Virginia Tech's homecoming weekend is approaching, and will culminate with the Hokies' football game against North Carolina in Lane Stadium at 12 p.m. on Saturday. One of the main traditions of homecoming is the naming of a king and queen, and a pair of Tech student-athletes are in the running.

Bryan Collier (men's soccer) and Jessica Botzum (women's swimming) are a part of the 16-member court, and are both representing the Student Athlete Advisory Council. Voting takes place Sept. 26-27.

Click here for more information on Bryan.

Click here for more information on Jessica.

Click here for more information on VT Homecoming 2007.

Also, be sure to check out Friday evening's send-off/pep rally for the football team at 6 p.m. outside of Cassell Colisuem.

Virginia Tech women's cross country is rated 25th in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) poll, released Tuesday. The Hokies debuted at 20th in the Sept. 11 preseason poll.

The Hokies earned 82 points in the national poll and took fifth place in the USTFCCCA's Southeast Regional poll after ranking fourth in the preseason edition.

Stanford, the back-to-back NCAA champion, earned 10 first-place votes to top the national rankings while Atlantic Coast Conference members Virginia (No. 10), Florida State (No. 12), NC State (No. 16), Duke (No. 19) and Boston College (No. 26) were rated as well.

Virginia, NC State, Duke and Florida State finished ahead of the Hokies in the southeast region.

The men's team remained sixth in the Southeast Regional poll for the second consecutive week.

Tech's next meet is the William & Mary Invitational at 10 a.m. on Saturday in Williamsburg, Va.

2007 USTFCCA Division I Women's Cross Country National Poll
1. Stanford (10)       
2. Michigan             
3. Colorado (3)        
4.  Arkansas           
5. Wisconsin          
6. Arizona State          
7.  Illinois                   
8. Minnesota              
9. Michigan State       
10. Virginia        
11. Providence      
12. Florida State       
13. Princeton       
14. Iowa           
15. Georgia
16. NC State
17. Washington
18. Brigham Young
19. Duke
20. Georgetown
21. Colorado State
22. Baylor
23. Texas Tech
24. Oregon
25. Virginia Tech
26. Boston College
27. Notre Dame
28. Tennessee
29. Penn State
30. Florida

This Friday, Sept. 28th, from 6-6:45 p.m., there will be a send-off for the Hokie football team before it heads to the Hotel Roanoke in preparation for Saturday's ACC opener with North Carolina at Lane Stadium (12 p.m. kickoff).

Sponsored by the Student Alumni Associates, the event will take place outside of Cassell Coliseum by the west-side bus-loading area. It will be hosted by the Voice of the Hokies, Bill Roth, and will include:

Cheerleaders
High Techs
Low Techs
Dance Company at Virginia Tech
Highty Tighties
HokieBird
Homecoming Court
Promotional Giveaways
VTCC Hotel Company's Flaming VT and Ranger Company's Game Ball run

Coach Beamer and the team captains will also talk about the game, so see you at 6 p.m. on Friday outside the Cassell!

Virginia Tech head football coach Frank Beamer announced Tuesday that sophomore Brandon Holland is scheduled to get the start at right guard for this Saturday's game against the University of North Carolina.

Holland will be starting in place of fellow true sophomore Sergio Render, who has started the previous 17 games at the position. Render will not start or play in the first quarter.

It will be the first start for Holland, a 6-foot-4, 326-pounder, as he has served as a backup at guard this year and last. The Roanoke, Va., native has played in all four games on the field goal/PAT teams and in two games on offense in this year, including 31 snaps last week against William & Mary.

Beamer said the move is due to internal disciplinary actions and that there would be no further comment.

Kickoff at Lane Stadium/Worsham Field is set for noon. The game will be televised regionally by Lincoln Financial Sports/Raycom and on ESPN GamePlan.

Men's tennis player Sebastien Jacques was recently named Virginia Tech's Virginia Lottery Athlete of the Week for his efforts at this past weekend's Southern Intercollegiate Championships in Athens, Ga. In his first collegiate competition, the freshman from Magog, Quebec, Canada, won the Division III singles bracket by capturing five matches, including three on Sunday. He came back from a set down to win 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 over Vanderbilt's Alex Zatov in the title match. Here is a brief Q&A with Sebastien.

• How exciting was it to win your first collegiate event? Were you surprised?

