Virginia Tech Hokies center Elizabeth Kitley. Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports

ACC Player of the Year's injury news dooms Virginia Tech

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 3/21/24

The Virginia Tech women's basketball team made its first Final Four in program history last year before eventually falling to eventual champion LSU.

If the fourth-seeded Hokies are to return to the national semifinals this spring, they'll have to do so without their best player, senior center Elizabeth Kitley.

The three-time reigning ACC Player of the Year suffered a knee injury in early March, causing her to miss the ACC Tournament.

Virginia Tech head coach Kenny Brooks confirmed on Thursday that Kitley's injury is a torn ACL (the second one of her life) and she will miss the entire NCAA Tournament.

The Hokies will host No. 13 Marshall in the first round at 3:30 p.m. ET on Friday.

Kenny Brooks on Elizabeth Kitley: "She's the reason we're here. The kid ate, slept, drank #Hokies basketball. For it to be taken away from you in a split second, it's devastating."
— Andy Bitter (@AndyBitterVT) March 21, 2024

Kenny Brooks confirmed it's a torn ACL for Kitley.

Second in her lifetime. This one is her left; tore her right in high school. https://t.co/5r0XH9tQQI
— David Cunningham (@therealdcunna) March 21, 2024

#Hokies’ Elizabeth Kitley on Instagram: pic.twitter.com/c1n40HFXSa
— David Cunningham (@therealdcunna) March 21, 2024

Even if Brooks' squad can get past the Thundering Herd, they could face a tough task in the round of 32 against No. 5 Baylor (if they defeat No. 12 Vanderbilt).

With Virginia Tech earning a top-four seed, they have the fortune of playing at home in the first two rounds, which could help them survive the loss of Kitley into the Sweet 16.

From there, they would presumably have to play top-seeded USC, led by freshman sensation JuJu Watkins. The Trojans would likely be heavy favorites in that potential matchup.

Because of Kitley's injury in the final regular-season game, the Hokies didn't get much experience playing without the three-time AP All-American.

They were able to sneak by unranked Miami in the first round of the ACC Tournament before getting blown out by then-14th-ranked Notre Dame by a score of 82-53.

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