships home page for results.

Virginia Tech golfer Jurrian van der Vaart will be a little tardy returning to classes in Blacksburg this semester. The senior from Almelo, Netherlands is still in his homeland to compete in this week's KLM Open, a tournament on the European PGA Tour. The event runs from Aug. 23-26.

Jurrian is one of six amateurs playing in the event, that will be played at the 6,626-yard (6,057-meter), par 70 Kennemer Golf and Country Club. Formerly known as the Dutch Open, the KLM Open is an original event on the European Tour.

Notables expected to compete in the event include 2005 U.S. Open champion Michael Campbell, and 1985 and 1993 Masters champion Bernhard Langer.

The Virginia Tech football team held a charity car wash Friday afternoon in the parking lot across from Lane Stadium with all donations being given to the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund. Defensive coordinator Bud Foster; graduate assistants James Miller and Zac Lowe; and players Jeff Beyer, Matt Finnegan and Justin Young kicked things off at 3:43 with a Honda Civic, and two and half hours later, 178 cars were washed and just over $4,000 was raised by the Hokies and the coaching staff.

All 105 players on the training camp roster took part, and were divided into two shifts of eight groups. Vehicles were greeted at the entrance of the parking lot by associate head coach Billy Hite, who collected all donations. The cars were then funneled toward one of the eight washing stations, where the Hokies were armed with a hose, a bucket of soapy water, sponges and a slew of towels.

The most efficient washing group was arguably the one headed up by quarterbacks coach Mike O'Cain in the first session. Holder/backup QB Grant Throckmorton made a bid for MVP honors, as he was seen barking out orders and strategies while jumping into the task barefoot and with a sponge in each hand. They were joined by PK Jud Dunlevy and WR Jacob Sykes, with TB Branden Ore manning the hose.

"Get 'em goin' O'Cain!" shouted head coach Frank Beamer from a distance.

One fan suggested to Beamer that he should join the fray, but the old ball coach laughed off the notion.

"I'm a much better organizer," he said.

The group of K Tim Pisano, QB Ike Whitaker, DE Orion Martin and LB Dylan McGreevy briefly tried to compete with Team Throckmorton, but after losing out on a white Honda, they wasted no time in waving down a shiny, blue Corvette and taking their time with it.

"Be careful with this one, guys," warned defensive line coach Charley Wiles.

Although Team Throckmorton jumped out to an early lead, the group led by PK Jared Develli and defensive backs coach Torrian Gray made a late push when they washed and dried the "Yellow Submarine," a 16-passenger van than doubles as a late-night taxi for Tech students on the weekends, in three minutes and 21 seconds. Develli and Gray were not afraid to take on the large vehicles, as they had the services of hulking linemen Aaron Brown, Nick Marshman and John Graves.

Freshman QB Tyrod Taylor was also a part of Team Develli, and he took quite a ribbing from his teammates throughout the session. He's apparently not as quick with the hose as he is with the football, as he was relieved of that duty early on. He then got hassled for scrubbing the same six-inch portion of a truck for nearly two minutes straight while giving a television interview. They must not teach that kind of multitasking at practice. He got a soapy sponge to the face and a bucket of water to the back for his efforts.

The 100th car made its way into the parking lot after just one hour, and among the customers were QB Sean Glennon, LB Xavier Adibi, equipment manager Lester Karlin, the Channel 10 news team, and Virginia Tech police chief Wendell Flinchum.

The event was covered by much of the local media, and two radio stations - 101.7 Supertalk and 105.3 The Bear - broadcast live from the car wash. ABC National News even made an appearance, interviewing Beamer, Glennon and FB Carlton Weatherford.

A good time was had by all, as fans not only had a chance to donate to a great cause, but also to meet their favorite Hokies. Fans are reminded that Saturday's scrimmage in Lane Stadium is open to the public, and they are encouraged to come. More information is available here.

• In other news, the Virginia Tech women's soccer team is holding open tryouts for a goalkeeper Aug. 21-23. Interested students should contact goalkeeper coach Michael Lovett (lovett@vt.edu) at 231-6660 prior to 2:30 p.m., on Tuesday, Aug. 21.

Two Virginia Tech freshman football players - Ervin Garner, a flanker from Fairfax, Va., and Will Alvarez, an offensive tackle from Woodbridge, Va. - have been certified as qualifiers and have been cleared for full athletic competition by the NCAA Clearinghouse.