"This was my first collegiate event so I didn't know what to expect, but I saw my draw and I knew I was capable of winning this tournament. It was a weird feeling to play my first match, but after my win, I was really excited. I kept the momentum going for all of the tournament and I was very happy to come back with my first title."

• Was it tough playing three matches on Sunday, especially when the title match went to three sets?

"When I found out that I was about to play three matches on Sunday, I knew it would be a great test for me. I didn't take it negatively because I know I'm in good shape and the further I get in the tournament, the more tired my opponents will be. In the final, I went to a decisive third set and still had some energy, which helped me come out with the win. It was a great experience."

• How are you enjoying your time at Virginia Tech so far?

"I'm having a great time so far at Virginia Tech. I'm getting used to the studying and the training at the same time. It's impressive to see how important sports are at Virginia Tech."

• When did you decide that you wanted to play collegiate tennis in the U.S., and how did you end up coming to Virginia Tech?

"Since I was 14 years old, I've thought about coming to an American university to play tennis. I knew it was a great way to improve my tennis skills and also pursue my studies. My friend and hitting partner, Francis-Antoine Huot, played for Virginia Tech a few years ago and got me in contact with Coach Thompson."

With a 61'2 3/4" (18.66m) effort in the shot put, Virginia Tech track and field administrative assistant Cleopatra Borel-Brown took fifth place at the International Association of Athletics Federation/VTB Bank World Athletics Final on Sunday in Stuttgart, Germany.

After marking at 58'11 1/2" (17.97m) in her first attempt before launching her best effort of the meet, 61'2 3/4" (18.66m) in the second round. She scratched her third attempt and finished up the competition with a 59'2 1/4" (18.04m) mark.          

Borel-Brown is currently ranked 14th on the world's 2007 outdoor shot put list and her best performance this year ranks as the world's 58th-longest recorded mark, 62'0 1/2" (18.91m).

She won the bronze medal in the shot put this summer 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 is in 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.

Thanks to a change in the NCAA rules, true freshman Chris Drager is now eligible for a medical hardship waiver. Prior to this year, the NCAA moved the maximum number of games played and still be eligible for the waiver from three games to four.

According to Tech compliance director Tim Parker, a player cannot play in more than 30 percent of the team's regular season schedule. Thirty percent of 12 games is 3.6 contests, but the NCAA now rounds that number up to four games.

Drager sprained the MCL and partially tore the ACL in his right knee in Tech's win over William & Mary yesterday - the fourth game of the season. The Tech staff will apply for the hardship waiver, and Drager should receive it, as long as he doesn't come back this year and play any more.

Tech tight end Chris Drager, a 6-foot-4, 235-pound freshman from Jefferson Hills, Pa., injured his knee late in the Hokies' victory over William & Mary on Saturday afternoon. Drager injured the knee while being tackled after a 9-yard catch late in the game. Mike Goforth, Tech's assistant AD for athletic training, initially diagnosed the injury as a sprained medial collateral ligament, but will know more tomorrow.

Drager will undergo an MRI on Sunday morning at 11 a.m., to determine the damage to the MCL, as well as to see if he tore the ACL in the knee. If he did, he will be out for the rest of the season.

"He's a promising freshman and I hated to see that happen," Tech head coach Frank Beamer said. "If it's what they [the sports medicine staff] think, he'll be done for the year."

Beamer indicated that he will be checking on the possibility of getting a medical hardship waiver for Drager, though Drager may not be able to get it because he's played in every game this season. A medical hardship waiver would enable Drager to still have four years of eligibility to play.

Head coach Ned Skinner and the 2007-08 swimming & diving team invite fans to come get an early look at this year's H2okie squad on Friday at the War Memorial Pool during the Pentathlon, a scrimmage held every year weeks before the official season begins.

The men and women will be competing in five separate events - 100 Butterfly, 100 Backstroke, 100 Breaststroke, 100 Freestyle and the 200 IM.

Also, all of the divers will showcase their swimming skills in their own 50 Freestyle competition.   

The event begins at 3:30 p.m.

Join the Marching Virginians, the University Jazz Orchestra, and the University Symphonic Wind Ensemble for The Marching Virginians Band-A-Rama Scholarship Benefit Spectacular on Friday, September 21.  The 7:30 p.m. concert in Burruss Auditorium will feature almost five hundred talented student-musicians as they celebrate the sights and sounds of the bands of Virginia Tech.   

