On Thursday, Virginia Tech announced All-American center and three-time ACC Player of the Year Elizabeth Kitley will miss the remainder of the season due to a torn ACL.
"Elizabeth Kitley will not participate in the NCAA Tournament this year due to a lower leg injury that she suffered on March 3," Tech head coach Kenny Brooks said. "We're just praying for her and her mental health right now, and she's still a part of what we do and she's big in what we've done. My heart just goes out to her because everything that she's done for this program and everything that she will continue to do through her legacy. So right now our prayers are just up for her."
Kitley averaged 23 points and 11 rebounds through 29 games in 2023-24 before suffering a season-ending knee injury with 6:05 remaining in the third quarter of the regular-season finale at Virginia on March 3. On a play in transition, she came down awkwardly on her left leg after converting a layup. She stayed down before walking to the locker room under her own power.
Kitley was with the Hokies in Greensboro, N.C., for their two games in the ACC Tournament on March 8 and 9 but did not play. Tech kept quiet about her status and received a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament, matched up against No. 13 seed Marshall in Blacksburg on Friday (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2).
"The kid has put everything into this and she's the reason we are here," Brooks said. "She's the reason we are here. If it weren't for her and the way that she plays we would probably be somewhere else at a different venue instead of being able to host, instead of being able to say that we're the ACC regular-season champions. The kid ate, slept, drank basketball, but everything Hokie basketball."
Kitley won her third consecutive ACC Player of the Year award on March 5 and is now part of an elite club. She joined Duke’s Alana Beard (2001-04), Maryland’s Alyssa Thomas (2011-14), NC State’s David Thompson (1972-75) and Virginia’s Ralph Sampson (1980-83) as three-time winners. What’s more, she is a three-time winner of the ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
The Summerfield, N.C., native owns numerous program records, including points, rebounds, field goals made, games started, minutes played, double-figure games and blocks. She led the Hokies to four NCAA Tournament appearances in five seasons, along with an ACC Tournament title last season and a regular-season championship this year.
"Liz is devastated, but she didn't want everybody to feel sorry for her," Brooks said. "She understands there's more basketball to play. She's doing everything she can right now so that she can be in the building tomorrow. They're taking a cue from that."