Virginia Opens Regular Season Against Longwood Saturday Night

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Virginia women’s basketball opens its 2007-08 season Saturday night against Longwood. Tip-off from John Paul Jones Arena is 7 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on WINA 1070 AM with Jay James and Myron Ripley calling the action.

Virginia finished with a 19-15 overall record last season and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). In Atlantic Coast Conference play, the Cavaliers finished with a 5-9 record and advanced to the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament as the No. 8 seed.

Virginia is 30-4 all-time in season-openers dating back to the 1973-74 season, and the Cavaliers have won their first game the past two seasons. Virginia leads the all-time series with Longwood, 5-4, dating back to the 1974 season. The last meeting was Feb. 14, 2006, a 93-42 Cavalier victory at University Hall in Charlottesville.

Returning for her 31st season on the Cavalier sidelines is head coach Debbie Ryan. She returns three starters from last year’s squad: fourth-year point guard Sharne Zoll, third-year forward Lyndra Littles and second-year guard Monica Wright.

Longwood finished with an 8-21 overall record last season and is under the direction of first-year head coach Kristin Caruso. The Lancers return three starters and eight letterwinners from that team, including leading scorer Keiva Small (9.9 ppg/5.1 rpg) and center Anna Steg (7.3 ppg/8.3 rpg).