Preparations for the first football game continue in the searing heat on the practice fields behind the Jamerson Athletics Center. Here are a few tidbits:

• The Hokies spent several periods working on special teams, including two periods devoted to kickoffs and kickoff returns. The battle for kickoff job continues, with Jud Dunlevy getting most of the reps with the first-team kickoff unit. Dunlevy, who hit two field goals in Saturday's scrimmage, won the daily practice field-goal competition today over Jared Develli and has a solid grip on that job. His height on kickoffs may enable him to wrestle the kickoff job away from Develli by the time the first game rolls around.

• For nearly all of the afternoon, the first-team offensive line featured Duane Brown, Nick Marshman, Ryan Shuman, Sergio Render, and Matt Welsh, who is trying to secure the starting left guard job, and at this point, has the edge over Hivera Green. The second unit consisted of Green, Beau Warren, Aaron Brown, Richard Graham, and Jaymes Brooks, the freshman from Newport News, Va.

Graham has been listed on the depth chart as the back-up to Duane Brown at left tackle, but today, Aaron Brown played left Tackle, and Graham spent the afternoon at right tackle behind Marshman and ahead of touted freshman Blake Dechristopher.

• There is still no word on the status of freshman offensive lineman William Alvarez, the 6-foot-5, 332-pounder from Woodbridge, Va., who is awaiting word from the NCAA's Clearinghouse. Tech's staff expects to know definitively on him by Friday at the latest.

Also, Roland Minor did not practice with the team today. Minor is still trying to clear up some academic issues.

• It was a semi-interesting day for freshman linebacker Hunter Ovens, as tonight at midnight marks the deadline that those drafted in Major League Baseball's amateur draft can sign with the team that drafted them. Ovens, a standout baseball player at Cardinal Mooney High in Bradenton, Fla., went in the 25th round to the San Diego Padres, but the 5-11, 199-pounder took himself out of the mix when he enrolled at Tech for the second summer session. Ovens, who fully expects to redshirt and spend a year learning the whip linebacker spot, has no regrets.

"I'm happy I was drafted," he said. "It was an accomplishment. I would have liked to have gone higher, but I'll play football and baseball here and see where it takes me."

• On the injury front, Barry Booker, a projected starter at defensive tackle, still hasn't been able to go full speed because of a toe injury. His injury may linger for a while.

Eric Davis and John Graves continue to nurse hamstring injuries and did very little today.

Soccer Buzz ranks Virginia Tech ninth out of 47 schools in its annual top-15 Mid-Atlantic Region preseason poll, which was released earlier this week.  The women will be facing a demanding schedule this year as seven  opponents are ranked in the top-30 national preseason poll with four squads in the top-15. Four other opponents are ranked along with Tech in the Mid-Atlantic region poll.

However, despite the challenges that lay ahead, the Hokies will have the advantage of hosting six of those teams at Virginia Tech Stadium, including non-conference opponent No. 24 Tennessee and ACC rivals No. 1 North Carolina, No. 8 Florida State and No. 13 Boston College.

Tech returns this season with 10 starters and will be bolstered with an incoming class of highly talented freshmen. The group of ten newcomers ranked No. 34 on Soccer Buzz's 2007 Top 100 Recruiting Classes and No. 5 in the Mid-Atlantic poll.

The Soccer Buzz polls can be located here.

Matt Wright joined the Virginia Tech football squad Tuesday afternoon for his first practice of the season. The redshirt freshman from Hampton, Va., practiced at linebacker and wore No. 34. He was in shorts, as he will be tomorrow. He will move into shoulder pads on Thursday and full pads on Sunday (there is no practice Friday).

The Hokie football team resumed practice on Monday following a day off on Sunday, and several previously injured players made their return to action.

Eddie Royal, Macho Harris, Barry Booker, Richard Graham and Mario Edwards were all back in uniform after missing time with various ailments. Royal and Harris got some work fielding punts in addition to their normal duties, while Graham and Edwards eased their way back into the mix following hamstring strains.

Booker (sprained toe) was still in a blue jersey, meaning his work was to be limited, but he is no longer in a boot and was able to get some reps in with the first-team defense.

Even Tech Director of Athletics Jim Weaver made an appearance, as the former Penn State center was seen giving some pointers to long snapper Bart McMillin.