Narrated by Tony Distler, the voice of the Marching Virginians, the concert offers a wide-angle look at the music of Virginia Tech, ranging from the spirited charts performed by the Jazz Ensemble, through the contemporary band compositions played by the University Symphonic Wind Ensemble.  The Marching Virginians will conclude the program with a number of high-energy works from their season supporting Hokie football.

Tickets ($10) are available from the Department of Music or at the door on September 21.  All proceeds will support scholarships in the Department of Music.

Three Virginia Tech student-athlete alumni - Abraham Billy Hardee ('03, football and baseball), Spencer Harris ('03, baseball), and Jill Turner ('03, swimming) - are featured in a newly-released book, "The College Athlete's Guide to Academic Success: Tips from Peers and Profs."

The book is published by Pearson Prentice Hall with a foreword by NCAA President Myles Brand, and it offers insights from 35 scholar athletes who have graduated from 16 universities nationwide, along with time-tested advice from two college faculty members with decades of experience teaching and mentoring student-athletes.

The No. 19 Virginia Tech men's soccer team went to 2-0 over the weekend to claim the title at the Level 3 Golden Hurricane Classic, defeating host Tulsa 3-2 on Friday then Oral Roberts 3-1 on Sunday.

Tech (5-1, 1-0 ACC) also went 2-0 in its Hawthorn Suites Hokie Invitational on Sept. 7-9, and has now won five consecutive matches, which ties for the second-longest streak in school history.

Senior co-captain and midfielder Ben Nason was named tournament MVP, while senior defender Marcus Reed, junior forward Patrick Nyarko and freshman forward Terry Boland joined him on the 11-man all-tournament roster selected by the coaches.

The Hokies play on Saturday against William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va., at 7 p.m.

2007 Level 3 Golden Hurricane Classic All-Tournament Team

Ben Nason (Virginia Tech)
Marcus Reed (Virginia Tech)
Patrick Nyarko (Virginia Tech)
Terry Boland (Virginia Tech)
Chris Clements (Tulsa)
Zach Nulisch (Tulsa)
Eric DeFreitas (Tulsa)
Gary Duran (Oral Roberts)
Brian Beckford (Oral Roberts)
Johannes Demarzi (Missouri State)
Brian Collins (Missouri State)

Tournament MVP: Ben Nason (Virginia Tech)

Fresh off a week of tryouts in Chula Vista, Calif., the United States Olympic Committee and USA Softball will announce the 18-members of the 2008 Olympic Softball Team Monday afternoon.

Virginia Tech senior Angela Tincher was one of 10 pitchers at the camp and each pitcher threw twice. Tincher threw on Wednesday and Friday, getting the win both times. In Friday's game, she gave up just three hits, walked none and struck out four. 

Speculation is that USA Softball will five pitchers on the team, but may only take four. Once the team is selected, it will reconvene to train throughout the fall and begin a tour in the spring against college and pro teams around the country. One of those exhibition contests will be in Salem, Va., at Kiwanis Park in mid-summer.

The 18-player roster must be cut down to 15 before the Olympics with the three not making it serving as alternates. An alternate trains with the team and participates in the tour and travels to China, but doesn't stay in the Olympic Village and doesn't get to dress for the games.

Fans can check the USA Softball Web site for the team when it is announced.

Friday night's men's soccer match between the No. 19 Hokies and No. 23 Tulsa marks the first time that a Virginia Tech soccer team has been broadcast on TV.

The game, which is being played at Tulsa's Level 3 Golden Hurricane Classic, will begin at 8 p.m. EST and will be carried by Fox Soccer Channel.

Fox Soccer Channel is channel 613 on DirectTV and channel 149 on Dish Network. Channel numbers vary on cable providers including Comcast, Time Warner, Cox, etc.

The women's team will make its first TV appearance, also on Fox Soccer Channel, on Oct. 18 when the Hokies visit ACC-rival Virginia.

Be sure to tune in if you have access to FSC!

According to the latest depth chart issued by the Virginia Tech football coaching staff, redshirt senior Kory Robertson is scheduled to get the start at defensive tackle this Saturday when the Hokies play host to Ohio University.

It will be the first start of the 6-foot-2, 342-pounder's career, as he has served as a backup at tackle for the past three-plus seasons. The Martinsville, Va., native played in all 13 games in 2006, recording 16 tackles, including two for loss and one sack. He has made two stops thus far in 2007.

The move was confirmed by defensive line coach Charley Wiles, and Robertson will be starting in place of fellow redshirt senior Carlton Powell, who has started the previous 15 games at the position.

