Sophomore transfer Lauren Hurst has been officially ruled out for the Hokies 2026-27 season with a knee injury.
Alongside her Knoxville teammate Alyssa Latham, Lauren Hurst was brought in by head coach Megan Duffy to help get her squad back into winning ways after a disappointing first-round exit at the hands of Oregon in the NCAA Tournament.
However, Duffy told the media Friday that Hurst would miss the entire 2026-27 season due to a knee injury. This comes after a season-ending surgery to her knee, with her recovery time being over the course of this upcoming season. Duffy even elaborated on the injury and the impact it would have on the team, considering it a big depth blow given their expectations for her in the rotation this season
Once ranked as the 9th best wing and 45th overall in the class of 2025, Lauren Hurst started her collegiate career last year for the Lady Vols, where she averaged 2.3 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.7 assists in limited playing time. These stats don't tell the whole story, though, as Hurst made her way into the rotation over the back half of the season, playing 10+ minutes in 10 SEC conference games while shooting 48.8% from the field and 41.4% from the three-point line.
Injuries are never easy, with Virginia Tech's injury woes starting in the preseason. At least with how early into the season this injury is, it gives time for Duffy and her coaching staff to figure out their rotation accordingly before the start of this year's campaign. This is a notable loss, though, as Hurst was expected to at least have a larger rotational role and help fill the shooting gap left by Carys Baker’s departure.