Also of note, tailback Branden Ore is now listed as the co-No. 1 on the depth chart with Kenny Lewis, Jr. He had been listed at No. 3 since the start of camp because he returned from home in what the coaches deemed unsatisfactory physical condition.

Former Virginia Tech basketball player Coleman Collns has signed to play for EnBW Ludwigsburg,  in Ludwigsburg, Germany about 15 minutes outside of Stuttgart.

The former Hokie standout is the first of the seniors from last year's class to sign with a professional team. Collins graduated in May 2006 after his third season on the team and earned his master's degree in health promotions this past May, while playing his senior season.

Virginia Tech junior Brandon Corace (Naples, Fla.) overcame the intense heat over the weekend to win the USTA-Virginia State Hardcourt Championships in Richmond. Corace won all five of his singles contests without the loss of a set including a 6-4, 6-3, victory in the championship match over Dartmouth junior Andrew Kim. The title was the second of the summer for Corace after winning the Firecracker Open in Boca Raton, Fla. in July. In doubles action in Richmond, Corace teamed with former Tech player Brent Wilkins to win a marathon final, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (4), 7-6 (3), over Kevin Reichert and Phil Thacker.

The Virginia Tech men's and women's soccer teams began their preseason promptly at 12 a.m. Monday morning at the Johnson-Miller Track Complex on campus for conditioning testing and training in the first practice of the 2007 season.

After some agility drills this morning, the men hit the field to begin six consecutive days of two-a-day practices, running through Saturday.  They will play their lone exhibition match of the season against High Point University at 7 p.m. on Aug. 25 in Tech Soccer Stadium before kicking off the regular season against Virginia Commonwealth at 8 p.m. on Aug. 31 in Richmond, Va., as part of the VCU Nike/Alltel Classic.

Tech returns seven starters from last season's 11-8-1 squad, including Hermann Trophy Watch List candidate and College Soccer News Preseason First-Team All-American, Patrick Nyarko. The junior forward from Kumasi, Ghana established a new school record with 16 goals last season while earning All-Atlantic Coast Conference First-Team recognition for the second consecutive year.

The women continue preparations today for their upcoming home exhibition game against Miami (Ohio) at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 17. They will visit Vanderbilt the following Friday for the remaining exhibition game before kicking off the regular season on the road against regional rival Radford at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 31.

The experienced squad begins the season without the services of only one starter from last year's 6-8-4 team and welcomes a recruiting class that was ranked 34th in the nation by Soccer Buzz. Two of the returners include 2006 All-Mid-Atlantic Region honoree Laurie Beth Puglisi, who led the team with 21 points off seven goals and seven assists, and 2006 ACC All-Freshman honoree Julian Johnson, who set a single-season record for the women's team with 12 assists.    

Perhaps the most-sent question via email to the Athletics Communications Office this preseason has had the subject line of Jason Adjepong??????

A guy who showed promise last year as a true freshman suddenly disappeared off the roster after hurting his shoulder and having season-ending shoulder surgery after the North Carolina game.

Folks, Jason is still on the team and is looking as good as ever. He's just not listed as Jason Adjepong. He's gone from first on the alphabetical roster to almost last. Jason Adjepong is now Jason Worilds. He's still wearing No. 43 and he checked in on reporting day at 6-1, 257 pounds.

Days before the media guide was to go to printer, the Athletics Communications Office was informed by the football office of the change and had to scramble to make sure every Adjepong reference was changed to Worilds.

The second task was figuring out how to pronounce it. Jason informed us it's "Worlds" as the 'i' is silent.

And third, we wondered why the change?

"Worilds is my mom's last name [Sandra Worilds] and she's been by my side through thick and thin. I made the change to honor her. It's that simple; just my way of letting her know how much I care about her."

He received a medical redshirt and is now a redshirt freshman despite playing two games last year with four tackles and recovered a blocked punt at UNC, returning it 7 yards and nearly scoring a touchdown. In Tech's first scrimmage, he blocked a punt, forced and recovered a fumble that he would have returned 57 yards for a touchdown and had three total tackles.

So the player with the enormous potential coming out of Carteret, N.J., is still around. And after yesterday's scrimmage, fans are definitely excited to see Jason Adjepong Worilds back on the field this fall.

