Sports that aren't football - 11/10

Women's Soccer Headed to NCAAs

Is it the women's team's turn? One year after the men's team made its run to the College Cup semifinals, the women's team enters the NCAA Tournament with a 10-8-4 record.

The Hokies will face BYU in the first round Friday in Los Angeles. The Hokies are 2-1-2 on neutral sites this season.

Volleyball Senior Night this Weekend

The volleyball team has been struggling recently. After starting 7-1 in ACC play, the Hokies have lost five of their last seven matches.

However, the Hokies get some home cooking this weekend against BC and Maryland. The Hokies swept both teams on the road earlier this year.

The ACC race is crowded and the Hokies are two games out of first place. And four their last five games are against teams in the bottom five of the conference. If they can run the table, maybe they have a shot at an ACC title or at making the NCAA Tournament.

Men's Basketball Starts

The Virginia Tech men's basketball team starts its season ... wait, you mean Friday? Like this Friday? Wow, that sneaked up on me. Guess I should do a preview or something. Anyway, we play Gardner-Webb this Friday at the Cassell. Go and be loud.

Hopefully I'll get something up on the basketball team before then.

Men's Soccer Ends

The Hokies men's soccer team will end its season Tuesday in the ACC Tournament against NC State. The Hokies went 0-8 in the ACC one year after making the College Cup. The Hokies lost a lot of talent off last season's team, so hopefully this season was just a rebuilding year.

Still, 0-8? Jeez.

Hokie Hockey on Fire

Yes, it's a club team, but the Hokies have won nine consecutive games, including the Commonwealth Cup championship this weekend with wins over UVa and Richmond.

This week, they travel South to face ECU and NC State. Their next home games are Nov. 21 and 22 against Duke and Georgetown in Roanoke.

Other Sports: Go See the Volleyball Team

There are a few sports I like to follow other than football and men's basketball. I just haven't gotten around to writing about them. I like following men's soccer, volleyball and softball among the sports Tech sponsors. The Hokies don't have men's lacrosse or hockey teams, which is a shame.

Men's Soccer

The men's soccer team has been dreadful this season, one year removed from a berth in the College Cup semifinals. Last year, the Hokies faced eventual champion Wake Forest in the semifinals and battled hard before falling, 2-0.

This year, the Hokies are 0-4 in ACC play and lost 8-2 last night at No. 1 Wake Forest. The Hokies are 3-6-1 this season. I expected the Hokies to fall off a little bit after losing Patrick Nyarko, Ben Nason and Robert Edmans, but this is ridiculous. Hopefully this is just a rebuilding year for Coach Weiss.

Volleyball

The story of this year's volleyball team is the exact opposite of the men's soccer team. The Hokies typically struggle in volleyball. However, they have won 11 consecutive matches and are 5-0 in ACC play, the only unbeaten team in the conference. They have two of the top five players in the ACC in hitting percentage and have only lost one set in ACC play this season.

Be sure to go check out the volleyball team when you get the chance. Its next home games are Oct. 17 and 18 against Wake Forest and Duke at Cassell Coliseum. Those of you who stay in the 'Burg while the football team travels to Boston (and I know there will be a lot of you who stay home) should go check them out.

Saunders starts tonight

AL All-Star Joe Saunders will start game three for the LA Angels tonight when they get swept by the mighty Red Sox in the ALDS.

Saunders has been strong all season, and pitched well in his final start of the regular season after passing a kidney stone. Saunders is a great guy, but will face Josh Beckett, who right now is the best postseason pitcher in baseball.

Hopefully the Red Sox win 1-0 on an unearned run against Saunders.