WildBillHokie

"We are incredibly lucky to have Samyha Suffren returning, and it’s time we start talking about it. In my eyes, she has the highest upside of anyone on this roster. She was the most athletic player we had on the floor last year, yet her journey hasn’t been easy. Between being underutilized by the previous staff and battling back from a tough sophomore-year injury, she’s had to fight for every inch of progress. While I was disappointed she wasn't rewarded with a start this past season to boost her confidence, her impact was undeniable—she was the one out there winning games for us when the clock was winding down. Now, the torch has been passed. With the roster shifting, we are down to two 'true' Hokies in Suffren and Carleigh Wenzel—two players who clearly bleed maroon and orange. It’s easy to get distracted by the hype of new recruits we haven’t seen play, but let’s not forget that Samyha was a Top 100 recruit for a reason. She has the pedigree, she finally has the game experience, and most importantly, she has the loyalty. As fans, we need to get behind these two and reward their dedication with our full support. They’ve stayed through the coaching changes and the injuries because they love Virginia Tech. If Samyha carries this momentum into her off-season work and steps up as a leader alongside Carleigh, she will be a key player. Let’s make sure she knows we see her hard work and we're ready to see her be a leader for this team. Take a look at the final Stats for the guards from last season if you don't see her value: 2025-26 Virginia Tech Guard Comparison: Final Breakdown Player MPG Games Started PPG RPG Total Steals FG% Carleigh Wenzel 31.0 33 15.1 3.5 30 33.3% Mackenzie Nelson 30.1 32 8.0 3.3 45 38.7% Samyha Suffren 20.8 0 8.8 3.3 47 42.0% Melannie Daley 19.8 11 8.1 2.8 30 44.2% Leila Wells 15.7 17 3.5 1.8 17 33.1%

She had 30 offers but no interest from Tech.