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Ryan Goes For Win No. 700 as UVa Opens Season at UMBC Friday
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CHARLOTTESVILLE – The Virginia women’s basketball team, ranked No. 14 in the Associated Press’ preseason top 25, opens the 2009-10 season Friday (Nov. 13) at UMBC. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m., and live statistics will be available at VirginiaSports.com. The game will be broadcast over the airwaves on WINA 1070 in the Charlottesville area with Jay James and Larry Johnson calling the action. Live audio can be accessed on the Internet with V Pass.
Additionally, fans can watch an Internet video broadcast by clicking this link. There is a $4.95 fee for a one-game subscription.
Virginia head coach Debbie Ryan begins her 33rd season looking for career win No. 700. The 2008 Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame inductee has compiled a 699-298 mark in her time at UVa and looks to join six active Division I coaches that have surpassed the 700-win mark. The others are Pat Summitt, Tennessee (1,005-193); C. Vivian Stringer, Rutgers (825-280); Sylvia Hatchell, North Carolina (812-282); Tara VanDerveer, Stanford (757-193); Robin Selvig, Montana (725-204) and Andy Landers, Georgia (725-239).
Senior guard Monica Wright (Woodbridge, Va.) headlines the returners from last year’s team that finished with a 24-10 overall record and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Wright has been named a first team preseason All-American by the AP, The Sporting News and Lindy’s, in addition to being the preseason pick for ACC Player of the Year.
Wright led the league in scoring last season (20.5 points per game) en route to first team All-ACC honors. She set the UVa single-season scoring record (696 points) and is on pace to become Virginia’s all-time scoring leader. She needs 330 points this season to surpass Dawn Staley’s school record of 2,135 points.
Also returning for the Cavaliers are juniors Paulisha Kellum (Upper Marlboro, Md.) and Jayna Hartig (Highlands Ranch, Colo.), along with sophomores Britny Edwards (Charlotte, N.C.), Whitny Edwards (Charlotte, N.C.), Ariana Moorer (Woodbridge, Va.) and Chelsea Shine (Wayne, Pa.).
The Cavalier freshmen were rated as the nation’s third-ranked recruiting class by ESPN.com and the Blue Star Report. China Crosby (New York, N.Y.), Simone Egwu (Odenton, Md.), Lexie Gerson (Fort Washington, Pa.), Telia McCall (Marietta, Ga.) and Erinn Thompson (Winston-Salem, N.C.) begin their careers with Virginia.
UMBC finished the 2008-09 season with an overall record of 14-16. Leading scorer Carlee Cassidy returns after averaged 20.4 points per game last year. Head coach Phil Stern returns for his eighth season at the helm.
Virginia and UMBC have never met in women’s basketball action.
Following Friday’s game, Virginia hosts Manhattan on Sunday (Nov. 15) at 2 p.m. at John Paul Jones Arena.
Looking ahead, in an effort to set a new Virginia women’s basketball single-game attendance record, the promotion that helped set the current mark 22 years ago is back on Nov. 22 vs. Tennessee – Hot Dog Day. All Cavalier fans in attendance at this year’s Virginia-Tennessee game on Sunday, Nov. 22, will receive a coupon for a free Gwaltney hot dog and a 12-ounce Pepsi. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. at John Paul Jones Arena.
Tickets are available at VirginiaSports.com, or by calling the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office at 800-542-8821 or by visiting the Athletics Ticket Office in Bryant Hall during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.