November 2, 2008
Tech concludes successful Hokie Fall Invitational
Hokies collect three singles and one doubles title

BLACKSBURG, Va. -- The Virginia Tech women’s tennis team claimed three singles and one doubles title Sunday on the final day of the 15th Annual Hokie Fall Invitational. The tournament was held at the Burrows-Burleson Tennis Center on the Virginia Tech campus.

Tech freshmen Martha Blakely and Shannon Betts along with senior Abbey Walker won their respective flights as did the doubles duo of Yasmin Hamza and Walker.

The Flight C singles final was an all-Hokie affair as two freshmen battled for the title. Blakely (Reading, Pa.) defeated Courtney Rauscher (Evans, Ga.), 2-6, 6-3, 7-5, in a tough baseline battle. Betts (Newnan, Ga.) took her Flight D final, 6-2, 6-4, over Hannah Fick (Liberty) and only dropped 15 games in four matches on the way to the title.

Elsewhere, Walker (Lancaster, Pa.) was equally dominant in Flight E taking the title match against Brianna Wishing (Chattanooga), 6-1, 6-0. Walker dropped a total of eight games in her four victories. Hamza (So., Cairo, Egypt), ranked No. 110 nationally, lost 6-1, 6-4, in the Flight B final to Neela Vaez (Virginia), but Katie Blow (Fr., Richmond, Va.) won the fifth-place match in the same flight, 6-3, 6-1, versus Andra Voinea (East Tennessee State).

Tech took the Flight B doubles crown in another all-Hokie match as Hamza/Walker defeated Betts/Blow, 8-5. Jessica Brouwer (Sr., Maarssen, The Netherlands)/Holly Johnson (So., Tallahassee, Fla.) dropped the Flight A final, 8-4, to Emily Fraser/Maggie Yahner (Virginia), however Inga Beermann (Sr., Bad Salfluzen, Germany)/Blakely took the third-place contest, 8-2, versus Paula Jaime/Yevgeniya Stupak (East Tennessee State).

The Hokie Fall Invitational was the final competition of the fall season. Tech will open the dual match season on Jan. 28 hosting Elon and Longwood.

For updates on Virginia Tech women's tennis, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_WTennis).

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