DURHAM, N.C. – North Carolina Central will make its women's basketball season debut under new Head Coach Olivia Gaines on Monday against Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va. Tipoff is 6 p.m. at Cassell Coliseum.

The non-conference contest will air on the ACC Network Extra.

Gaines will coach her first Division I game as a head coach after spending two seasons at Allen. She posted a 36-19 record at Allen and set a program record for Division II single-season wins.

Gaines takes over an NCCU program that finished fifth in the MEAC last season. Seven returnees are back for the Eagles, picked to finish sixth in the MEAC after a 9-20 record last season. The group includes guards Aysia Hinton, Victoria Morris, Shakiria Foster, Amaya Harris and Kendall Alexander and forwards Aaliyah Grant and Dianna Blake.

Morris was named to the MEAC Preseason List while Hinton is the team's returning scoring leader. Hinton set program Division I records with 36 points and 12 three-pointers in a victory over William Peace in February. Her 12 treys were the most by a Division I player last season. Blake is the team's returning rebounding and blocks leader.

The new additions includes guards Eboni Clay, Brianna Carelock, Kenadi Banks, Rayana Minard and Keileen Thompson-Edwards; forwards Chloe Crawford and Ariel Walker and center Shrouq Amer. Clay, a former standout at Allen under Gaines, joined Morris on the league's Preseason Watch List. During her two seasons at Allen, Clay became the program's first SIAC Rookie of the Year and also earned all-conference honors.

Last season, NCCU relied on the inside tandem of Morgan Callahan and Aniya Finger. Both accounted for the majority of the scoring and rebounding but this year's Eagles' team is expected to produce from the perimeter. The 15-player roster features 10 guards.

This marks the fourth straight year the Eagles will open the season on the road against a Power Four team. The previous opponents were Washington in 2023, Georgia in 2024 and North Carolina last year.

NCCU previously faced Virginia Tech in 2014, the most recent of four meetings between the programs. The Eagles enter Monday seeking their first win in the series.

Virginia Tech is coming off a 23-10 season which included an NCAA Tournament appearance. The Hokies are led by Carleigh Wenzel, an honorable mention All-American and All-ACC guard.

For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com.