January 21, 2002

BLACKSBURG, Va. -- The Virginia Tech Women's Basketball team moved up in both national polls Monday after increasing its winning streak to 12 games. Tech improved to No. 16 in the Associated Press Top 25 and No. 17 in the USA TODAY/ESPN Coaches Top 25. The Hokies were ranked No. 21 last week in the AP Poll and No. 20 in the coaches poll.

Virginia Tech's (15-2, 6-0) current winning streak is the second longest in the program's history. The Hokies opened the 1998-99 season with a school record 18-game unbeaten streak. Tech's highest-ever ranking occurred on February 15, 1999 when the Hokies were ranked ninth in the AP poll and 11th in the coaches poll.

Tech plays at Syracuse (10-6, 3-2) Wednesday at 7 p.m. in a key BIG EAST game then travels to South Bend, Ind. for a 6 p.m. Saturday contest at Notre Dame. The Notre Dame game is part of the BIG EAST television package and will be shown locally by Fox 21/27. The Fighting Irish have won 46 consecutive games at home and are 51-3 in BIG EAST games at the Joyce Center.

The Hokies have four of five starters averaging in double figures led by Ieva Kublina (6-4, So., C, Riga, Latvia) with 13.4 followed by Chrystal Starling (5-11, Jr., G, Syracuse, N.Y.) with 13.1 points. Other Hokies in double figures include Sarah Hicks (6-0, Sr., F, Roanoke, Va.) and Nicole Jones (6-1, Sr., F, Vienna, Va.) with 12.7 and 10.8 points respectively.

Under Coach Bonnie Henrickson, the Hokies were ranked 20-straight weeks in the nation's Top 25 in both polls, dating from Dec. 7, 1998 to Dec. 20, 1999. Tech received votes several weeks after they dropped out but never broke the Top 25 the remainder of last season. Since Henrickson became the head coach in 1997, the Hokies were ranked for the first time in the 1998-99 preseason poll, ranking 22nd in Street & Smith's preseason publication. The Hokies also received 23 votes in The Associated Press Top 25 poll and 18 votes in the USA Today/ESPN poll. Tech continued to receive votes until reaching Top 25 status in both polls, ranking 22nd. The Hokies stayed in both polls the entire season, reaching as high as ninth in the Associated Press Poll and 11th in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll on February 15.

Tech received its first-ever ranking on January 17, 1995, when the Hokies entered the USA Today/CNN/Coaches Poll at No. 24. Tech was ranked 23rd the following week and entered The Associated Press poll at No. 25. The Hokies fell out of the ranking the next week for the remainder of the year.