Here is a quick look at the injury report from assistant athletic trainer Chad Hyatt heading into Saturday's scrimmage:

Probable: Brandon Flowers (l. ankle tendonitis), Corey Gordon (neck), Richard Graham (r. hamstring), Josh Hyman (l. hamstring), D.J. Parker (l. shoulder), Carlton Weatherford (r. groin).

Questionable: John Graves (r. hamstring).

Out: Barry Booker (l. big toe), Andrew Bowman (r. knee), Eric Davis (l. hamstring), Mario Edwards (l. hamstring), Macho Harris (l. hamstring), Eddie Royal (r. hamstring).

Offensive lineman Graham had previously been questionable, but is going to try and give it a go on Saturday. Defensive tackle Booker was the only downgrade, as he is still in a boot treating his toe sprain. There is good news, however, for cornerback Harris and receiver/returner Royal. Hyatt said both are doing very well and each has begun to take reps in practice, but the staff is not ready to push them along prematurely.

Tech outfielder Jose Cueto recently completed a successful summer season with the Winchester Royals of the Valley Baseball League, and was named to the all-star team after ranking fourth in the league with a .328 batting average and fifth with a .537 on-base percentage.

The VBL is a wooden bat league that is funded in part by Major League Baseball, and features 11 teams throughout Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. Cueto helped the Royals to a fourth-place finish (26-21), and led the team with six home runs while adding eight doubles, 24 RBIs, 20 walks and 11 steals.

The rising senior hit .260 for the Hokies in 2007 while posting four round-trippers and 21 RBIs. He played in 48 games, starting 24 in right, 17 in left, and seven at designated hitter.

Information on the VBL can be found here.

The Virginia Tech volleyball team opened its fall practice on Wednesday with a double session in the back practice gyms of Cassell Coliseum.

After reporting to campus on Tuesday and going through team meetings, the 14-player roster hit the court at 9 a.m. today to begin preparations for the upcoming season. The Hokies would normally utilize the main floor of the Coliseum, but it is still a day or two away from being ready after being refinished late last week.

The two-and-a-half-hour morning practice was mostly a game of six-on-six as the players got back into the flow of game and worked off the summer rust. In the afternoon, the team broke up into positions to work on individual skills, with the middle blockers and setters working on attack, and the outside hitters and liberos concentrating on serve receive. The second session ended with another round of game play, and overall, the coaching staff said they saw some good things.

The Hokies put together a 17-14 record in 2006 to turn in their best season since 2002. Six newcomers will be added to the mix this season, although one - freshman walk-on Jess Emanuele - has already been lost for the season with a torn ACL suffered in the late summer. Two other freshmen, outside hitter Amy Wengrenovich and middle blocker Felicia Willoughby, are very athletic and should compete for playing time.

Tech will also gain the services of three others this fall. Transfers Jill Gergen (So., Nebraska-Kearney) and Kristen Cunningham (Jr., Kentucky) are eligible to play after redshirting last year. Cunningham, a middle blocker, spent the entire season in Blacksburg last year, while Gergen, a defensive specialist, worked out with the team in the spring. Walk-on sophomore Gemma Donovan also practiced with the squad in the spring.

The Hokies open the 2007 season Aug. 24-25 when they host the Hawthorn Suites Hokie Invitational at Cassell Coliseum. Tech will square off against William & Mary and VCU on the 24th, and Marshall on the 25th.

• Offensive lineman Will Alvarez (Woodbridge, Va.) reported to camp Wednesday afternoon for his first practice at Virginia Tech. According to head coach Frank Beamer: "Will is waiting to be cleared by the NCAA Clearinghouse. We feel confident that he will be cleared. Until then, he has 14 days to practice."

Alvarez is currently having a physical done so he can practice this afternoon. He checked in at 6-5, 332 pounds. He will work at offensive tackle, according to offensive line coach Curt Newsome. Alvarez will practice in shorts today and Thursday, shoulder pads on Friday and Saturday and go into full pads on Monday. There is no practice Sunday.

• Tailback Elan Lewis will undergo surgery on his right knee on Thursday to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Dr. Marc Siegel, team orthopedic surgeon, will perform the surgery at Montgomery Regional Hospital in Blacksburg. Lewis will sit out the entire 2007 season and is expected to return to full speed for spring practices in 2008.

