The schedule report: Virginia

The latest in our series of looks at the 2011-12 schedules:

VIRGINIA

On the marquee

Tennessee at Virginia, Nov. 20

   - Not only do you have the vaunted Lady Vols, but you also have the only scheduled visit to the Commonwealth by Tennessee coach Pat Summitt, who recently disclosed she's been diagnosed with early signs of dementia. But while this game sells itself, the right promotion can turbo-boost attendance. Two years ago, the attraction of Tennessee combined with the lure of a free hot dog and 12-oz. soda for each fan drew a record 11,895 to John Paul Jones Arena. Alas, the Lady Vols prevailed anyway, 76-63. A side note: In addition to winning the game, the Lady Vols also won back the use of their plush locker room at Thompson-Boling Arena. Summitt had barred the team from that space after the "spoiled'' Lady Vols fell 66-56 at Kentucky in February of the previous season. 

Get your tickets early for....

James Madison at Virginia, Dec. 20

Outside of her parents, we doubt anyone was happier to see Dawn Evans graduate JMU than Cavaliers fans sick and tired of watching the former Dukes star shoot down UVa. In 2009, Evans dropped 38 points on the Cavs in a 75-73 victory in Charlottesville. And last season, with Virginia leading by 13 and less than four minutes to play, Evans scored 13 of her school-record 42 points to rally JMU to an 82-80 victory in Harrisonburg. Virginia has the resources and pedigree to be the state's premier women's basketball program, but it's hard to rightfully claim that title while continually losing to JMU. With Evans finally gone and (hopefully) a strong crowd behind them, this sets up as an excellent chance for the Cavs to regain the upper hand.

Food for thought

- It's almost as though the non-conference schedule was designed to pit the Cavaliers against anyone that has coached with, played for or employed new Virginia coach Joanne Boyle. Among the Cavs opponents:

   - Texas (Nov. 25 in Hawaii) - coached by Gail Goestenkors; Boyle was an assistant for nine years under Coach G at Duke.

   - California (Nov. 27 in Hawaii) - Boyle was the head coach at Cal the last six seasons. The Golden Bears new head coach, Lindsay Gottlieb, was the "right-hand person" assistant to Boyle at Richmond and Cal before a three-year stint as the head coach at UC Santa Barbara.

   - High Point (Nov. 16) - New Panthers coach Jennifer Hoover was an assistant to Boyle for three seasons at Cal (Hoover also spent four years as a Cavaliers assistant under Debbie Ryan). In addition, High Point assistant DeUnna Hendrix was recruited by and played for Boyle at Richmond.

   - Richmond (Dec. 4) - Boyle was the Spiders head coach from 2002-05.

- The Cavaliers will open their season on Nov. 11 at home against Appalachian State (25-7 last season). The game will mark the college debut of Appalachian State's Maryah Sydnor, who scored 2,041 points in high school and led Radford High to the 2011 VHSL Group A Division II state title. Sydnor had signed with Longwood but was granted a release after the Lancers changed head coaches.

- The Cavaliers will host Indiana in the 5th annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Virginia is 3-1 lifetime in this event. The loss came last season, a 74-46 setback at Ohio State.

- Virginia has won eight straight Marriott Cavaliers Classic titles. This season the Cavaliers will open its own tournament against Wagner and then face either Elon (with new coach Charlotte Smith) or UMass (featuring Old Dominion transfer Carolann Cloutier).

- The ACC schedule has been bumped up from 14 to 16 games. Virginia will play home-and-home series with Clemson, Virginia Tech, Florida State, Maryland and North Carolina.

- The ACC Tournament runs March 1-4 at the Greensboro Coliseum.

The schedule report: Old Dominion

We chill out from women's basketball for a few days to lock in on the U.S. Open (Way to go, Sam! Holla, Novak! Ouch, Fed!) and bam! - 2011-12 schedules all over the place. So now, slowly but surely, we're taking a look at them one-by-one. Our series continues with....

OLD DOMINION 

(click on the link for the school's release)

On the marquee

Old Dominion at Tennessee, Dec. 28

  - The Lady Monarchs' annual showdown with the sport's signature program and coach continues. The Lady Monarchs have dropped 15 straight in the series and haven't won in Knoxville since a 78-72 overtime victory in 1982. But in this post-Wendy Larry world, at least the series lives on.

Get your tickets early for....