Kickoff at Lane Stadium/Worsham Field is set for 1:30 p.m. The game will not be televised live, but will be available on ESPN360, an internet-only broadcast.

Virginia Tech women's cross country is ranked 20th in the first U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) poll, released Tuesday. The Hokies totaled 143 points after placing 18th at last season's NCAA Championships. 

The Hokies were also ranked fourth in the USTFCCCA's Southeast Regional poll after finishing in third place at last season's regional meet.

Stanford, the back-to-back NCAA champion, earned nine first-place votes to top the national rankings while Atlantic Coast Conference members Virginia (No. 11), Florida State (No. 12), NC State (No. 15), Duke (No. 17) and Boston College (No. 28) were rated as well.

Virginia (No. 1), Florida State (No. 2) and NC State (No. 15) finished ahead of the Hokies in the southeast region.

The men's team appeared sixth in the Southeast Regional poll, while the women were fourth.

Tech's men's team finished first while the women's team came in second place in the season-opening meet at the Wake Forest Relays. The Hokies produced a pair of first-place finishes in the Virginia Tech Invitational last Saturday at Tech Cross Country Course. Tech next runs at 11 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 21, at the Lenoir-Rhyne Invitational in Newton, N.C.

 

Women's soccer goalkeeper Ashley Owens was recently named Virginia Tech's Virginia Lottery Athlete of the Week for her efforts in this past weekend's Hawthorn Suites Hokie Invitational. The Greensboro, N.C., native tied a career high with seven saves in the Hokies' 2-1 upset win over No. 13 Tennessee, and then added five more in a 1-1 tie with Loyola (Md.). She is currently second in the ACC with 19 saves. Here is a brief Q&A with the redshirt junior.

• You guys jumped out to an early lead in the win over Tennessee. What was going through your mind as the clock wound down and it became imminent that you could pull off the upset?

"At halftime, I was on such an adrenaline rush that it didn't even phase me, but a few times during the second half, I found myself looking at the clock and hoping it would just get to zero.  I kept having to calm myself down by refocusing on finishing out the game!"

• You made some key saves in the win, but in what other ways does a goalkeeper - and you in particular - impact the overall outcome of a game?

"As a goalkeeper, it's sometimes hard to find a way to be a leader by my actions because I can't necessarily make the first tackle or score a goal to pump up the team; instead, I focus on making those types of saves to get my team fired up.  One of the most important things I try to do is stay connected to each of the players on the field through my communication and body language."

• What are you most looking forward to as the highly-ranked ACC opponents approach on the schedule, and can Hokie fans expect excitement like with the Tennessee game?

"I am most looking forward to just getting the chance to be back out there playing against the ACC teams - it is a very competitive soccer conference and anything can happen! This year, we are taking the season one game at a time, so I am really looking forward to game No. 7 [including the two exhibition games] and then we'll just have to go from there. I think that fans can definitely expect more games like the Tennessee game as we get into our ACC competition."

Behind the strength of a three-match winning streak, including a 2-1 double-overtime win over then-No. 19 Clemson in Friday's ACC opener, the Virginia Tech men's soccer team made its first appearance of the season in the NSCAA/adidas National Men's Soccer Poll on Tuesday at No. 19. The Hokies were also voted third in the South Atlantic region.

Tech went 2-0 against Clemson and St. John's over the weekend to claim the Hawthorn Suites Hokie Invitational crown. Junior forward Robert Edmans scored the first points of his career over the weekend, totaling four in two matches. He was named Tournament MVP after assisting on the game winner against Clemson then scoring the game-winning tally against St. John's.

The 6-6 striker from Essex, England earned ACC Men's Soccer Player of the Week honors and was also one of 11 players included on the College Soccer News National Team of the Week. Edmans became the first Tech player to earn such recognition since Patrick Nyarko on Oct. 31, 2005.

The Hokies' match against Tulsa at 8 p.m. ET on Friday in Tulsa, Okla., will be the program's first-ever  television appearance and can be seen as part of the NSCAA's College Match of the Week coverage on Fox Soccer Channel.

• Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer announced Monday morning on his weekly teleconference that true freshman Tyrod Taylor (Hampton, Va.) will get the start Saturday against Ohio University.

• Taylor will become the first true freshman to start at quarterback in the Beamer Era (1987-present).

