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BLACKSBURG - The Virginia Tech women’s soccer team will face a professional squad and two top-10 teams in this year’s spring soccer slate, as announced by head coach Chugger Adair Thursday.

Tech will begin their spring competition playing at a unique venue, the Thomas Indoor Soccer Center at Liberty University , at the Liberty Indoor Soccer Tournament on Feb. 28. There will be numerous 20-minute games played throughout the day at the complex. The competitors for this event will be announced at a later date.

The Hokies will then take on the Washington Spirit, a professional team in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), on March 21 at the Marlyand SoccerPlex in Boyds, Maryland. The game will be played as part of the Spirit’s preseason schedule which also features games against Virginia and North Carolina.

On March 28, Tech will host NCAA Elite-Eight participant Penn State, which knocked the Hokies out of the NCAA Tournament this past season following a narrow 2-1 loss in the Sweet 16. The Nittany Lions finished the season ranked No. 6 in the NSCAA poll.

Tech will turn around and play UNC Charlotte and UNC in the Southern Soccer Showcase in BB&T Soccer Park in Advance, North Carolina. The Tar Heels were ranked No. 8 in the NSCAA poll following the season. The Southern Soccer Showcase is a U15 through U19 youth soccer event featuring women’s USYS and US Club Teams. This year, a small college tournament will be played as part of the event including Duke, Clemson, Wake Forest, NC State, Pittsburgh, Tennessee and others. To close out the spring schedule, the Hokies will host Liberty on April 18.

“I think this is a good, balanced spring schedule for us,” head coach Chugger Adair. “It should get our players and team an opportunity to grow and develop this spring. I’m excited that we get a chance to play the Washington Spirit as well as hosting Penn State. We also have some different types of events with the indoor tournament to put our girls in a different situation.”

The Hokies lose six players to graduation (Katie Yensen, Shannon Mayrose, Jodie Zelenky, Danielle King, Kelsey Loupee and Ellie Zoepfl) from last year’s squad that finished the year ranked No. 12 and advanced to their second-straight Sweet 16.

For updates on Virginia Tech women's soccer, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @VT_WSoccer