Virginia Tech at Old Dominion, Nov. 11

   - New coach, new style vs. new coach, new style in this eagerly anticipated (by us) season opener for both. Lady Monarchs fans better come out strong, too, because there are a ton of Hokies fans in the Hampton Roads area. Tech also likes to stick its flag in the ground in the 757 for recruiting purposes (in all sports save men's basketball, evidently), which surely was part of Tech's thinking in agreeing to a four-year series with ODU.

Food for thought

- Tennessee isn't the only powerhouse ODU will visit. On Nov. 17 the Lady Monarchs will travel to Stanford, another team with legitimate national title aspirations. It occurs to us that since Stanford's next game after ODU is at UConn, it's possible the Lady Monarchs might catch the Cardinal with Huskies on the brain. But wth Hall of Fame coach Tara Vanderveer running the Stanford show, we wouldn't bet on that...and neither should ODU fans.

- The Lady Monarchs have yet another tough road game on Nov. 13 at Georgia Tech. The Lady Monarchs upended the Yellow Jackets 65-63 in Norfolk last season. It was one of three victories ODU posted a year ago against NCAA Tournament-bound teams, as the Lady Monarchs also knocked off Louisville and James Madison.

- ODU's three-game schedule in the Virgin Islands Nov. 25-27 features matchups with Alabama, Louisiana Tech and Seton Hall, which is led by Lady Monarchs great Anne Donovan. 

- In addition to the Virginia Tech game and contests against CAA rivals William and Mary, George Mason, VCU and James Madison, the Lady Monarchs also have an in-state showdown with Richmond on Nov. 20 at the Constant Center. A year ago, the Spiders mauled the Lady Monarchs 65-41 in Richmond.

- ODU's release touts the Lady Monarchs as one of the youngest teams in America, and with nine underclassmen, we can see why they say that. On the other hand, suppose ODU trots out a lineup of Tia Lewis, Mairi Buchan, Jo Guilford, Jackie Cook and Michelle Brandao. That's a fifth-year senior, two redshirt juniors, a true junior and a 20-year-old sophomore from Portugal with loads of international experience. 

- The CAA Tournament will run March 8-11 at the neutral-site Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, Md. for the second straight year. 

The schedule report: Liberty

We chill out from women's basketball for a few days to lock in on the U.S. Open (Way to go, Sam! Holla, Novak! Ouch, Fed!) and bam! - 2011-12 schedules all over the place. So now, slowly but surely, we're taking a look at them one-by-one. Our series continues with....

LIBERTY 

(click on the link for the school's release)

On the marquee

Liberty vs. Oklahoma, Nov. 25

   - We love it when the teams test themselves against heavyweights and Oklahoma, led by the talented (and fashionable) Sherri Coale, is about as heavyweight as women's basketball gets this side of Storrs. The teams will meet in the first round of  the Vanderbilt Thanksgiving Tournament; the winner gets either Vandy or Lipscomb. For what it's worth, we like Vandy in that matchup.

Get your tickets early for....

James Madison at Liberty, Dec. 1

   - The Dukes have won three straight in the series and are 6-1 lifetime against Liberty. Two years ago, JMU snapped Liberty's 12-game home winning streak. This time, maybe a strong turnout at the Vines Center can help the Lady Flames do something about all that.

Food for thought

- The Lady Flames currently have home games against Virginia-Wise (NAIA) and Division II opponents Glenville State and Virginia Union. We were all set to tease Liberty coach Carey Green about a weak schedule, but then we took another look at the Lady Flames' conference record over the years and figured the man obviously knows a few things about getting a team ready for league play. Having said that, we reserve the right to toss in a wisecrack or two when these games come around.

- Other games against schools in Virginia: vs. VCU on Nov. 15; at Virginia on Dec. 7; at Richmond on Dec. 20 and twice against Big South rival Radford (away on Dec. 31, home on March 2).

- The Lady Flames open their season on Nov. 11 at UNC Greensboro. The game will mark the head-coaching debut of former Virginia great Wendy Palmer, who in April replaced longtime Spartans head coach Lynne Agee. 

- Liberty fans will definitely want to highlight the two games against Gardner-Webb (Jan. 30 away, Feb. 25 home), as the two teams have staged dramatic battles in the last three Big South title games. The Lady Flames won the first two, but Gardner-Webb prevailed 67-66 in the 2011 title game to deal Liberty its first loss in 14 trips to the Big South final.

- Instead of the usual 16-game conference schedule, Big South teams will play an 18-game slate with the addition of new league member Campbell.

