Marty Gordon
DC Power Football Club have announced the signings of local Woodbridge natives Myra Konte, the 2021 NWSL 30th Overall draft pick and 2020 SEC Tournament MVP and decorated college star midfielder Alexeis “Alex” Kirnos, the first three-time Big South Tournament Champion in Radford University’s history pending league and federation approval.
“We are proud to announce the additions of DMV natives Myra Konte and Alex Kirnos to our team,” said Frédéric Brillant, Head Coach of Power FC. “Myra [Konte] and Alex [Kirnos] are valuable additions to our growing roster and will play key roles for our club this season. Konte provides us with great defensive acumen, strength on the ball, and will help fortify our backline. Alex [Kirnos] gives us versatility throughout the midfield and is a true two-way player. We are excited to have both players on our roster for the upcoming season.”
Kirnos finished her career with 17 goals (including seven game-winning goals) and 21 assists in 86 appearances (74 starts) for the Highlanders. Kirnos finished her collegiate career with a stellar final season, becoming the first Radford women’s soccer player to win three Big South Tournament championships in their career.
The 5-foot-7-inch midfielder was named to the Big South all-conference first-team and the United Coaches all-southeast second-team. She joined the USL W League Virginia Marauders FC for the Spring, 2024 season and was quickly identified as a young player ready to move up and offered a contract at the professional level.
Aluma, Catoor summer league
Former Virginia Tech men’s basketball players Keve Aluma and Hunter Cattoor are in Las Vegas for NBA 2K25 Summer League 2024.
Aluma (Philadelphia 76ers) and Cattoor (Cleveland Cavaliers) will showcase their talents at the 11-day tournament. The event features all 30 NBA teams and runs July 12-22 at the Thomas & Mack Center and Pavilion on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
All 76 games will air live on ESPN platforms (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+ and ESPN3) or NBA TV. Every game will also be available to stream on the ESPN App.
Lane Stadium on toughest list
After EA Sports released its top 25 toughest places to play, various media outlets offered their perspectives on the most challenging stadiums in college football. Among them, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman, with his 30 years of experience covering the sport, curated his own top 10 list. Notably, he ranked Virginia Tech’s Lane Stadium/Worsham Field at No. 5, placing it between Ohio State’s Ohio Stadium and Florida’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium as one of the NCAA’s premier battlegrounds.
The Athletic lauded Lane Stadium for its ‘unique’ atmosphere, drawing a comparison to the environment of No. 1 ranked LSU’s Tiger Stadium. Feldman commented, “It only takes the first two seconds of ‘Enter Sandman’ to play, and I get goosebumps. It happens every time, even more than a decade later.” The article highlighted how Lane Stadium transforms into an electrifying fortress, with “Enter Sandman” mirroring the Hokies’ aggressive defensive style and their respected special teams.
Volleyball player on top list
Prior to the start of her fourth season with the Hokies, Jasmine Robinson has been selected to participate in the 2024 Global Challenge hosted in Pula, Croatia. The redshirt sophomore middle blocker will compete as a member of the BIP SE U23 team from July 15-19.
Robinson is the first player in Virginia Tech volleyball history to compete in the Global Challenge. In the 2023 season at Tech, she accumulated 43 kills and 25 total blocks.
The Global Challenge reaches its 19th year as an official international competition this summer. The Challenge provides athletes with the opportunity to gain international playing experience and meet individuals and coaches from all over the world.
Egner Paris bound
Incoming freshman Maxine Egner of the Virginia Tech women’s swimming and diving team has qualified for the 100 free at the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics. She will represent Botswana.
With Egner’s qualification, the Hokies are now sending seven swimmers to Paris. Emily Santos, a fellow incoming freshman, is representing Panama and alumnus Ian Ho is representing Hong Kong. Carmen Weiler Sastre, Mario Molla Yanes, Carles Coll Marti, and Luis Dominguez Calonge are competing for Spain.
