Kate Sears, a rising senior point guard at Watauga High School in Boone, N.C., announced her commitment to the Virginia Tech women’s basketball program on Twitter on Monday night.
The 5-foot-10 Sears averaged 23.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 6.2 assists as a junior last season, earning first-team all-state honors.
She was an all-state second-team pick as a freshman and sophomore. She has scored 1,851 points in her high school career so far.
Sears was offered a scholarship by Marquette last summer, back when Megan Duffy was the Golden Eagles’ coach. Sears got another offer from Duffy last month after Duffy left Marquette to steer the Hokies. Sears also got an offer last month from new Marquette coach Carla Consuegra.
She also had offers from Michigan, Clemson, Wake Forest, Boston College, Purdue and Kansas, among others, according to her Twitter account.
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Sears becomes the first member of the high school graduating class of 2025 to commit to the Hokies.
Auburn eliminates UVa in NCAAs
Auburn beat Virginia 3-1-1 in the match-play quarterfinals of the NCAA national championships Tuesday in Carlsbad, Calif.
Auburn’s Carson Bacha beat Josh Duangmanee 2 and 1. UVa’s George Duangmanee beat Brendan Valdes 2 and 1 to tie the match.
Josiah Gilbert beat Bryan Lee 2 and 1 to give Auburn a 2-1 lead. Jackson Koivun beat Deven Patel 1 up to give Auburn a 3-1 lead and clinch the match.
So the match between UVa’s Ben James and Auburn’s J.M. Butler was not finished and wound up as a tie.
Auburn played Ohio State in the semifinals later Tuesday.
UVa had advanced to match play by tying North Carolina for third place after the fourth and final day of stroke play Monday. The top eight teams advanced to match play.
Virginia shot an 11-over 1,163 in stroke play to move on to match play for the second straight year. UVa won the tiebreaker with UNC for the third seed in match play; Auburn was the sixth seed.
Georgia Tech’s Hiroshi Tai won the individual NCAA title Monday with a four-day total of 3-under 285. James tied for second at 2-under 286. George Duangmanee tied for 15th at 1-over 289, while Josh Duangmanee was 18th at 290.
Radford lets Tasler go
Radford announced Tuesday it has decided not to renew the contract of softball coach Alisa Tasler.
Tasler went 59-86 overall in her three seasons with the Highlanders.
Tasler steered NCAA Division II member Concord for 10 years before stepping down in the summer of 2021 to take the Radford job.
The Highlanders went 19-29 overall and 12-15 in the Big South in 2022.
Radford was 16-24 overall and 5-16 in league play in 2023.
The Highlanders went 24-23 overall and 7-11 in Big South play this year.
Hokies honored
Virginia Tech outfielder Cori McMillan (.379, 21, homers, 64 RBIs, 55 runs, 20 stolen bases) was named a second-team All-American by Softball America on Tuesday.
Softball America also named Tech first baseman Michelle Chatfield (.275, 19 homers, 37 RBIs) a Freshman All-American.
Also Tuesday, Virginia Tech outfielder Emma Ritter (.432, 14 homers, 38 RBIs, 59 runs, 26 stolen bases) was named a second-team All-American by D1softball.com.
Cavaliers recognized
UVa’s Morgan Schwab (20 goals, 61 assists) has been named a second-team All-American by the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association.
Virginia’s Maggie Bostain (30 caused turnovers, 35 ground balls) and Mackenzie Hoag (49 goals, four assists) made the third team.