• Taylor takes over for Sean Glennon (r-Jr., Centreville, Va.), who has started the last 15 games for Tech. Glennon is the last true freshman to play at quarterback for Tech, playing in four games in 2004 before redshirting in 2005.

• The last true freshman to start at quarterback for Tech was Todd Greenwood in 1982. He enrolled at Tech in January of 1982 and went through spring practice before starting eight games that fall. The last true freshman who enrolled at Tech in the summer and went on to start that year at quarterback was Steve Casey, who started two games in 1978.

Virginia Tech pitcher Angela Tincher left Monday morning for Chula Vista, Calif., for the U.S. Olympic tryouts, to be held Tuesday through Friday of this week. This will be the third trip to the Olympic Softball Training Center for the senior from Eagle Rock, Va. She went to California in 2006 for the World University Games tryouts and then again this summer for the Pan Am Games tryouts.

Tincher will be looking to make the U.S. Olympic Softball team, which will compete in Beijing next summer in the 2008 Olympics. The committee will choose 15 players, plus three alternates, for the team. Should Tincher make the team, she would miss the Hokies' 2008 season and would have to take an Olympic redshirt and return for the 2009 season.

A total of 32 players have been invited to attend this camp. The invitees for the 2008 USA Softball Women's National Team Selection Camp are:

*Monica Abbott (Salinas, Calif.) - Tennessee
*Laura Berg (Santa Fe Springs, Calif.) - Fresno State
Katie Burkhart (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) - Arizona State
*Crystl Bustos (Canyon Country, Calif.) - Palm Beach C.C.
Eileen Canney (Paradise, Calif. ) - Northwestern
Kaitlin Cochran (Yorba Linda, Calif.) - Arizona State
*Andrea Duran (Selma, Calif.) - UCLA
Lisa Fernandez (Long Beach Calif.) - UCLA
*Jennie Finch (La Mirada, Calif.) - Arizona
*Tairia Flowers (Tucson, Ariz.) - UCLA
Kristie Fox (San Diego, Calif.) - Arizona
Amanda Freed (Cypress, Calif.) - UCLA
*Vicky Galindo (Union City, Calif.) - California
Ashley Hansen (Chandler, Ariz.) - Corona del Sol H.S.
*Alicia Hollowell (Suisun, Calif.) - Arizona
*Lovieanne Jung (Fountain Valley, Calif.) - Arizona
*Kelly Kretschman (Indian Harbour Beach, Fla.) - Alabama
*Lauren Lappin (Anaheim, Calif.) - Stanford
Brittany Lastrapes (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) - Laguna Hills H.S./Arizona
*Caitlin Lowe (Tustin, Calif.) - Arizona
*Jessica Mendoza (Camarillo, Calif.) - Stanford
Ashley Monceaux (Tucson, Ariz.) - Baylor
Taryne Mowatt (Corona, Calif.) - Arizona
Stacey Nuveman (La Verne, Calif.) - UCLA
*Cat Osterman (Houston, Texas) - Texas
*Jennie Ritter (Dexter, Mich.) - Michigan
Lindsay Schutzler (Monterey, Calif.) - Tennessee
Angela Tincher (Eagle Rock, Va.) - Virginia Tech
*Jenny Topping (Whittier, Calif.) - Cal State Fullerton
Mackenzie Vandergeest (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) - Arizona
*Natasha Watley (Irvine, Calif.) - UCLA
Kristen Zaleski (Temple, Texas) - Texas State

*Member of the 2007 USA Softball Women's National Team.
Pitchers are bolded.

The roster for the 2008 USA Softball Women's National Team will be announced on Sept. 17 and the selected team will begin training together in late September.

The Virginia Tech men's soccer team went 2-0 to win the Hawthorn Suites Hokie Invitational this weekend at Tech Soccer Stadium. The Hokies improved to 3-1 this season after defeating No. 19 Clemson, 2-1, in double overtime on Friday then beat St. John's 2-1 on Saturday.

 

Robert Edmans, a 6-6 junior forward from Essex, England, scored his first career goal and distributed two assists in the to matches to earn the Tournament Most Valuable Player Award. He assisted Ben Nason on the game-winning goal against the Tigers then scored the game-winner himself against the Red Storm. Edmans is now second on the team with four points through the first four games of this season.

 

Clemson finished second with a 1-1-0 mark, followed by St. John's and VCU, who both finished the weekend with 0-1-1 records.

