A WCBB Round of 64 Matchup to Watch: No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 9 Virginia Tech

March Madness is Here!

The 2026 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament is here, and the madness is just getting started. Although there typically aren't as many major upsets within the women's tournament as seen in the men's tournament in recent years, not all hope is lost for an upset. Specifically, upsets within the women's tournament are most likely to be found in the 8 vs. 9 and 7 vs. 10 matchups in the Round of 64. 

One game between an 8 seed and a 9 seed to keep an eye on is No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 9 Virginia Tech. This contest with the Ducks facing the Hokies is much closer than many give it credit for. Facing off Friday, March 20, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. on ESPN 2, the Oregon Ducks enter this matchup with a 22-12 record in comparison to Virginia Tech's 23-9. Although Virginia Tech has a better record on the surface and their higher conference ranking in the ACC being 8th, outdoing Oregon's 11th place in the Big Ten, the Ducks remain a 4.5-point favorite to beat the Hokies according to Sports Illustrated. On the contrary, the Hokies seem to match up well with the Ducks in terms of size and scoring. Oregon's tallest player, Amina Muhammad, stands at 6'4", just three inches taller than Virginia Tech's starting forward, Kilah Freelon. Size is key for the Hokies and because Muhammad only averages 11.4 minutes per game, Virginia Tech will likely look to not only stretch the floor within all three levels of scoring but also pester the paint on offense and defense.

Key Players in this Game

Virginia Tech

As Virginia Tech looks to upset Oregon, it must be a full team effort. That said, there are two key pieces to the Hokies' offense that must be on their A game, Carleigh Wenzel and Carys Baker. Averaging 15.3 points on the season and leading the Hokies in scoring, Carleigh Wenzel is a game changer. Wenzel is coming off her 16th consecutive double-digit scoring game- the longest streak of her career, and it cannot stop now. The Redshirt-Junior guard from San Antonio, Texas is a force on both ends of the court despite often times being outsized by opponents standing at 6'0". When Wenzel is on a burner, it's hard to get her off and her efficient scoring ability is a necessity for the Hokies to advance. Alongside Wenzel's lethal ability to score on all three levels is that of Carys Baker. Although she's often considered an undersized forward standing at just 6'2", Carys Baker is able to maximize the entire length of the court, attacking the rim and pouring in three-pointers. Shooting 36.7% from beyond the arc, a hot Carys Baker is a nightmare for opponents. In four of the Hokies' nine losses, Baker shot less than 25% from three, making it vital that she is on the mark from deep, or make it work with her insane post work. If it be that either Wenzel or Baker don't have their best games against Oregon, Virginia Tech needs the defensive presence of Samyha Suffren and pristine passes of Mackenzie Nelson to set up their team for success. Alongside this, the entire team must be ready for their number to be called as it could be anyone's day, the Hokies must rally together and have each other's backs in order to triumph over the Oregon Ducks. 

Oregon

Matching Carleigh Wenzel, Oregon's Katie Fiso also leads the team with 15.3 points. That said, Fiso has a strong supporting cast in the scoring column as three other Ducks are averaging at least twelve points per game this season. Oregon's ability to share the basketball and have multiple contributors in the scoring category will likely make or break this contest for the Ducks. The matchup between Ehis Etute and Virginia Tech's Kilah Freelon will be exciting as the two both lead their respective teams in rebounds, approximately 8.5 boards per game each. Unlike what the Hokies are used to, Freelon will have a respectable size advantage over Etute who stands at just 6'0". Will this size advantage be enough to counteract Oregon's dominant scoring ability?

What's Next?

The winner of this contest will move on to face the winner of No. 1 Texas vs. No. 16 Missouri St. Potentially facing off with No. 1 Texas and their star duo, Madison Booker and Rori Harmon will be a challenge no matter who wins this 8 vs. 9 matchup. 

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