- The Big South Tournament will be held March 9-11 at High Point for the fourth year in a row.

The schedule report: Richmond

We chill out from women's basketball for a few days to lock in on the U.S. Open (Way to go, Sam! Holla, Novak! Ouch, Fed!) and bam! - 2011-12 schedules all over the place. So now, slowly but surely, we're taking a look at them one-by-one. Our series continues with....

RICHMOND 

(click on the link for the school's release)

On the marquee

Virginia at Richmond, Dec. 4

   - Game features the return of new Cavaliers coach and former Spiders leader Joann Boyle, who led Richmond to a 67-29 record and the 2005 NCAA Tournament in her three seasons.

Get your tickets early for...

Richmond at VCU, Dec. 1

   - Actually, there's probably no rush as the "Battle of Richmond'' hasn't been a big draw of late. But we're excited about the matchup, and shoot, if we're excited, the entire city of Richmond should be excited, right? Richmond is retooling while the Rams are loaded with talented returners so it will be interesting to see if VCU can reverse a trend that has seen it drop three straight and 10 of the last 12 in the series. 

Food for thought

- The Spiders are playing seven games against in-state opponents, and no wonder - last year Richmond went 5-1 against schools in Virginia with each of the victories coming by at least 10 points and three of the wins coming by at least 22 points. 

- Richmond's Dec. 29 game against James Madison will be played in Bethlehem, Pa. as part of the Lehigh Christmas Classic. The Spiders will play the host school the following day.

- The Spiders open their season on Nov. 11 at Navy and one of our favorite coaches, Stephanie Pemper. A few years ago, Pemper wowed us with her approach to coaching during her stint with the Division III Bowdoin Polar Bears (love that name). Last year, in her third season at Navy, she guided the Mids to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. 

- Boston University was supposed to visit Richmond last season, but the game was postponed because of a winter storm. The teams will now meet on Nov. 18 at the Robins Center. The Lady Terriers roster includes junior guard and Richmond native Kristen Sims.

- A first-ever visit to Richmond by Hartford on Dec. 22 brings Hawks junior forward Ruthanne Doherty home for Christmas. Doherty amassed 1,615 points and 1,083 rebounds during a four-year career at L.C. Bird High.  

- Richmond's 14-game Atlantic 10 schedule features a home-and-home series with George Washington and single games against everyone else. The conference home games are against Temple, LaSalle, Rhode Island, St. Joseph's, Fordham and Duquesne in addition to GW.

- After a two-year experiment with playing the Atlantic 10 Tournament at a neutral site, the championships will return to campus this season as the event will be held on March 2-5 at St. Joseph's Hagan Arena in Philadelphia. The tournament was held at the Show Place Arena in Maryland in 2010 and the Tsongas Center in Massachusetts in 2011.

The schedule report - Hampton

We chill out from women's basketball for a few days to lock in on the U.S. Open (Way to go, Sam! Holla, Novak! Ouch, Fed!) and bam! - 2011-12 schedules all over the place. So let's take a look at 'em one-by-one, starting with....

HAMPTON 

(click on the link for the school's release)

On the marquee

Hampton at Florida, Nov. 22
   - A year ago at Hampton, the Lady Pirates whipped Florida so fiercely we'll bet the Gators' backsides are still sore. Think the Gators will be a bit focused for the rematch?

Get your tickets early for....

East Carolina at Hampton, Jan. 2
   - Pirates vs. Lady Pirates and a homecoming of sorts for former Hampton head coach Fred Applin, now an ECU assistant. ECU's staff also features director of operations Kitara McMoore, a Virginia Beach native, and Ann Hancock, the former head coach at UNC Wilmington. And the roster includes Virginia transfers Britny and Whitny Edwards and James Madison transfer Kristine Mial.

Food for thought

- Of the Lady Pirates' 11 non-conference games, nine are on the road or at neutral sites in seven different states.

- The Lady Pirates don't debut at the HU Convocation Center until Dec. 3 against MEAC rival South Carolina State.

- Hampton opens its season on Nov. 12 at Pitt, a team whose 11 players are all freshmen or sophomores.

- The addition of Savannah State and a fully Division I accredited North Carolina Central gives the MEAC 13 teams for a 16-game conference schedule. As a result, the Lady Pirates will play home-and-home series with Howard, Morgan State, Coppin State, Norfolk State and Delaware State and one game against six other league schools but no games against perennial MEAC power North Carolina A&T.