 

The Hokies' next match will kick off the men's college game of the week coverage on Fox Soccer Channel against Tulsa at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 14 in Tulsa, Okla., as part of the Great Western Plaza Hurricane Classic.

 

2007 Hawthorn Suites Hokie Invitational All-Tournament Team

 

Brendan Dunn, GK, Virginia Tech

Robert Edmans, F, Virginia Tech

Ben Nason, MF, Virginia Tech

Marcus Reed, D, Virginia Tech

Joe Bendick, GK, Clemson

Greg Eckhardt, D, Clemson

Tate Parrish, MF, Clemson

Dirk Dittrich, D, VCU

Jorit Loehr, D, VCU

Alexander Ivo, MF, St. John's

David Reed, D, St. John's

 

Tournament MVP: Robert Edmans, F, Virginia Tech

The final day of the Ferris Baker Watts CCL/UNCW Invitational in Wilmington, N.C. was washed out Sunday due to heavy rains from Tropical Storm Gabrielle. The Hokies doubles duo of Jessica Brouwer (Jr., Maarssen, Netherlands)/Abbey Walker (Jr., Lancaster, S.C.) had advanced to the Teal Flight finals following two wins on Saturday. Brouwer, Walker and Bethan James (Sr., Flintshire, UK) were all scheduled to play in consolation singles matches on Sunday as well.

The Hokies will return to action, Sept. 21-23, when several members of the team will travel to Philadelphia, Pa. to participate in the Cissie Leary Invitational.

The Virginia Tech duo of Nicolas Delgado (Jr., Madrid, Spain) and Pedro Graber (So., Santiago, Chile) are ranked No. 3 in the nation in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) fall rankings. The Tech doubles team posted an outstanding 21-6 record last year, including a 20-5 mark in dual matches, and advanced to the Round of 16 at the NCAA Championships. The No. 3 ranking is the highest for a Tech doubles team in the history of the program. The Tech pair were also selected to participate in the main draw of the ITA All-American, the premier fall collegiate tennis event, in Tulsa, Okla, Oct. 4-7.

In other men's tennis news, Albert Larregola (Sr., Lleida, Spain) was ranked No. 100 in the ITA fall rankings.Larregola posted a 21-7 worksheet last year in singles contests including a 17-5 mark in dual matches. Additionally, Larregola was selected to participate in the qualifiying singles at the ITA All-American, Oct. 1-3, along with teammates Delgado and Graber.

Both the men's and women's soccer teams will be in action this weekend as they host the Hawthorn Suites Hokie Invitationals at Tech Soccer Stadium.  On Friday, the women kickoff at 5:30 p.m. against the Volunteers of Tennessee, while the men follow at 8 p.m. against the Clemson Tigers.  Come out early and you could receive a free 2007 Soccer Schedule Magnet!

On Saturday, the men will be back on the field as they play St. John's at 8 p.m.  Be one of the first 250 fans and you'll receive a free Virginia Tech Soccer Keychain! All Kids' Club members can receive a free prize if they wear their 2007 T-shirt!

On Sunday, the women close out the tournaments with a game at 4 p.m. vs. Loyola (Md.). Come out and support your Hokies all weekend long!

Baton Rouge City Police and LSU Police have listed the best traffic routes for motorists driving to Tiger Stadium for LSU football games. To report traffic problems, call LSU Police at (225) 578-3231.
 
APPROACHING CAMPUS:
From the North
If approaching the stadium from the north, use either River Road, Nicholson Drive, Highland Road or Dalrymple Drive. From these routes, parking will be available north of the stadium, on Nicholson Drive near the Carl Maddox Fieldhouse, at Kirby Smith dormitory lots off Aster and Roosevelt Streets, or at the Pleasant Hall lots on Dalrymple Drive.
 
From the East or South
If approaching the stadium from east or south, use either College Drive, Acadian/Stanford exit, Highland Road or Burbank Drive and Nicholson Drive.  Parking for those using these routes is available on Gourrier Lane south of the stadium, off River Road near the Mississippi River and or additional lots east of the stadium in the vicinity of the John M. Parker Coliseum.
 
From South on Nicholson/Burbank
Fans coming from the south on Nicholson Drive or Burbank will be routed to Gourrier Lane, then River Road.
 
One-Way Traffic to Stadium (90 minutes prior to kickoff)
Approximately ninety minutes prior to kickoff, police will direct one-way traffic only toward Tiger Stadium on Highland Road from Lee Drive, on West Lakeshore Drive from Stanford, on Nicholson Drive Extension from Parker Boulevard and on Dalrymple Drive from the I-10 overpass.
 