• From the training room, assistant trainer Chad Hyatt updated the status of several players for Saturday's scrimmage, which is open to the public: Probable - Kwamaine Battle (r. shoulder), Brandon Flowers (l. ankle), Corey Gordon (neck), Austin Morris (r. groin), Cordarrow Thompson (hamstring) and Carlton Weatherford (r. groin); Questionable - Richard Graham (r. hamstring); Doubtful - Barry Booker (l. big toe sprain); Out - Andrew Bowman (r. knee), Eric Davis (l. hamstring), Mario Edwards (l. hamstring), Victor Harris (l. hamstring) and Eddie Royal (r. hamstring). These updates come before Wednesday's practice and could change by Saturday.

The Hokie football team practiced in full pads for the second time of the season on Tuesday, and the contact was in full force for several drills. Linebackers and running backs went one-on-one from a few yards apart with smash-mouth collisions encouraged. That was followed by the popular middle drill, where the offensive and defensive lines are brought in and every play called is your basic three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust. First-stringers went up against first-stringers, and it was evident that each side was out to prove something to its counterpart.

While most of the starters and upperclassmen did their normal conditioning at the end of practice, the freshmen and underclassmen fighting for playing time held a brief scrimmage to showcase what they could do.

"It went alright," head coach Frank Beamer said of the exhibition. "It's hard for some of the freshmen [to adjust to the college game], so we want to see if some of these young guys can play."

Freshman quarterback Tyrod Taylor took all of the snaps under center, and he looked elusive while impressing some of the onlooking upperclassmen.

One of his targets, although no balls were thrown his way, was No. 2 quarterback Ike Whitaker. Whitaker began working with the receivers on Monday in an experimental move to try to find him some time on the field. In no way is the move permanent - he's still second on the depth chart at quarterback - but he's getting the reps in to see if it's something that could be an option down the road.

The other telling story of the last two practices is the number of minor injuries that have a handful of guys in blue and green jerseys. There's been a cavalcade of hamstring strains that have hobbled WR Eddie Royal, FS Mario Edwards, CB Macho Harris, OL Richard Graham and OL Eric Davis. CB Brandon Flowers is in blue because of his steadily improving ankle, but he's been able to get some work in.

Three other players were out of action on Tuesday. According to assistant athletic trainer Chad Hyatt, LB Andrew Bowman had his knee drained to ease bursitis, and LB Corey Gordon was out due to a hyperextension in his neck suffered on Monday. Hyatt thinks Gordon should be good to go in a 3-4 days, but his outlook on DT Barry Booker is a bit less clear. Booker has a sprained big toe and will be in a boot for the time being. Hyatt said he's not likely to play in Saturday's scrimmage, and it's pretty much up to Booker as to when he feels good enough to play.

Former Virginia Tech men's tennis player Arvid Puranen (Lulea, Sweden) will make his pro debut this week in Vilnius, Lithuania on the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Futures tour. Puranen, named the Farnsworth/ITA Senior Player of the Year for the Northeast Region last season, was a member of the 2007 All-ACC team and concluded his Tech career with 68 singles victories. He will face fellow qualifier Luca Serena (Italy) in the opening round.

Puranen's results in the event are available at http://stevegtennis.com/results/2007/f-lithuania1.txt

Virginia Tech's women's lacrosse assistant coach Megan Burker was one of 24 players named to the 2007-08 United States Developmental women's lacrosse team following a three-day tryout at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County coordinated by US Lacrosse. A total of 98 players - including Hokies' junior midfielder Rachel Culp - competed in the tryout for the 24-player Elite and Developmental teams.

The next activity for the U.S. teams will be the Stars & Stripes Weekend in October. The event is slated to be held in Portland, Ore., and will feature competition against the University of California, the University of Oregon and Stanford University.

For a full roster of the two teams and more information on US Lacrosse, visit www.uslacrosse.org.  

• As released earlier, starting right tackle Ed Wang went down with a broken left ankle in practice Sunday and is expected to miss significant time.

According to offensive line coach Curt Newsome, the immediate plan is to move Nick Marshman out to Wang's spot, and to put Matt Welsh in at left guard.

Marshman had been backing up Richard Graham at left guard, but Graham is currently hobbled by a strained hamstring. Welsh, who has worked at guard in the past, was getting reps in as a backup center prior to Wang's injury.

