The first win came on Nov. 28, 1977.

Since then, Virginia coach Debbie Ryan has coached three first team all-Americans, been to the Final Four three times and to the NCAA tournament 23 times and coached some of the greats in women's basketball including two-time national player of the year Dawn Staley.

She is already enshrined in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.

On Friday, Ryan gets her first shot at win No. 700 as the 2009-10 season opens at UMBC.

"We want it for her because we love her so much," said Cavaliers senior Monica Wright. "We'll run through a brick wall for her because we know she will do that for us."

The No. 14 Cavaliers won't need any sledge hammers for Ryan, who went 699-298 over her first 32 years as head coach for Virginia, to join the likes of Tennessee's Pat Summit and North Carolina's Sylvia Hatchell with 700 wins.

Virginia has better tools for the job, starting with Wright.

Wright was the preseason pick for ACC player of the year and she made The Associated Press's preseason All-America team. She led the ACC in scoring last season with 20.5 points a game, and said that this season her "focus is on elevating my game."

The Cavaliers went 24-10 and made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament last season, but half of that team's scoring and rebounding power is gone with the graduation of Lyndra Littles (19.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg) and Aisha Mohammed (12.8 ppg, 10.1 rpg).

"The theme this year will be defense and rebounding," Wright said. "It's our focus every day."

But they return point guard Paulisha Kellum, who sat out last season with a knee injury, and sophomores Ariana Moorer (guard) and Chelsea Shine (post), who played a lot last season.

Twins Britny (forward) and Whitny Edwards (guard) are also back for their sophomore seasons, as is junior forward Jayna Hartig.

But the Cavaliers, like many teams in the ACC this season, will be counting on production from their freshman class. They are also looking for a chance to break back into the top of the ACC ranks, and get past that second round of the NCAAs.

ESPNU ranked the Cavaliers' incoming class the fifth best in the country. Point guard China Crosby was ranked No. 14 in the country.

"She's quick with the ball and she has a high basketball IQ," Wright said of Crosby.

Center Erinn Thompson, twice named North Carolina's player of the year, was ranked 21st in the country, guard Lexie Gerson ranked 37th and center Simone Egwu 71st.

Telia McCall, Georgia's 5A player of the year last season, is the only one in the class who didn't make the Hoopgurlz Top 100.

"A lot of teams lost key players last year, especially teams at the top," Ryan said. "We have a very good chance, but it's going to depend on how quickly my first-years come along."