BLACKSBURG, Va. -- Virginia Tech advanced five singles players and three doubles teams into Sunday’s final matches at the 15th Annual Hokie Fall Invitational. The tournament is being held at the Burrows-Burleson Tennis Center on the Virginia Tech campus. Play begins Sunday at 8 a.m. and admission is free.
The event includes players from Appalachian State, Albany, Chattanooga, Davidson, East Carolina. East Tennessee State, Liberty, Marshall, Murray State, Radford, Virginia, Wofford and Virginia Tech. The tournament includes participants from 20 countries around the globe.
In Flight B singles, Yasmin Hamza (So., Cairo, Egypt), ranked No. 110 nationally, easily won two matches to make the Sunday finals. Hamza made quick work of Andra Voinea (East Tennessee State), 6-2, 6-0, then won the semifinal, 6-2, 6-1, over Catherine Kellner (Marshall). Hamza will face Neela Vaez (Virginia) in the 11:30 a.m. final. Tech’s Katie Blow (Fr., Richmond, Va.) lost a tough, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 quarterfinal earlier in the day to Vaez.
The Flight C final at 2 p.m. will an all-Hokie affair as two freshmen will battle for the title. Courtney Rauscher (Evans, Ga.) defeated Natalie Collins (East Carolina), 6-3, 6-2, then won by default in the semis over Maggie Yahner (Virginia) due to injury. Her opponent will be teammate Martha Blakely (Reading, Pa.) who defeated Beata Knizat (Chattanooga), 6-0, 6-2, before winning, 6-3, 6-2, in the semifinal versus Karina Kedzo (East Tennessee State).
Another freshman had positive results in Flight D as Shannon Betts (Newnan, Ga.) advanced to the finals with a 6-2, 6-2, win over Whitney Trotter (East Tennessee State) and a 6-2, 6-1, semifinal victory against Charlotte Tatler (Albany). Betts will face Hannah Fick (Liberty) in the 11 a.m. final.
Abbey Walker (Sr., Lancaster, S.C.) will represent Tech in the 11 a.m. Flight E finals after recording a 6-4, 6-1, win over Haley Baird (Wofford), then making the finals with a convincing, 6-2, 6-0, victory against Heather Prior (Appalachian State). Walker will take on the winner of the Holly Smith (Albany)/Brianna Wishing (Chattanooga) match.
Tech had difficulties in both Flight A semifinals. Jessica Brouwer (Sr., Maarssen, The Netherlands) defeated Emily Fraser (Virginia), 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, in quarterfinals, but came up short, 6-1, 7-5, against 63rd-ranked Yevgeniya Stupak (East Tennessee State). Meanwhile, Inga Beermann (Sr., Bad Salzuflen, Germany) easily defeated Michele Fanney (Davidson), 6-2, 6-1, but lost 6-4, 6-1, in the semifinal to Lindsey Hardenbergh (Virginia).
In doubles action, Brouwer/Holly Johnson (So., Tallahassee, Fla.) continued to roll along in Flight A by picking up a 8-2 win over Jaime/Stupek (East Tennessee State) in the semifinals. They will face Fraser/Yahner (Virginia) in the 8 a.m. final. The Cavalier pair defeated Beermann/Blakely, 8-3, in the other semifinal.
Flight B will feature another all-Tech affair as Hamza/Walker won their semifinal, 8-2, versus Bochenek/Fulcher (Murray State) while Betts/Blow edged Sheets/Voinea (East Tennessee), 8-6. The final will be held at 10 a.m.
The Hokie Fall Invitational is the final competition of the fall season.
For updates on Virginia Tech women's tennis, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_WTennis).