- The Lady Pirates will play their one game against Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach, where Hampton has lost in each of the past two seasons. Last year's 55-51 loss to the Lady Pirates was Hampton's only MEAC defeat.

- The MEAC Tournament is set for March 5-12 at the Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Longwood braces for rigorous 2011-12 schedule

We like Bill Reinson. Good man, good coach, diehard Boston Red Sox fan....

So it was with considerable respect that, after looking at Longwood's 2011-12 women's basketball schedule, we dialed up Lancers headquarters and asked the head man:

"Are you trying to kill those young women with that lineup?"

At Notre Dame. At Miami. At Georgetown. All three of those teams will likely open the season ranked in the Top 10, with the Fighting Irish possibly among the first five. That trip to N.C. State is no breather, either (hey, that rhymes!), nor is the visit to Big East member Cincinnati.Gardner-Webb made the NCAA Tournament last year. Appalachian State qualified for the WNIT. So did Richmond. So did Central Michigan.

Is this any way to treat a team coming off a 7-win season?

Reinson acknowledged that financial considerations were in play, as teams like Longwood can raise a fair bit of cash with guarantee games. Also, it's pretty tricky for an independent to find opponents in January and February. Still, Reinson insists this is pretty much the type of schedule he wanted.

"Those first three teams (Notre Dame, Miami, Georgetown), obviously they're at the top level," said Reinson, who took over the Lancers on an interim basis last December and got the job full-time in the spring. "But that next level, that's where we're trying to get, and so that's who we need to play. We need to recruit at that level, play at that level and, ultimately, win at that level."

It would help if the Lancers can collect a few wins on the road, at any level. Over the last two seasons, Longwood has actually been a better-than-average Division I team in its own building (13-12 record). But the Lancers were just 3-33 outside of Farmville over that span (3-27 road, 0-6 neutral).

Only nine of Longwood's 30 games will be at home in 2011-12.

To reverse this trend, the Lancers will employ a tactic widely used in ice hockey - play wide-open at home, then adopt a more conservative, mistake-free posture on the road.

"If you look at our assist-to-turnover ratio at home, it was pretty close to even," Reinson said. "On the road, we had something like 240 more turnovers than assists. So we've talked about it, and we're going to try and scale it back a bit on the road. Basically, just play smarter."

Will it work? Well, it did wonders for the Boston Bruins. Besides, it has to be better than whatever the Lancers were doing on the road the past two years.

Of course, the best solution would be improved performance, and the early indications are promising. Unlike last year, when the players had to learn Reinson's motion offense on the fly, the Lancers will have a full preseason to get the system down.

In addition, Reinson said every returner has showed up in better physical and mental form. Now, we weren't thrilled with that "every returner" stuff and pressed Reinson to give us a few names. Impressed by our boldness - or perhaps just eager to get us off the line - Reinson acquiesced and offered up:

Chelsea Coward: "She much more prepared," Reinson said. "When we're doing conditioning, she's absolutely killing people. She's lapping people."

Brittany Jones: "Really taking a leadership role."

Crystal Smith: "She's gotten a lot stronger, and she's smiling more now. We're a better team when Crystal Smith is on the floor, and with the work she's put in, I see her on the floor a lot."

A four-player cast of newcomers should also help. All figure to contribute in time, but junior-college transfer guard Mieke Elkington ("very high motor, very high basketball IQ") might be a factor right away.

The group's hard work has continued in strength and conditioning workouts with the Longwood softball team and coach Kathy Riley, a woman Reinson calls "the best coach on campus." Sounds good, although we'll like this even better if the Lancers can convince Georgetown, Miami and Notre Dame to play nine innings instead of 40 minutes.

Still, no matter what happens in those games, Reinson's nothing-but-the-best scheduling has already been a big hit on the recruiting trail.

"I've already had 5 or 6 kids say, 'Coach, I love that schedule, all the places you go!' " Reinson said.

And why not? It's not like it's going to kill 'em, right?

Radford releases 2011-12 schedule

Radford will try to get off to a rare winning start in 2011-12 with a schedule designed to help them do just that.

It's not that the Highlanders haven't been able to beat good teams in recent years. But over the past three seasons, they haven't been able to beat hardly anyone until January. Since the 2008-09 campaign (coach Tajama Abraham Ngongba's first at Radford), the Highlanders are a combined 6-30 in November and December, with just two of those victories coming against Division I teams.

