From the sidelines
By Marty Gordon
Liz Kitley walked onto the court at Cassell Coliseum this past weekend for the last time, but it might not have been what she had originally expected.
She sat at the end of the bench after walking to the court with the aid of crutches. A knee injury suffered in the ACC tournament meant her season ended a lot sooner for her, the team, her coaches and fans.
She will finish as a three-time ACC player of the year. She becomes the third woman in ACC history to win the award in three consecutive seasons, joining Alana Beard (Duke) and Alyssa Thomas (Maryland).
The Summerfield, North Carolina native ranks second in the conference in scoring (22.79), second in field goal percentage (55.6%), first in rebounds (11.38), second in blocks (2.07), first in double-doubles (19) and first in 30-point games with eight.
She won ACC Player of the Week six times, the most of any athlete, including a stretch of four consecutive weeks in February. The six POW honors ties Beard for the most in any single season in conference history.
With her Player of the Year Award comes a fourth first team All-ACC nod, just the second player in conference history to accomplish the feat (Duke’s Elizabeth Williams). Kitley was also recognized as an All-Defensive Team member for the third consecutive season.
Nationally, Kitley ranks second in field goals, trailing only Iowa’s Caitlin Clark. She is sixth in points per game, rebounds per game and double-doubles.
She has claimed the top spot in several categories in the Virginia Tech annals this season including starts, minutes played, double figure games, 30-point games and rebounds, which is also an ACC watermark.
In terms of single-season achievements, the 2023-24 season has seen Kitley produce the highest scoring average in program history, score the most field goals and come within six points of the record for single season scoring.
These are some things we have to remember Kitley.
Maybe, we should write her a thank you note.
Dear Liz (Kitley),
Thanks for the memories of you shooting a soft jumper inside the paint.
Thanks for all those blocked shots.
You have changed the way everyone looks at women’s college basketball. Those packed houses proved that.
Your personality has brightened our day, and your smile has caught the attention of people of all ages.
But most importantly, young girls are now getting excited about Hokie basketball and maybe some day being like “Liz”.
While we know the Cassell will never be the same without you, we will always cherish those memories.
Also, thank you for introducing us to your family and a special sister named Raven. We will truly miss her flaming orange hair in the stands cheering you on.
Good luck Liz, in whatever you do in the future. We know you will succeed whether it be on the court or maybe in the medical field.
Thank you.
Signed: A fan.
P.S. Also, thank you for the relationship you have with your point guard and best friend, Georgia Amoore. The “Queens of Cassell” exist because of you two.
Maybe Dr. Seuss said it best: “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”
No matter where we go, we take a little of each other everywhere. That is true with Liz.
