When they heard “on your mark, get set, go!” both Virginia Union and Virginia State were more than ready to burst out of the starting blocks.

Heading into this week’s women’s basketball action, the Panthers were 5-1 and the Trojans 6-0.

VUU’s lone defeat was in overtime to Emory & Henry. The Panthers are in their third season under Coach Tierra Terry, who succeeded the highly successful AnnMarie Gilbert.

The Panthers went 135-18 from 2015 to 2020 under Gilbert, who is now head coach at Division I Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C.

VUU went 10-14 Coach Terry’s first season in 2021-22 and 13-16 a year ago.

VSU is in its second season under Coach Nadine Domond. The Trojans were 12-16 last season.

VUU’s difference-making players include Ny Langley, a 5-foot-10 senior who transferred from Division I Duquesne of Pittsburgh, 5-foot-5 junior Neveah Reeves from Columbus, Ohio, and 5-foot-7 Taniah Johnson, a graduate student from Roanoke.

Langley, a southpaw, is averaging 16 points and six rebounds in her third season as a Panther.

There is some Spanish flavor in 6-foot Bruni Martinez, who averages eight points and a team-best seven rebounds. She hails from the Dominican Republic.

VSU’s star watch features 6-foot junior Amesha Miller, who transferred from Norfolk State, 5-foot-7 Cabria Lewis from New Orleans, and 5-foot-5 sophomore Mihjae Hayes from Philadelphia.

Miller hails from King’s Fork High in Suffolk, where she scored more than 1,000 points and grabbed more than 1,000 rebounds.

In her first season for VSU, she is averaging 16 points, nine rebounds with 11 blocked shots.

VUU won the 2016, 2018 and 2019 CIAA titles under Coach Gilbert, but has been fairly quiet since. VSU’s last CIAA crown was in 2015 under Coach James Hill Jr.

VUU’s next game is Dec. 7 at Claflin. VSU’s next outing will be a home game Dec. 11 against Shaw.

The Panthers and Trojans will play twice this season — Jan. 20 at Barco-Stevens Hall and Feb. 24 at VSU’s Multi-Purpose Center in the regular season finale.

The CIAA tournament will be Feb. 26 to March 3 in Baltimore.