Elizabeth Kitley, The Ultimate Competitor

Yearns to Cut Down a Net in Dallas

By Jacob Sawyers

[Blacksburg, VA, March 31, 2023] On a February evening in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Elizabeth Kitley faced a rather arduous task: winning a basketball game. Her Virginia Tech Hokies were tied against the North Carolina Tar Heels, 59-59. With 2.1 seconds left on the clock, Tech guard Cayla King inbounded the ball. Every player, coach, announcer and fan knew the ball was going to Kitley, who had become the Hokies’ all-time leading scorer earlier in the contest.

After a strong downscreen from bonafide superstar Georgia Amoore, Kitley caught the ball near the elbow and faced the hoop. She let the ball fly, and the rest was clockwork. This was yet another unforgettable moment from an unprecedented women’s hoops season.

Throughout her senior campaign, Kitley has cemented herself as the best player in the A.C.C. This program, led by head coach Kenny Brooks, is now one where winning is the expectation, not the hope. First A.C.C. championship. First #1 seed in school history. First time hosting a regional tournament game. First trip to the Final Four. Yet, Kitley and Co. haven’t come this far to only come this far. They are in the market for scissors strong enough to cut championship nets.

Kitley, Brooks and the rest of the team envisioned an outcome like this when she packed her bags for Blacksburg four years ago.

“As far as personal goals go, I wasn’t aspiring to get a certain amount of awards [when I came here],” she remarked during her Triumph Spotlight podcast appearance. “As far as team goals, we definitely talked about being at the top of the A.C.C. and competing for a championship. I think that goes to show how Coach [Brooks] has steadily increased the success of this program.”

However, the fact remains: anyone can have a vision, but it takes an exceptional player to live out their hoop dreams.

When Kitley joined the program in 2019, the Hokies were coming off a 22-12 season and 6-10 A.C.C. record. #33 made an immediate impact, averaging 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds. This earned her the nod for ACC Freshman of the Year, the first of her many player accolades.

“No one works harder than Liz Kitley,” said Evan Hughes, play-by-play broadcaster for the Virginia Tech Hokies. “Nobody wants to win more than Liz; she’s a competitor above all else.”

Even still, the 6’6”, Nowitzki-like center didn’t focus on the hardwood until she was 14. It was in Greensboro, North Carolina, home of the Northwest Guilford Vikings, where she found her footing on the court. She and Hokie teammate Cayla King led the red and black to back-to-back state championships.

But it’s those glorious moments that fans hear about. We don’t get to see the 5 a.m. workouts. We don’t feel the recovery process from a torn ACL. We don’t know Kitley’s emotions after losing in a state final game to a last-second shot. We don’t know the feeling of falling just short– that same feeling that enables her competitive drive. Put simply, you don’t hit the aforementioned buzzer-beaters against the Tar Heels by chance, and you certainly don’t put up 25 points and 12 rebounds in an Elite Eight game by chance. 

“She had a blue-collar work ethic on and off the basketball court in developing her game,” said Darlene Joyner, who coached Kitley during both title runs.  “She applied that same work ethic to her recovery.  She went to rehab three times a week at 6:00 a.m. before school for six months.”

Those moments are only captured when you spend countless hours in a gym, when you buy into a program at the ground level and when you have an incredible support system along the way. Kitley attributes the latter to her father, Ralph, and her sister, Raven, who attend nearly every Cassell Coliseum contest.

“Liz and Raven always had a very special bond together as sisters,” Joyner recalled. “Raven was Liz’s number one fan and loved cheering for her sister;  Liz was Raven’s number one fan and supported her in everything, including her Special Olympics events.  They were always supporting each other with a smile.”

Now, Kitley is a mainstay in Virginia Tech sports who is using her name, image and likeness to grow her brand. She’s a Triumph athlete with a curated merchandise line, and she partners with C.M.G. Housing. The 2x A.C.C Player of the Year is even pairing with local chef Roya Gharavi to host a Mediterranean-style cooking class this April. 

Before she can delve into making borek and baklava, the Summerfield-born star looks to add more hardware. This squad has handily defeated every opponent in the tourney thus far, but L.S.U. will surely put up a fight. The Hokies embark on their first-ever Final Four campaign against the Tigers on March 31. Tech hopes to secure its first national championship in any team sport. 

As for #33, the outcome of this March Madness is redundant. Her legacy is cemented as one of the best athletes in any VT program. 

“When she leaves, she does so as the greatest player in Virginia Tech women’s basketball history,” Hughes said. “That much I know.”

Kitley’s number will one day drape over Cassell’s rafters. When she comes to visit it, she could care less. Her eyes will be too focused on the championship banner that the Lady Hokies wish to add in Dallas.