By Zach Rowen Cavalier Daily Associate Editor The uphill climb for the women's basketball team to the top of the ACC will start tonight as it travels to Raleigh, N.C. to face the Wolfpack.
Virginia (12-7, 2-3 ACC) will take on N.C. State after suffering a demoralizing two-point loss Monday night. The defeat, which came at the hands of rival Virginia Tech, moved Virginia down in the conference standings to sixth place.
The challenge now for coach Debbie Ryan is not only to refocus the team, but also to analyze the loss to the Hokies to fix what went wrong.
"It's a matter of watching the video, Ryan said. "That's how we learn -- watching the video and [making] sure we make better decisions on the offensive end and playing better defense."
In order to get back on the winning track, the Cavaliers will have to beat a team that has had a season eerily similar to their own. Like the Cavaliers, the Wolfpack started off the season with a bang, building a 9-2 record before heading into conference play.
N.C. State's success, however, came to a quick end when it started playing ACC opponents. The Wolfpack has gone 2-3 in the ACC, and in the process has been blown out by both No. 2 North Carolina and No. 1 Maryland.
Part of the reason for the tumultuous start to conference play for N.C. State may be coach Kay Yow's decision to take a leave of absence to focus on her fight against breast cancer in November. Interim coach Stephanie Glance took over and was forced to lead the team through one of the toughest conferences in the country.
The good news for N.C. State is that Yow is returning to the bench tonight against the Cavaliers.
"I am just happy to hear that she is going to come back and be all right," Ryan said. "But obviously the focus for us is going to be on winning the game."
The importance of this game, however, extends beyond the challenge of defeating the Wolfpack in what should be an emotional homecoming for its coach. It also is important because the game will feature two middle-of-the-pack teams jockeying for position in a stacked conference.
"Especially in the ACC you have to win home games," junior guard Sharneé Zoll said. "Every game now is a big one. For the NCAA [Tournament] and the championship, whatever it may be, every game is big. We just have to play each game like it's our last."
Zoll is third in the team in scoring with 11.2 points per game and first on the team in assists, averaging over five per game.
As a team, Virginia has a clear edge over N.C. State in key statistical categories. The Cavaliers lead the Wolfpack in points per game with 73.9 to the Wolfpack's 64.2 and 3-point field goals per game with 4.8 to 3.9.
Virginia averages about the same number of turnovers per game as N.C. State, with 17.0 to the Wolfpack's 16.9.
Tonight, the Cavaliers will look to maintain those advantages over their conference rival and bounce back in what could prove to be a "statement game" after a tough ACC loss Monday night.
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