This year's schedule sets them up to hit the 2011-12 season running. The Highlanders open with four straight home games (they were on the road for three of their first four last season) with the first two coming against non-Division I teams (Eastern Mennonite and Winston-Salem State). And only two of their nine D-I non-conference opponents finished 2010-11 with winning records (South Carolina-Upstate at 17-13 and Virginia at 19-16).

This guarantees nothing, of course, and no matter who they play the Highlanders will still have to have their early-season act together. But if Radford stumbles out of the blocks this year, it won't be because of over-scheduling.

The most intriguing game on the non-conference schedule comes on November 26 when the Highlanders visit
George Washington, a program Ngongba helped make famous. Ngongba scored more than 2,000 points during a Hall of Fame career at GW and is enshrined in the school's athletic hall of fame. She was also an assistant coach for the Colonials, along with current GW head coach Mike Bozeman, before leaving for Radford.

Now, Ngongba is probably going to say every game is important, that this matchup is about the players and not her, and that she doesn't intend to even bring it up in the days leading up to the game. All true. But unless she's really a cyborg instead of a human being, it'll have to mean a lot to have her team perform well in that building. And the Highlanders have to know this, whether Ngongba talks about it or not.

Finally, the Big South schedule has increased from 16 games to 18 with the addition of Campbell.

Click here for a look at what we know about the schedules so far about each of the Division I teams in Virginia.

Yes, Virginia, you're playing Cal this season

Joanne Boyle

There will be a separate event buried within this year's Rainbow Wahine Showdown in Hawaii - the Joanne Boyle Classic featuring the coach's new team, Virginia, against the one she just left, California. The one now coached by her former assistant at Richmond and Cal, Lindsay Gottlieb. According to the just-released Cal schedule, the Cavaliers and Golden Bears will face off on Nov. 27, the final day of the event.

We stand corrected, because our guess was the tournament would tweak the schedule to avoid these two teams meeting. I mean, it's an awkward situation for all involved, and we suspected most schools/coaches would avoid it more strongly than Miami football avoided compliance.

Maybe such an adjustment wasn't possible. So here we go, Cavaliers vs. Golden Bears, Boyle vs. Boyle (sort of). We expect the Cavaliers to be excited to play every game, but we're pretty sure they'll have a little extra juice for this one. And they'd better, because we know the Golden Bears will.

For Boyle, it'll be one of two emotional matchups in the event. On Nov. 26, the Cavaliers will face Texas, which is coached by Gail Goestenkors. Boyle spent nine years as an assistant to Goestenkors at Duke.

Click here for a look at the scheduling tidbits for all of Virginia's Division I schools based on the releases from opposing teams.  

VCU unveils its 2011-12 non-conference lineup

Another day, another schedule.

One day after Norfolk State unveiled its entire 2011-12 slate, VCU provides an informative look at its non-conference lineup, complete with abbreviated game notes on each of the opponents. So instead of just knowing when and against whom the Rams play, we also know that:

- VCU's Nov. 19 trip to the University of Missouri-Kansas City will return Rams senior Jennifer Lane (Wichita, Kansas) and junior Robyn Hobson (Leawood, Kansas) to their home state;

- The Rams have lost three straight and 10 of their last 12 against Richmond (Dec. 1 at VCU) but owns a 33-32 advantage in career meetings;

- If the Rams advance to the final of the University of Miami's tournament (Dec. 28-29 in Coral Gables, Fla.), they'll likely be facing a Hurricanes team that went 20-0 at home last season.

Good stuff, VCU. Can't wait for the games.

Click here for a look at what we know so far about the schedules of other schools in Virginia based on opposing teams' releases.

Norfolk State releases 2011-12 schedule

Two days after we scraped together whatever bits and pieces of Virginia schools' 2011-12 schedules we could find, Norfolk State gives us something to really chew on - the Spartans' full 28-game slate of non-conference and MEAC contests, plus one exhibition at Elizabeth City State.

After playing on the road in three of their first four games, the Spartans will have four straight and five of their next six at Echols Arena, a rare home stretch for a team that has typically spent most Novembers and Decembers checking baggage.

“We wanted to be at home as much as possible,” NSU coach Debra Clark said. “And with some of these being return games, it will put us at a very good comfort level, both playing at home and against familiar opponents, as we get going early on in our season.” 


The slate is also highlighted by six non-conference games against in-state foes - home games against Virginia Union, William and Mary, Radford and George Mason and road matchups at VCU and Longwood.

