Eliana Salama delivered the decisive blow in the 81st minute Thursday night, lifting Virginia Tech to a 2-1 upset of No. 10 Florida State in Tallahassee.
The win gave the Hokies their first victory over a top-10 foe since they beat Florida State in 2022, and it marked Virginia Tech’s first triumph over the defending NCAA champion since that 2022 meeting. It also came with a little extra weight for the Hokies: they moved up 10 spots to No. 34 in the NCAA’s RPI rankings.
Virginia Tech had already grabbed the lead in the first half when Joelle Jung scored in the 25th minute. Julia Trujillo handled the rest in goal, finishing with six saves.
Florida State answered through Anna Weir, who tied the match in the 25th minute. Joelle Jung and Anna Weir were the only scorers in the opening half, sending the teams into the break level at 1-1 before Salama settled it late.
The Hokies’ result also snapped Florida State’s regular-season unbeaten run at home in the 2024 NCAA tournament, a streak that had stood since the Hokies beat UCLA in the 2024 tournament opener.
Virginia Tech finished with a 6-6-6 regular-season record and 1-3-0 in ACC play this season. The team won a game in the SoCon tournament for the first time in 24 years, went 31 goals scored this year - its highest total in 22 years - and last year earned a Division I tournament berth for the first time in nine years.
Elsewhere in the ACC, No. 1 Stanford beat No.
3 Notre Dame 2-0, with the Cardinal getting goals from Gardner-Gibb and Ava Kertgate in the first round of the Big South tournament. Lexi Radvan had three saves for Notre Dame, which will visit top-seeded USC in the semifinals next Tuesday.
Miami coach resigns
Miami announced Friday that Nick Regan has stepped down as men’s soccer coach to pursue other opportunities.
Third-seeded UNC Greensboro beat sixth-seeded and visiting Keydets 2-1 in the second round of the SoCon tournament Thursday night.
Regan steered VMI to a 5-10-1 overall mark and 1-3-1 in SoCon regular-season play this season. The team won a game in the SoCon tournament for the first time in 24 years, went 31 goals scored this year - its highest total in 22 years - and last year earned a Division I tournament berth for the first time in nine years.
In the Big South tournament, Radford topped Gardner-Webb 1-0 in the first round. Lexi Radvan had three saves for Radford, which will visit top-seeded USC in the semifinals next Tuesday.
In Other News...
Virginia Tech Just Got A Harsh ACC Reality Check
Virginia Techs trip to Gerald J. Ford Stadium turned into a rough ACC reminder, as SMU rolled to a 51-28 win behind an offense that never seemed to let up. The Hokies were on the wrong end of a game that quickly tilted toward the Mustangs, who kept stringing together productive possessions and put Virginia Tech in chase mode for most of the afternoon.
Kevin Jennings was at the center of it, throwing for 350 yards and four touchdowns while wideouts Yamir Knight and Yannick Smith kept finding room all over the field. For Virginia Tech, the concern goes beyond one lopsided result, because SMUs balance and tempo exposed just how hard it can be to survive when an opponent is clicking from the opening series and never really cools off. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Tech Just Exposed A Bigger ACC Problem
Virginia Techs trip to Gerald J. Ford Stadium turned into a revealing ACC night, one that went well beyond a single lopsided result. SMU controlled the game from the start in a 51-28 win, finding answers through the air and on the ground while the Hokies struggled to get much going offensively. The Mustangs scored on eight of their first nine drives and piled up 569 total yards, a pace that made the game feel out of hand long before the final whistle.
For Virginia Tech, the concern is not just the loss itself but what it suggested about the gap the Hokies have to close in a league where explosive offenses can quickly expose a defense. The passing attack never found a steady rhythm, and the Hokies now have a short turnaround before hosting Stanford on September 14, a chance to reset before this performance starts to linger as more than one bad afternoon. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Tech Wrestling Just Made An Opening Statement Fans Will Love
Virginia Tech wrestling wasted no time making a statement to open the season, rolling past Lehigh 30-6 and looking every bit like a group that expects to be in the thick of things. The Hokies won eight of the 10 individual bouts, and the scoreboard reflected more than just a fast start. It pointed to a lineup with depth, balance and enough firepower across multiple weight classes to make an early impression on the rest of the sport.
The night also featured a couple of performances that stood out even in a lopsided team result. Aaron Seidel controlled his match at 133 pounds with a major decision, while freshman Bo Bassett immediately showed why there was so much buzz around his arrival by toppling the nations top-ranked wrestler at 141. For a program trying to build momentum from the first whistle, this was the kind of opener that gives fans plenty to carry into the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]