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BASKETBALL
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THE UNIVERSITY
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STUDENT-ATHLETE SUPPORT
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PLAYERS & STAFF
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HISTORY & RECORDS
FROM A HUMBLE BEGINNING MORE THAN 30 YEARS AGO,
VIRGINIA TECH WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HAS DEVELOPED INTO ONE OF THE NATION’S TOP COLLEGE PROGRAMS
Renee Dennis is
Tech’s all-time
leading scorer with
1,791 points.
THE
BEGINNINGS
Women’s basketball at Virginia Tech began in 1970 as a club sport
under the direction of coach Ganna Roberts. John Ristroph coached the
squad during the 1972-73 season. In 1973, Joe Sgro, a professor at Tech,
took over the team until 1976 when John Wetzel was named head coach.
The team gained full varsity status beginning with the 1976-77 season.
TECH’S
VARSITY COACHES
The Hokies’ first varsity coach was former Tech player and former
assistant coach of the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, John Wetzel. He
played on the men’s team from 1963-66 and then went on to play pro ball
with the Lakers, Suns and Hawks before coming back to Tech to finish
his education and coach the women’s squad. In his first and only season,
his team recorded a 7-9 record.
Taking over for Wetzel in 1977 was Carolyn Owen, whose team
registered an 8-16 mark. In 1978, Carol Alfano came on the scene and,
in just her second season, guided the Tech women to their first winning
record. Alfano coached the Hokies for 19 seasons guiding them to the
program’s first NCAA appearences in 1994 and 1995.
Bonnie Henrickson became the Hokies’ fourth head coach in 1997
and led Tech to five NCAA Tournament and two WNIT bids in her seven
seasons.
Beth Dunkenberger became head coach in 2004 and guided Tech to
the postseason three times while at the helm. The Hokies received bids
to the NCAA Tournament in 2005 and 2006 and advanced to the WNIT
Third Round in 2007.
Dennis Wolff became Tech’s seventh head coach on March 22, 2011.
Wolff helped the Hokies rebuild, taking Tech to postseason play for the
first time in nine years as the Hokies made the WNIT in 2016.
Kenny Brooks was tabbed the eighth head coach in Virginia Tech
history on March 28, 2016.
FIRST
SCHOLARSHIP PLAYERS
The first women’s basketball player to earn any kind of scholarship was
Helena Flannagan in 1977, when she received partial aid. Kim Albany
(1978-82), who was recruited by Owen, was Tech’s first full scholarship
player. Also in 1978, Sis Spriggs received a full grant, and partials went
to Donna Cooper, Pauline Landis and Sandy Berry.
RETIRED
JERSEY
Renee Dennis’ No. 44 jersey was retired at the conclusion of her career
in 1987. Dennis, from Bridgeport, Conn., is one of only 14 athletes in Tech
HOKIE HOOPS
HISTORY
athletic history to have his or her jersey retired. She was the first female
athlete to receive that honor and one of only three so far in Hokie history.
The others to have their jerseys retired are head football coach Frank
Beamer, football players Cornell Brown, Carroll Dale, Jake Grove, Frank
Loria, Jim Pyne, Bruce Smith and Michael Vick, men’s basketball stars
Dell Curry, Vernell “Bimbo” Coles, Allan Bristow and Ace Custis, baseball
coach Chuck Hartman, baseball player Johnny Oates, volleyball standout
Lisa Pikalek and softball All-American Angela Tincher.
PROFESSIONAL
PLAYERS
Dennis played professionally in Australia, where she was her division’s
Player of the Year in 1989-90. Wendy Sanders played professionally in
Belgium.
Tere Williams became the first Hokie to be selected in the WNBA
Draft, when she was picked in the third round by the Phoenix Mercury.
Ieva Kublina was drafted in the third round (31st overall) in the 2004 draft
by the Indiana Fever.
At the conclusion of the 2005-06 season, the Hokies’ Kerri Gardin
was selected in the third round (34th overall) of the WNBA Draft by the
Chicago Sky.
Nare Diawara was drafted in the third round (30th overall) of the 2007
WNBA Draft by the San Antonio Silver Stars.
Gardin, who played overseas following her collegiate career, became
the first Tech player to play and start in a WNBA regular season game in
2008 as a member of the Connecticut Sun.
Ieva Kublina played in Hungary, Gardin in Israel and Lindsay Biggs
and Utahya Drye both played professionally in Europe. Kublina competed
in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, and Diawara led her
Malian National Team to the 20th African Nations Championship in Dakar,
Senegal. However, Diawara missed the Olympics due to injury.
After the 2013-14 season, the Hokies had two players sign to play
overseas. Monet Tellier inked a deal to play for Artego Bydgoszcz in
Poland while Uju Ugoka signed on with Italy’s Vassalli 2G which plays in
the country’s top division. In addition, 2013 graduate, Alyssa Fenyn was
a mid-season addition to MBK Ruzomberok in Slovakia where she had a
standout rookie performance.
ACADEMIC
EXCELLENCE
Christi Osborne was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America first
team in 1994-95 and was a second-team member in 1993-94. Brittany
Cook was selected to the third team in 2008 as was Laura Haskins
in 2009. Several Hokies have been named to the CoSIDA District III
Academic All-America team, including Amy Byrne (1988-89), Christi
Osborne (1992-93, 1993-94, 1994-95), Maria Albertsson (1997-98,
1998-99), Amy Wetzel (1998-99, 1999-00), Sarah Hicks (2001-02),
Erin Gibson (2003-04, 2004-05), Ieva Kublina (2003-04), Carrie Mason
(2004-05, 2005-06), Brittany Cook (2007-08) and Laura Haskins (2007-
08, 2008-09). Osborne also was a recipient of the Rawlings Scholarship
Award (1994-95). Haskins was selected as the first winner of the Kay
Yow Award as the ACCWomen’s Basketball Scholar Athlete of the Year.
BEST OF
THE METRO
The Virginia Tech women’s basketball team won two championships as
a member of the Metro Conference. Tech won the 1994 Metro Conference
Tournament by knocking off Virginia Commonwealth, UNC Charlotte
and Southern Miss in succession. The Hokies captured the 1995 Metro
regular-season championship with a 10-2 league record.
ATLANTIC 10
CHAMPS
The Hokies captured the Atlantic-10 Conference Tournament
championship in 1998 with a thrilling 66-64 overtime win over host
Massachusetts. Virginia Tech won the Atlantic-10 regular-season title in
1998-99 with a 15-1 league record.
NATIONAL
HONORS
Williams and Lisa Witherspoon were named as honorable mentions
to the 1999 Associated Press All-America teams. In 1995, Jenny Root
was an honorable mention selection to the Kodak All-America team. The
Women’s Basketball News Service named Tere Williams to the 1998