With Marshman and Welsh now working with the starters, much of the backup squad is composed of freshmen, including redshirts Aaron Brown, Clark Crum, Barrett Mears and Beau Warren, and true freshmen Jaymes Brooks, Blake Dechristopher and Khalil Latif. Redshirt sophomores Hivera Green and Brandon Holland will also be in the mix as the upcoming practices play out.

• Updating an earlier report on the upcoming open scrimmages (Aug. 11 and 18), both practice sessions are scheduled to begin at 3:15 in Lane Stadium. Stretching and individual drills usually begin each practice, so the scrimmages should begin not much later, weather permitting. More details will be posted should they become available. Admission is free.

The Tech football team held its annual media day on Saturday at Lane Stadium, and more than 80 media members met with head coach Frank Beamer, his staff and the entire squad.

Following a half hour brunch at 10 a.m., Beamer spoke to the group before turning it over to his assistants for a position-by-position outlook. There were a few things that Beamer made sure to address.

• The team scrimmages in Lane Stadium on Sat., Aug. 11 and Sat., Aug. 18 will be open to the public. The goal is to make up for the absence of the spring game, where he normally tests his guys with the added pressure of fans in the bleachers. The special teams in particular need to get some work in, so expect there to be a lot of kicking during each of the scrimmages.

"I'm hoping that a lot of people will be here in the stands," Beamer said. "The more people that are here, the better indication we can get of how our kickers are going to perform."

• The team will hold a car wash on Aug. 17 in the softball/track parking lot across from Lane Stadium, in an effort to raise donations for the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund.

"I think this makes a statement that we personally care, and we want to do something to help the victims and their families," Beamer said.

• In addition to returning graduate assistant coaches James Miller and Cornell Brown, two other former Hokies - Zac Lowe and Anthony Midget - will join the team as GAs this season.

• Saturday was assistant coach Jim Cavanaugh's birthday. A few age-related barbs were traded between Cavanaugh, associate head coach Billy Hite and athletics director Jim Weaver, but a happy 59th goes out to the recruiting coordinator.

In addition to the assistant coaches, strength and conditioning coach Mike Gentry also spoke, and identified four seniors who were outstanding during offseason workouts. Although many players put in hours of effort in the weight room and on the practice field, Duane Brown, Xavier Adibi, Barry Booker and Carlton Weatherford all took their bodies and leadership to the next level.

The team photo was taken at noon, and like any group picture, it was an interesting affair. Tech photographer Dave Knachel barked out directions to several players, and Macho Harris in particular took some flak from his teammates for having a water bottle in clear view.

After individual headshots and group photos were done, the players and coaches were fair game for the print media on a well-groomed Worsham field, as Beamer met with the TV stations in the south end-zone media room.

The biggest huddle was not around any one player, but associate director of athletics communications Bryan Johnston. He possessed the master list of interview requests, and players were constantly tracking him down to see if they were free to go and get out of the heat.

The heat was indeed a topic of discussion for the third day in a row. Hite and much of the defensive line hid out in the shade of the southwest tunnel until an interview was needed. The team did not go through its traditional head-shaving process this year, and several seemed to be regretting it. A few players have some shaggy haircuts going on, but none more than offensive tackle Ed Wang, whose thick mane may be a good portion of his bulked-up 312-pound frame.

"Man, I'm burning up," he said. "But I'm gonna keep it going."

As 12:30 rolled around, many of the players began to ward off much of the print media and make a dent in Johnston's list. But just as some Hokies were ready to take off, Beamer's press conference let out and the camera crews spilled out of the southwest tunnel like the Corps of Cadets.

Without a doubt, the highlight of the day came when linebacker Vince Hall got a hold of one local outlet's digital camera. He suddenly became the most vocal reporter on the field, and knocked out roughly nine hilarious interviews in 10-15 minutes.

Hall was instantly the most photographed player of the day, as a horde of cameramen followed him around to witness his hijinks.

Among Hall's subjects were Cavanaugh, Harris, Eddie Royal, Branden Ore, Ike Whitaker, Carlton Powell, Bryan Stinespring and Bud Foster.

"You keep having your fun," Cavanaugh jokingly warned to Hall. "But this afternoon [at practice], you're mine."

As Hall finished up, so did the rest of the media, and a productive day of interviews was in the books. The team will hold it's third practice Saturday afternoon.

