Cassell Guard gears up to cheer on the Hokies

The Hokies take on LSU Friday

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Hokies all over the country are anxiously waiting to see if the Virginia Tech women earn a spot in the NCAA National Championship on Friday night.

10 News has spoken to dozens of Hokie fans over the past few weeks, and if one thing is clear, it’s that Hokie Nation could not be prouder.

Isaac Wilson is a Hokie through and through.

“When someone asks you what a Hokie is, the cheesy answer is to say ‘oh I am,” Wilson said.

Wilson recently graduated from Tech but is still an avid basketball fan. He was part of the Cassell Guard executive board.

“I wanted Cassell and Cassell Guard to be something much bigger and start to get some national attention for just having a really great environment,” he said.

Ian O’Donnell is a current member of the Cassell Guard executive board and says it’s all about the environment.

“It rattles the opponents,” O’Donnell said. “We’ve even got messages from players specifically saying how much it means to them, us showing out because they feel the support as well.”

O’Donnell said he’s seen a spike in game attendance.

“Watching the attendance from when I was a freshman and there were maybe one hundred max, to getting all of the student tickets sold out for a game for Nebraska, and just seeing how many students showed up for march madness, it’s very rewarding,” O’Donnell said.

Wilson said the Hokie community adds to the Final Four experience.

“I just feel so proud to be a Hokie right now, and to be a part of this incredible community is so awesome,” Wilson said.

10 News spoke to several members of Cassell Guard who are road-tripping down to Dallas to cheer on the ladies against LSU Friday.

Find game updates and past coverage on the Hokies’ chase for the championship HERE.


About the Author:

Abbie Coleman officially joined the WSLS 10 News team in January 2023.