Blacksburg, VA- “You can’t win them all unless you win the first one.”

For this new look Virginia Tech women’s side, a dominant win was needed to bring Hokie fans onside. And for first-year head coach Megan Duffy that is exactly what she got after a dominant 99-57 win over University of North Carolina Wilmington Monday evening.

Michigan State transfer guard Matilda Ekh notched a quickfire three just seconds after tipoff, very quickly raising the energy levels of a Cassell Coliseum that was begging to see a near-perfect night.

“It was fun. it’s been like, I don’t know eight months since we played someone else in here. So it was fun. We’ve been waiting a long time,” quoted Ekh after her season-opening 18 points.

The Hokies exuded what a team in control is expected of doing. When Tech wanted the game fast, they pumped up the tempo and found themselves going on spurts that saw quick passing movements and backdoor cuts that were open allowing over 60 points tallied in the paint on the night.

“That’s also something we have been talking about, I feel like in the preseason. We got stuck on, like, shooting threes and sometimes, you know, not getting to the paint. So that was something we talked about before coming into the game: we have to get paint touches,” quoted Ekh.

Yet, when Duffy wanted to slow things down, you still saw the ball never stick, quick passes were still the name of the game, and Seahawk defenders could never rest as even though the clock was ticking down, the Hokies were moving at electric rates which kept UNCW guessing.

By the end of the first half, Tech held a firm 55-23 score, and even when the Seahawks tallied 23 points in the third period alone, it was a steady reminder of where this squad is at.

“This is exactly what we wanted. It wasn’t perfect, but it doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s the first game season, which is long, but I think the most important thing is that we played hard and played together, which has been our emphasis all summer. 

Five Hokies tacked over 10 points Monday, with production bearing spearheaded by Ekh who led all scorers with 18, being closely followed by Carleigh Wenzel, Carys Baker, and Rose Micheaux who each tacked on an additional 14.

“People are fighting for time in minutes, and there’s a competitiveness about our young players. There’s obviously some vets and new roles, and so I just felt really good about today where we had at different points a ton of people stepping up,” said a relieved Duffy following her first win in Blacksburg.

Up next for the Hokies is a trip to Charlotte, North Carolina against the Iowa Hawkeyes, in this years Ally Tipoff, the Hokies take the second game as defending national champions South Carolina face off against ACC foe North Carolina State earlier on Sunday.

Additional Links:

Virginia Tech Football: Brent Pry Updates Health of Kyron Drones and Bhayshul Tuten

Virginia Tech Football: Three Things Virginia Tech Must Fix Ahead Of It’s Matchup With Clemson

NFL Trade Deadline: Former Hokies Running Back Khalil Herbert Traded To AFC Contender

• “Virginia reaches $29 million opioid settlement with Kroger.” — WDBJ

• “Irvo Otieno’s mom weeps on his grave after hearing cases likely to be dropped.” — Richmond Times-Dispatch

• “Virginia constitutional amendment could expand property tax exemptions for military spouses.”—WAVY

• “Roanoke lags state, nation in most health outcome data.”—Roanoke Times

• “Convicted killer clown arrested in Virginia released from prison for the murder of her husband’s then-wife.” — The Virginian-Pilot

Virginia Cavaliers On SI is back with another edition of Wahoos Weekly, a one-stop shop for UVA fans to see the complete schedule of Cavalier sporting events every week, updated with final scores following the conclusion of each event. This week’s Wahoo sports schedule features events for the Virginia men’s soccer, field hockey, volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s tennis, wrestling, and rowing teams.

This week’s UVA sports schedule is highlighted by the much anticipated season openers for both the Virginia men’s and women’s basketball teams at John Paul Jones Arena, a couple of big matches for the UVA volleyball team, who faces Virginia Tech on Wednesday and Friday in the Commonwealth Clash, the Virginia wrestling team competing on an aircraft carrier at the inaugural Throwdown on the Yorktown in Charleston, and the UVA field hockey and men’s soccer teams beginning play in their respective ACC Championships.

Click here to see last week’s edition of Wahoos Weekly.

See below for the full schedule of UVA sporting events for the week of November 4-10, including details on how to watch each event. Refresh the page for final scores for each game.

Women’s Basketball: American 68, Virginia 104 | Recap

12:30pm: Field Hockey vs. Syracuse – ACC Quarterfinals, Kentner Stadium (Winston-Salem, NC), ACC Network

6pm: Volleyball vs. Virginia Tech, Memorial Gymnasium (Charlottesville, VA), ACC Network Extra

7pm: Men’s Basketball vs. Campbell, John Paul Jones Arena (Charlottesville, VA), ACC Network Extra

8pm: Men’s Soccer at NC State – ACC First Round, Dali Soccer Field/Track Complex (Raleigh, NC), ACC Network

All day (11/7-11/10): Men’s Tennis – ITA Sectionals, Chewning Tennis Center (Chapel Hill, NC)

All day (11/7-11/10): Women’s Tennis – ITA Sectionals, Chewning Tennis Center (Chapel Hill, NC)

12pm: Volleyball at Virginia Tech, Cassell Coliseum (Blacksburg, VA), ACC Network Extra

5:30pm: Wrestling vs. the Citadel – Throwdown on The Yorktown, U.S.S. Yorktown (Charleston, SC)

8pm: Wrestling vs. Gardner-Webb – Throwdown on The Yorktown, U.S.S. Yorktown (Charleston, SC)

9pm: Women’s Basketball at Oklahoma, Lloyd Noble Center (Norman, OK), SEC Network

8pm: Football at Pittsburgh, Acrisure Stadium (Pittsburgh, PA), ACC Network

10:30am: Rowing vs. Duke, Minnesota, North Carolina – Rivanna Romp, Rivanna Reservoir (Earlysville, VA)