Pivotal season at Virginia Tech?

Is it now or never for Virginia Tech coach Beth Dunkenberger? The Roanoke Times' Katrina Waugh spells out why this looms as a pivotal season in Blacksburg - the Hokies have won just eight ACC games over the last three seasons, and Dunkenberger is in the final year of her contract.

We just hope that when Virginia Tech athletic director Jim Weaver says he's looking for "measured improvement", he's not just talking about wins and losses. Because it's quite possible the 2010-11 Hokies could be better, perhaps significantly so, without a won-loss record that proves it.

When Tech was picked 11th in the preseason ACC poll, it wasn't an indictment of Tech as much as it was a comment on how deep this conference appears. Miami, for example, has two of the league's top six returning players in Shenise Johnson, a first-team All-ACC pick, and Riquna Williams, a second-team all-league choice. The Hurricanes were picked eighth.

Also, while the Hokies boast an excellent incoming class of recruits, so does just about everyone else in this league. Tech's class ranked 27th nationally last season according to ESPN, but just sixth-best among ACC schools.

Still, with so much young talent - 10 freshmen and sophomores - running around Cassell Coliseum, we're pretty confident Weaver will see improvement.

It will all depend on how he measures it.