Regardless of what happens in non-conference, however, the key for NSU will be ready to really bring it once MEAC play commences. Last season, the Spartans surprised many by winning six of their first 10 games, including a 75-70 overtime triumph over a McNeese State team that went 26-7, won the Southland Conference tournament and reached the NCAAs for the first time in program history. But the Spartans were just 3-15 the rest of the way as NSU's youthful roster appeared to hit a collective wall midway through conference play.

Here's hoping the Spartans took their offseason workouts seriously and are prepared physically and mentally for the full grind. Because while nothing is a given, this schedule sets them up with several opportunities for success in and out of conference play.

2011-12 non-conference schedule tidbits

NORFOLK STATE
Complete 2011-12 schedule

VCU
Non-conference schedule

RADFORD
Complete 2011-12 schedule

CAA non-conference schedules

UNC Wilmington             Delaware                     Hofstra         Georgia State

JMU
Nov. 11 - at Quinnipiac (14-16, Northeast Conference)
   - A 4 p.m. start. First-ever meeting between Dukes and Bobcats.
Nov. 13 - at American (22-9, Patriot League)
   - Old-school CAA matchup. Eagles are 33-7 at home under coach Matt Corkery, who this season has been joined by former ODU assistant Belle Koclanes.
Nov. 17 - vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore (12-19, MEAC)
   - First-ever meeting between the two schools.
Nov. 20 - vs. Middle Tennessee State (23-8, Sun Belt)
   - The Blue Raiders rallied to defeat the Dukes 83-75 last season in Murfreesboro. Junior Tina Stewart had 10 points and 4 assists in the game; on March 3, Stewart was fatally stabbed in her off-campus apartment.
Dec. 18 - vs. Central Connecticut State (19-11, Northeast Conference)
   - The Blue Devils, who graduated four seniors from last season, feature first-team All-Name sisters Jaclyn and Jessica Babe.
Jan. 3 - vs. Duquesne (24-9, Atlantic 10)

VIRGINIA TECH
Nov. 19 - at George Washington (8-21, Atlantic 10)
   -  - The last time these teams met,  in 2002, Tech spanked GW 68-52 in the second round of the WNIT.
Nov. 25 - vs. Minnesota (12-18, Big Ten), St. Mary's (19-13, West Coast) or Quinnipiac (14-16, Northeast) in Concord Hilton Thanksgiving Classic (St. Mary's)
Nov. 26 - vs. Minnesota, St. Mary's or Quinnipiac in Concord Hilton Thanksgiving Classic (St. Mary's)
   - A good field for the rebuilding Hokies. Plus, speaking as someone who used to live in those parts, Moraga, Calif. is beautiful this time of year.
Nov. 30 - at Iowa (22-9, Big Ten, 5th annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge)
   - The Hawkeyes mauled the Hokies 72-43 last season in Cancun. Tech is 1-3 lifetime in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
Dec. 6 - at Penn State (25-10, Big Ten)
   - The loaded Nittany Lions return a first-team All-Big Ten selection (Alex Bentley), a conference all-defense team pick (Nikki Greene) and the league's freshman of the year (Maggie Lucas).
Dec. 21 - at Florida Gulf Coast (28-4, Atlantic Sun)
   - The Eagles have completed a textbook four-year transition to Division I and are now eligible for all A-Sun and NCAA tournaments. Last year's outstanding record included a 73-65 victory over the Hokies during the Caribbean Challenge in Cancun.
Dec. 28 - vs. Cincinnati (9-20, Big East) in Virginia Tech Tournament
Dec. 29 - vs. High Point (16-15, Big South) or UMBC (20-12, America East) in Virginia Tech Tournament.