    The Hokie football squad wrapped up its second practice Friday afternoon on another hot and humid day. Like Thursday, things went well and the players were without pads as they worked themselves back into form before practicing in full armor on Monday. Some news and notes:

• As reported earlier, Elan Lewis will have season-ending surgery on the ACL of his right knee. It's been a rough couple of years for the redshirt sophomore, who's been bothered by the knee since arriving at Tech. Despite the bad news, he was still out at practice with his teammates in a helmet, cleats and shorts - albeit with a green jersey and a giant brace - watching drills and going through post-practice calisthenics.

• Speaking of post-practice, the players seemed to be in better spirits following Friday's conditioning session. Considering the heat, several guys said Thursday's sprint drills were among the toughest they've done. Was Friday any easier? Although still short of breath and dousing himself with water, offensive lineman Brandon Holland spoke for the group when he managed a nod of his head. Not much to say, so we'll take that as a maybe. There's still a lot of progress to make in the next month.

• One other roster move to report: Wide receiver Michael Reid suffered a knee injury on Thursday and will be unable to practice for the time being. Taking his spot on the roster will be freshman Dean Hill, a 6-0, 166-pound free safety from St. Stephen, S.C. Because of redshirt freshman Mario Edwards' hamstring injury on Thursday and his limited mobility, Hill finds himself third on the depth chart on his first day in uniform.

• According to head athletic trainer Mike Goforth, there was only one other minor injury to report. Defensive tackle Cordarrow Thompson has an aggravated hamstring, but he was still able to get some work in. Speaking of Goforth, he's been throwing balls to the running backs during their pass-catching drills the last two days. When asked if he might appear as the No. 5 QB on the depth chart, he quickly said no. "Maybe sixth, though," he quipped.

• For those of you who haven't seen it yet, the preseason USA TODAY Top 25 Coaches' Poll was released on Thursday, and the Hokies check in at No. 9. That ties their second-highest preseason ranking in the coaches' poll, as they also were voted ninth in 2001. Tech's best preseason ranking in either poll was an appearance at No. 7 in the 2005 coaches' poll.

    USC ranks No. 1 in the initial rankings. Tech's Sept. 8 opponent, LSU, claimed the No. 2 spot, and defending BCS-champion Florida sits third. Florida State was the only other ACC team to get ranked (21st), although Boston College, Georgia Tech, Miami, Wake Forest and Clemson were among the top teams 'also receiving votes.' At least one coach was in a jovial mood, as 0-12 Duke gathered one vote.

• The team will hold its annual media day on Saturday, as all coaches and players will be available for television, radio and print interviews. The event is closed to the public, but be on the lookout for a photo gallery on hokiesports.com sometime Saturday afternoon/evening.

Virginia Tech reserve running back Elan Lewis suffered a repeat injury of his right knee Thursday during practice, according to head athletic trainer Mike Goforth. Lewis, a redshirt sophomore from Hampton, Va., was evaluated by Dr. Marc Siegel Friday afternoon and it was determined that Lewis has suffered an injury to his ACL. He will be required to have season-ending surgery. The timing of the surgery will be determined in the next three days and will be performed by Siegel at Montgomery Regional Hospital in Blacksburg.

Lewis appeared in eight games last year, rushing for 47 yards on 28 carries. He scored on a 1-yard run against Georgia Tech.

The Virginia Tech football team held its first practice of the fall Thursday afternoon in the heat and on the practice fields behind the Jamerson Athletic Center as the Hokies begin preparations for their Sept. 1 opener against East Carolina.

On Wednesday evening, 103 players, including 23 newcomers (four walk-ons), reported to Blacksburg on the eve of the first practice. All of the players checked in, had their height and weights taken, were fitted for equipment and filled out the necessary forms. After dinner, the team convened at 8 p.m., for an organizational meeting.

Tech spent the first day in helmets, jerseys and shorts and practiced for more than two hours. The Hokies plan on practicing in full pads this Monday for the first time.

Tech's first practice went smoothly, and head coach Frank Beamer was pleased with his signal caller, Sean Glennon.

"I think he's more aware because he's a year older and it shows," Beamer said. "His understanding of the offense and where people are supposed to be is showing. I think he's a competitive quarterback. I think he's a very smart quarterback and I think he likes the job of being a quarterback at Virginia Tech."

The team will practice again on Friday afternoon. On Saturday, the coaching staff and the players will participate in Tech's annual media day, and then practice Saturday afternoon. All three are closed to the public.