EXITING CAMPUS:
Going South
After the game, southbound traffic from the stadium will be directed onto Nicholson Drive, Burbank Drive or to River Road. Fans going south on Burbank Drive from the stadium after the game will be able to get to Highland Road or Nicholson Drive at Gardere Lane only.  Traffic will be one-way in both lanes going south on Nicholson Drive from Brightside Drive/West Lee Drive to Bluebonnet Blvd.  Traffic on Burbank will be two-way traffic.
 
Going North
After the game, northbound traffic west of Tiger Stadium will be directed onto Nicholson Drive or to River Road.  Northbound traffic east of Tiger Stadium will be directed onto Highland Road.

Senior libero Amanda Cloyd was recently named Virginia Tech's Virginia Lottery Athlete of the Week for her efforts at the St. John's Volleyball Invitational. The Muncie, Ind., native tallied 65 digs during the four-game tournament to break Tech's all-time digs record with a total of 1,712. Here is a brief Q&A with the defensive specialist.

• What does it feel like to know that no one in the history of Virginia Tech volleyball has recorded more digs than you, and were you aware that it was a record that you were approaching?

It is definitely exciting for me, but I also realize that records are made to be broken. The libero position is relatively new in college volleyball, and I know that there will be a lot of players in the near future to come through this program who will continue to raise the bar both for the position and the program as a whole. I knew that the record was approaching, but only because my parents (and biggest fans) kept me updated.

• How would you describe your defensive position of libero to someone who isn't completely familiar with the game?

The libero position gives defensive players who aren't tall enough or strong enough to attack and play front row a chance to be in the game at all times and help be a leader for the backcourt. The libero plays all six rotations, only coming out to let one of the front-row players serve. Liberos can't jump to attack or set hitters from the front row. It is a strictly defensive position, and the different colored jersey distinguishes them and allows them to come in and out of the game without using substitutions.

• What are you most looking forward to in your senior season, and what can the fans expect to see when they come to watch the Hokies at Cassell Coliseum?

I'm just looking forward to starting our conference schedule. We have made huge strides since last year and are a deeper and more well-rounded team than we ever have been. I think we have a legitimate shot at finishing at the top of the conference and making the NCAA tournament. The fans can expect a lot of energy from our team, and we feed off our crowd, who has always been great through the years. I hope to give our fans a team they can truly be proud of and excited about supporting. This year more than ever, I think VT Volleyball embodies "Hokie Pride."

Virginia Tech quarterback Sean Glennon got a special phone call Saturday afternoon while sitting in the locker room getting dressed to go home following Tech's 17-7 win over East Carolina.

"I almost didn't answer the phone because I had just finished doing an hour of interviews and the number on the screen was restricted," Glennon said. "I thought it was another reporter, but I went ahead and answered it."

He admits he's glad he did now as on the other end was New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who called to congratulate him on the win and the way he handled being an unofficial spokesman for the team following the April 16 attacks on campus.

"He said I did a good job of bouncing back in the second half after a rough start and congratulated us on the win," Glennon said.

Glennon said it sounded like Brady's voice, so he figured it had to be him, but was still a little in shock of getting the call. He figures Brady got his number from a family friend who is a sports writer up in the New England area, but was still surprised. He was even more surprised that people knew about the call.

"I've told maybe three people about it," Glennon said. "I worked at the Manning camp this summer and now got this phone call, so I've met or talked to my two quarterback idols now."

Brady seemed surprised as well about people knowing about the call. He was asked about it at his Monday press conference.

"How'd you know about that? I think everybody looked at that situation at Virginia Tech," Brady said. "I was watching a lot of that game and the excitement of the fans and the school to be back on the field and represent Virginia Tech in a really positive [way]. I thought [Glennon] did a great job leading the team and I just conveyed my thoughts in watching the game. It looks like he's a great young quarterback."

The Virginia Tech men's basketball team defeated the London All-Stars, 75-60, in the exhibition opener in Windsor, Ontario Saturday afternoon. Deron Washington led the Hokies with 18 points. A.D. Vassallo had 15 points and 13 rebounds and freshman Jeff Allen scored 15 points and seven rebounds.

The Hokies play the host University of Windsor tonight at 8 p.m. and wind up their Canadian trip against Windsor at noon on Sunday.