VIRGINIA
Nov. 5 - vs. Alaska Anchorage (exhibition)
   - Sure is a long way to travel for a practice game. Will be interested to hear the story behind this one.
Nov. 11 - vs. Appalachian State (25-7, Southern Conference)
   - Season opener will feature the college debut of Appalachian State's Maryah Sydnor, who scored 2,041 points in high school and led Radford High to the 2011 VHSL Group A Division II state title. Sydnor had signed with Longwood but was granted a release after the Lancers changed head coaches.
Nov. 14 - at Providence (13-16, Big East)
   - Providence head coach Phil Seymore was a men's basketball assistant at Richmond from 1997-2000.
Nov. 16 - vs. High Point (16-15, Big South)
   - New High Point head coach Jennifer Hoover spent four years as an assistant to Debbie Ryan at Virginia and three years under new Cavaliers coach Joanne Boyle at Cal. Hoover has also had assistant coaching stops at VCU and James Madison. In addition, High Point assistant DeUnna Hendrix was recruited by and played for Boyle at Richmond.
Nov. 20 - vs. Tennessee (34-3, SEC)
Nov. 25 - vs. Hawaii (11-19, WAC) in Waikiki Beach Mariott Resort Showdon (Hawaii)
Nov. 26 - vs. Texas (19-14, Big 12) in Waikiki Beach Mariott Resort Showdown (Hawaii)
Nov. 27 - vs. California in Waikiki Beach Mariott Resort Showdown (Hawaii)
   - Should be an emotional trip for Boyle. The Texas game pits her against former boss Gail Goestenkors; Boyle was an assistant to Coach G for nine highly successful seasons at Duke. Also, California, the program from which Boyle just departed, is also in this field.
Dec. 1 - vs. Indiana (9-20, Big Ten, 5th annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge)
   - The Cavaliers are 2-0 against Indiana (last meeting in 2009) and 3-1 in Big Ten/ACC Challenge games.
Dec. 18 - vs. Radford (14-16, Big South)

LIBERTY
Nov. 25 - vs. Oklahoma (23-12, Big 12) in Vanderbilt Tournament
   - Vanderbilt and Lipscomb square off in the other game. Interestingly, Oklahoma's schedule already lists Vanderbilt as its second-day opponent. We understand why they'd make that assumption, but it's a little cheeky to put it in print.
Nov. 26 - vs. Vanderbilt (20-12, SEC) or Lipscomb (9-21, Atlantic Sun) in Vanderbilt Tournament
Dec. 31 - at Radford (14-16, Big South)
March 2 - vs. Radford (14-16, Big South)

OLD DOMINION
Nov. 13 - at Georgia Tech (24-11, ACC)
   - The Lady Monarchs opened the 2010-11 season with a 65-63 win over the Yellow Jackets at the Constant Center.

Nov. 17 - at Stanford (33-3, Pac-10)

   - The return game of a home-and-home set that started two years ago when the Cardinal defeated the Lady Monarchs in ODU's 2009-10 season opener. 

Nov. 24 - vs. Alabama (18-15, SEC) at Paradise Jam (Virgin Islands)
   - The Crimson Tide reached the WNIT round of 16 before falling to eventual champion Toledo.
Nov. 25 - vs. Louisiana Tech (24-8, WAC) at Paradise Jam (Virgin Islands)
   - Long-time women's basketball powers, the Lady Techsters are working their way back into the national conversation under former star Teresa Weatherspoon.
Nov. 26 - vs. Seton Hall (8-22, Big East) at Paradise Jam (Virgin Islands)
   - Anne Donovan, meet the Lady Monarchs. Lady Monarchs, Anne Donovan. What, you guys have already met? Oh...
Nov. 30 - at George Washington (8-21, Atlantic 10)
   - The Lady Monarchs embarrassed the Colonials 60-35 last season in Norfolk; GW was playing its fourth game in eight days.
Dec.. 7 - vs. Wofford (8-22, Southern Conference)
Dec. 21 - vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore (12-19, MEAC)
   - An early Christmas homecoming for UMES freshman Courtney Braxton from Virginia Beach (Princess Anne) and UMES sophomore Sha-Sha-Kiyla Finnery from Portsmouth (Wilson). Also, Lady Hawks head coach Fred Batchelor currently resides in Virginia Beach, according to his bio on the school's website.
Dec. 28 - vs. Tennessee (34-3, SEC)

WILLIAM AND MARY
Nov. 18 - vs. Navy (20-12, Patriot League)
Nov. 28 - at Norfolk State (9-19, MEAC)
Dec. 19 - at Long Island (19-11, Northeast Conference)
Dec. 21 - at Seton Hall (8-22, Big East)
   - Anne Donovan-led Seton Hall defeated the Tribe 73-67 last year in Williamsburg.
Dec. 28 - vs. George Washington (8-21, Atlantic 10)
   - The Colonials lead the series 6-1, but the teams haven't met since 1998.