Other notes from the first day of practice:

• If Thursday was any indication of how things will go the rest of preseason and the game week leading up to the ECU contest, the Hokies will receive plenty of media attention. Over 20 members of the press -- far higher than on most season's opening practice -- were in attendance to chronicle Tech's first practice since the tragedy of April 16. ESPN even sent a satellite truck and did a live report from practice during its College Football Live Show. With all the requests coming in from all corners of the country -- and further -- the Hokies will be in the spotlight leading up to Sept. 1.

• NCAA rules allow 105 players to report for camp. Receiver Michael Reid joined camp on Thursday morning to bring the total up to 104 players. The staff is hopeful freshman offensive lineman William Alvarez will be in camp by this weekend and he would be No. 105.

• Mario Edwards (hamstring) was the only injury on the day, according to head athletic trainer Mike Goforth.

• The Hokies didn't catch much of a break from a weather standpoint as camp opened. With the heat index in the low 90s, the training staff had their hands full. The inflatable pools filled with cold water and ice were the popular places to be after practice. Temperatures are expected to hover around 90 degrees with little chance of rain over then next week.

• In fall weight room testing, one position record was broken. Steven Friday broke the whip linebacker record with a 400-pound bench press. Kenny Younger was the lone Excalibur Award winner while eight Hokies -- Corey Gordon, Scott King, Dylan McGreevy, Devin Perez, Dorian Porch, Demetrius Taylor, Carlton Weatherford and Younger -- earned Super Iron Hokie honors.

• Of the recruits, several turned in eye-popping performances. Cornerback Cris Hill ran the fastest 40-yard dash, posting a time of 4.34. He also checked in with a body fat percentage of just 1.40 percent. Receiver Patrick Terry ran the 40-yard dash in 4.37 seconds while quarterback Tyrod Taylor was third at 4.39. Other impressive times were: Danny Coale (4.41), Ervin Garner (4.43) and Darren Evans (4.55).

• Taylor led the freshmen with a 39.5-inch vertical jump with Terry following just behind him at 39 inches. Lineman Blake DeChristopher led all the freshmen with a 410-pound bench press while Kwamaine Battle and Khalil Latif both maxed out at 400 pounds. 

Virginia Tech golfer Drew Weaver will have an eventful month of August, after returning to the States from his appearance last month in the British Open. The rising junior will play in the Cardinal Amateur August 9-12 at the Pete Dye-designed Cardinal Golf and Country Club in Greensboro, N.C.

The Cardinal will be Weaver's prep for the 2007 U.S. Amateur Championship, to be played at the Olympic Club in San Francisco August 20-26. Weaver finished 17th at the U.S. Junior Amateur at the Olympic Club in 2004.

Weaver gained a four-year exemption into the U.S. Amateur with his win at the 2007 British Amateur at Royal Lytham & St. Annes in June. The victory also gives Weaver a berth in the 2008 Masters.

Virginia Tech swimmer Sara Smith finished in 10th place in the 100m freestyle prelims Wednesday at the U.S. Swimming National Championships in Indianapolis, Ind. Her time of 56.17 seconds is an Olympic trial qualifying standard. Should she place in the top six at the trials, she would qualify for the U.S. Olympic team at the 2008 games in Beijing, China.

The Hokies are represented by nine swimmers at the national championships, which are being held July 31-August 4. You can follow results live via usswim.org.

Virginia Tech rising seniors Angela Tincher and Carolina Stolle of the softball team picked up national championships last weekend in Stratford, Conn. The two played for the Virginia Legends, an all-star squad that competed in the ASA Women's 23 and Under National Championship.

Tincher picked up the loss in pool play against Frozen Ropes, but rebounded from that point on to win three games in a row. She shut out the Stratford Brakettes, striking out eight, before pitching a two-hit shutout with six strikeouts in the semifinal against the Frozen Ropes. In the championship game, she entered the game in relief, picking up the 3-2 win in eight innings over the Brakettes again. For her performance, she was named an ASA All-American.

Stolle hit the ball well all weekend, picking up several doubles and key hits for a .250 average. In the championship game, she picked up two hits and drove in the game-tying run with a single to center, a game the Legends won in extra innings. She also had a double off first-team All-American Katie Burkhart of Arizona State in the tournament.