No. 3 Ohio State To Face No. 1 Virginia Tech In Elite Eight

Ohio State has plenty to celebrate given that the Buckeyes are heading to their first Elite Eight since 1993, but that celebration will have to be put on pause considering the turnaround to their next game.

The Buckeyes will return to the court on Monday, set to take on No. 1 Virginia Tech, with a trip to the Final Four in Dallas on the line. The Hokies knocked off No. 4 Tennessee in the Sweet 16, 73-64, to advance to their first Elite Eight in program history, while this is the fourth appearance in that round for the Buckeyes.

Virginia Tech got to that point after taking down Chattanooga, 58-33, in the first round before outlasting South Dakota State, 72-60, in the second round. In total, the Hokies boast an overall 30-4 record and won the ACC Tournament.

Their roster is a balanced one, featuring four players averaging double-digit scoring. The leader among those is Elizabeth Kitley, a 6-6 center who posts 18.2 points and 10.8 rebounds per game and is also the team’s shooting leader, knocking shots down at a 55.9 percent clip.

Guard Georgia Amoore averages 15.7 points per game and has dished out a team-high 169 assists (5.0 per game) and shoots 38.3 percent from beyond the arc. Forward Taylor Soule (11.3 points, 5.7 rebounds) and guard Kayana Traylor (10.8 points, 2.8 assists) also average double digits for the Hokies.

What should be another stellar matchup – Ohio State scores 80.2 points per game, while Virginia Tech has limited the opposition to just 56.6 points – will tip off at 9 p.m. on Monday from Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. The winner will move on to next weekend, set to face either No. 3 LSU or No. 9 Miami (Fla.).