GEORGE MASON
Nov. 11 - vs. American (22-9, Patriot League)
   - The CAA knowledge of American assistant Belle Koclanes, formerly of ODU, could come in handy for the Eagles.
Nov. 21 - at Stony Brook (7-23)
   - The Patriots mauled the Seawolves 74-48 last season in Fairfax. Stony Brook's roster includes junior guard Sam Landers from West Springfield High and junior forward Gerda Gatling from Forest Park High.
Dec. 22 - vs. George Washington (8-21, Atlantic 10)
   - The Patriots will be out to avenge a 67-58 loss to the Colonials in last season's "Battle of the Orange Line."
Dec. 29 - at Ohio (9-22, MAC)
   - George Mason prevailed 54-44 when these teams met in Fairfax last season.
Jan. 2 - at Norfolk State (9-19, MEAC)

LONGWOOD
Nov. 11 - at Georgetown (24-11 Big East)
Dec. 3 - vs. Radford (14-16, Big South)
Dec. 11 - vs. Norfolk State (9-19, MEAC)
Dec. 18 - at Wright State (20-13, Horizon League) in Wright State Invitational
Dec. 19 - vs. Central Michigan (20-11, MAC) in Wright State Invitational
Dec. 20 - vs. Southeast Missouri (8-21, Ohio Valley) in Wright State Invitational
   - Wright State is coming off its first 20-win season as a Division I member and first D-I postseason appearance (WBI). Central Michigan reached the WNIT. Southeast Missouri will be led by new coach Ty Margenthaler, a former assistant at Wisconsin.
Dec. 22 - at Cincinnati (9-20, Big East)
Dec. 28 - at Notre Dame (31-8, Big East)
   - A homecoming for first-year Longwood assistant Lindsay Schrader, a first-team All-Big East selection for the Fighting Irish in 2009-10. Schrader will be coaching against several players she once played with, including Notre Dame's World University Games stars Skylar Diggins, Natalie Novosel and Devereaux Peters.
Dec. 31 - at Appalachian State (25-7, Southern Conference)
   - Appalachian State assistant coach/recruiting coordinator Andrea Gross played for William and Mary from 1998-2002 and was a team captain her senior year.
Jan. 4 - at San Diego State (12-17, Mountain West)
   - No matter what happens on the court, the Lancers will love the weather.
Jan. 21 - vs. Dartmouth (7-21, Ivy League)
   - Ex-WNBA great Yolanda Griffith has signed on to be one Dartmouth's assistant coaches.
Jan. 23 - at Murray State (9-21, Ohio Valley)
Jan. 25 - at Eastern Kentucky (6-21, Ohio Valley)
Feb. 20 - vs. Gardner-Webb (23-11, Big South)

HAMPTON
Nov. 12 - at Pitt (14-17, Big East)
   - Panthers coach Agnus Berenato says she has the youngest team in Division I. We're not sure how she can say that yet, but it certainly has to be one of the youngest - the squad has no seniors or juniors.
Nov. 22 - at Florida (20-15, SEC)
   - The Lady Pirates scored one of the most significant victories in the program's Division I history by upending the Gators last season at Hampton. It was Hampton's first-ever win over an SEC team.
Nov. 26 - at IPFW (20-11, Summit League)
   - The Lady Pirates needed a Quanneisha Perry putback at the double-overtime buzzer to escape with a 78-77 decision when these teams met in Hampton last season.
Dec. 28 - vs. Central Michigan (20-11, MAC) in Tulane DoubleTree Classic
   - Classic contrast in styles. Central Michigan ranked 3rd in Division I in scoring; Hampton was 12th in D-I in scoring defense.
Dec. 29 - vs. Tulane (23-11, Conference USA) or College of Charleston (10-20, Southern) in Tulane DoubleTree Classic
   - Tulane has won its own tournament in 12 of the past 15 years including last season, when the Green Wave nipped Old Dominion 62-59 in the title game.

RICHMOND
Nov. 11 - at Navy (20-12, Patriot League)

Virginia: Thanksgiving in Hawaii

Virginia will spend Thanksgiving in Honolulu participating in the University of Hawaii's Rainbow Wahine Showdown, an event that also features California, new Cavaliers coach Joanne Boyle's former team.

The tournament actually begins the day after Thanksgiving, Nov. 25, and continues through Nov. 27. We don't know the entire field - last year's event featured eight teams, with each team playing three games. What we do know is that, according to the just-released Texas schedule, the Cavaliers will take on the Longhorns on Nov. 26.

Virginia's other opponents remain a mystery at this point, but we have to believe Cal won't be one of them. I mean, there's no way Boyle would sign off on playing her old team so soon...is there?