PapaNick

Take a look at her right hand holding the trophy. You will see the VT near the cuff.

As fans of Tech Softball, we are fans of all Tech women’s sports. A huge shout out to Valentine Delon for winning the Women’s British Amateur Championship. Check out the ‘VT’ on the cuff of her sleeve. ** Edited by PapaNick at 6/28/2026, 7:35:24 PM

I love college softball, but not where the rich get richer. TT billionaire vs UT oil millionaires. These are not people sitting in the general admission seats. Even the SEC should have known what they were getting with Texas and Oklahoma. Sure, the SEC gets the majority of top seeds, but who is really at the top. Past 6 softball championship? 4 OK now 2 UT. There was a reason Texas A&M, Missouri further back Nebraska, Colorado, and looking way back - Arkansas, etc. when given a chance to leave, got out. Texas and Oklahoma oil money ran things. All that money and with that money a BIG seat at the table. Watch out SEC, you are learning the same lesson the B1G knows with Ohio State & Michigan running things. I repeat. I love College Softball. Check that I love Hokie Softball.

These women are in the midst of playing to win the game and move on to the next. Then suddenly it is over. They (we) know the end is coming, but are any of us ever ready to say goodbye. I am not. Never. To Bre, Cassie, Kylie, Rachel, Sophie, please come back… often. This Is Home! We want to celebrate your accomplishments now and well into the future.

Reflect on this group of young women and their accomplishments this year, and for the upper class, their entire career. Then let’s meet here again Tuesday and post our reflections. Once the sadness and disappointment wears off, we will see them for what they are… CHAMPIONS!

A tip of the hat to Akron’s starting pitcher. We know what it is like not to have a backup.

When will we move the mini-mester before Spring Semester to later in the academic calendar? I do not hold athletics above academics, but graduation could be held two weeks earlier and basketball could avoid playing ACC games in half filled Cassell. Spring sports can participate in ACC / NCAA tournaments without exam conflicts and the mini-mester could be held in May before the two Summer semesters. Blacksburg and area gain another week of hotel/restaurant business. Everyone wins.

I’m sorry if you reported this earlier, but I was wondering where Coach Lewis was this weekend.

Despite a lackluster performance on Saturday and Sunday, the majority of Hokie fans were there to the end. There was a sense we could pull out a victory - and we were almost rewarded with one for the memory books. Now, let’s get behind this team with the same feeling we can win any game (because we can) and don’t be too surprised when it happens. Go Hokies!

Proud to be a Hokie! Today didn’t go our way, but your toughness was never lacking. Looking forward to next year!

Sure we lose tonight and it was a depressing loss, This is the nature of sport. It happens at all levels, but instead of looking for blame, why don’t we send notes encouraging them. - assuming they read these posts One fan had posted earlier about ‘believing in Carleigh.’ That Is productive. Go Coach Duffy! Go Coaching Staff! Go Team! Go Hokies!

I attended the game… First, I will say we went from incredible defense and offense the first two series (my wife reminded me this is how we started against Vandy. I felt dread.) to uninspired play in the rest of the first quarter and all of the second. Then something happened. These guys came out of halftime with their ‘hair on fire’ and even with the refs providing Cal a touchdown with the bogus roughing call, our young men didn’t quit. What was said at halftime? (And thank you Coach Pry for hiring Coach Montgomery.) I would have loved to have been in the locker room at the half. This is not the most talented team we have had, but it ranks up there as one of the gutsiest. To our fans in attendance: 1) you are showing up, so why are you not staying. You left in droves at the half. I am not talking about the students as I unfortunately have grown accustomed to their leaving. How full was Lane after the half 50% to 60%? Is there such a thing as home field advantage anymore? 2) students - I wish those who left and those watching on TV could have seen the ‘new’ shirtless section. What was the size? 1,000 young male students (hopefully), bare-chested and raising the volume and intensity in Lane. If I wasn’t approaching 70 years old, I would have joined you. Did you hear them singing ‘Enter Sandman’ a cappella near the end of the contest? GREAT STUFF! 3) fans at home may have heard the vocal fans in attendance giving it to the refs if the d@#n Jumbotron was unplugged. Sure it serves a purpose, but with two bands, a spirit squad and the shirtless section, who needs you. You lack the understanding of sportsmanship (blasting that d@#n thing right up to the opponent’s snap and drowning out the public address announcer). Best time I have had in Lane in a long time.

But I would like to see NIL EXPENDITURES between opponents.

but these young women make me proud to be a Hokie.

And go win the Region. GO HOKIES!

Too bad we didn’t get a photo of the three Halifax stars last weekend - Betty Rose, Mackenzie Lawter and Trinity Martin.

You make the call…

This team accomplished so much more than we expected. Matilda was the only one with any starting experience while the others had to learn on the job. In my mind, Rose and Matilda get a plaque as ‘most important players’ as they held this team together (along with Carleigh and Carys) when we didn’t even have a coach. They make me proud to be a Hokie!!

How many points is a full and loud Cassell Coliseum good for? 4, 6, more? I’m hearing the ‘voices’ on this message board constantly bring up the notion that we don’t have the most talented group in the ACC. You have a right to your opinion, but this team deserves our support as much as if we were 9 and 0 and 1 and 0 in the ACC? I was at the game, and I was as disappointed with the turnout of fans as I was with the outcome of the game. If we had packed the place, AND if the Cassell Guard had been in full force, I sense we could have been the difference. We all know we have done so when playing other more talented teams in the past. Like the product or not, these guys are Hokies… OUR HOKIES!! If you cannot be there, I understand, but get your tickets into the hands of vocal fans. The team is trying as hard, and their hearts are as big as those of any previous basketball team. GO HOKIES!

One message board that is talking about athletic competition!

Great perspective AND a positive outlook. If CKB is correct, - and I think he is - a full Cassell with the Cassell Guard in place (and maybe a little bacon) “makes a good team great” and the new coach with new players will believe they made the right choice. This doesn’t guarantee wins, at least not right away, but it will attract top players in the future. Let’s pack the Cassell!!

Are up there also!

Best to you and your family. Thank you for what you did for Tech’s Women’s Basketball. But “Good luck” feels insincere, so I will not use the term. When people say, “did you hear about Buzz or TA&M?” I respond, “I don’t care.” Buzz did what Buzz needed to do and Kenny has done what he needed to do. I do not invest any time into previous coaches.

Unfortunately, our schedule has changed as we are now attending a neighbor’s funeral. If anyone was unable to attend due to limited seating, please note the at you may go in our place.

Great finish! Not the greatest athletes, but no one tries harder to win than these two teams. They have great fan bases - global fan bases. I like their fans as much as I like both teams. I hate than any of them lose, but glad that they do not hand out participation trophies. And maybe best of all - no talk of NIL money, no discussion of who may go into the portal, and no one opting out of the game to concentrate on their career. Wouldn’t it be great if all college athletics acted this way?

Congratulations to our Hokies! Emma Lemley looked like Emma Lemley today. Only disturbing stat was 32 left-on-base for the three game set.