Elizabeth Kitley injury update: Latest on Virginia Tech center ahead of first-round matchup against Marshall

The 2024 NCAA Tournament is about to start, but one of the top teams in the country will be without their top player. The Athletic's Nicole Auerbach reported on X that Virginia Tech Hokies center Elizabeth Kitley has been ruled out of the NCAA Tournament.

The report was confirmed by Kitley, who posted a picture of her on her Instagram profile with the following caption:

"On March 3rd, I suffered a knee injury that is keeping me out of this years NCAA tournament. This is not at all how I anticipated ending this year with my team, but I'm so proud of all of our accomplishments, and I'm excited to see my girls continue to compete."

"Thank you to all of Hokie nation for being so supportive during this tough time. I'm looking forwrard to making a strong comeback."

Kitley has been having a career year for Virginia Tech. In her 29 games, she averaged 22.8 points, 11.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.1 blocks in 34.3 minutes. She had a strong shooting stroke, albeit from a limited range, with a 55.6 field goal percentage and a 77.4 free-throw percentage.

Kitley ranks sixth in scoring and rebounding while 30th in shooting percentage. So, this is a massive blow for Virginia.

How far can the Virginia Tech Hokies go without Elizabeth Kitley?

With Kitley out for the entire NCAA Tournament, the Virginia Tech Hokies cannot go far in the tournament. In the Portland 3 Region, the Hokies are the fourth seed, taking on the Marshall Thundering Herd in the opening round. They should win that game and face the winner of the Baylor Bears and Vanderbilt Commodores game.

If the Bears advance to the Round of 32, that seemingly will be the end of the line for the Hokies. Kitley's absence means the pressure will be on their backcourt to replace her presence. It is tough on the defense, as she accumulated over a quarter of the team's total rebounds this season.

This is the time of the season for runs and unbelievable stories, but this team may not survive the first weekend.

​