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WILLIAMSBURG, Va. --- Virginia Tech freshman Christine Newman wasted little time in making an impact as the Tech freshman won two matches in her flight at the 17th Annual William and Mary Invitational. The three-day event (Sept. 11-13) featuring players from 11 teams will be played throughout Williamsburg at the Busch Courts, the Recreation Courts and the Kiwanis Courts.

The flighted tournament includes players from East Tennessee State, Harvard, Marshall, Maryland, Richmond, Penn State, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Virginia Commonwealth, Winthrop and the host Tribe. The event is comprised of five singles flights and a trio of doubles flights.

Newman (Fr., Greensboro, N.C.) made a big splash in her collegiate debut in Flight B by upsetting top seed Laura Burns (Virginia Commonwealth), 6-1, 6-3, in the opening round. She followed that up with an even more dominating performance winning, 6-1, 6-1, over Amy Simidian (Penn State) in the quarterfinals. Newman will battle Hana Tomijanovic (Virginia) in a noon semifinal. In another Flight B contest, Courtney Rauscher (So., Evans, Ga.) dropped a tough, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, match against Nina Vulovich (William & Mary), but bounced back with a 7-6, 6-4, victory over Denisa Zobeideh (Penn State) in the consolation. Rauscher will play Alex Bara (Virginia Commonwealth) Saturday at noon in the consolation semifinal.

In Flight A singles, Martha Blakely (So., Reading, Pa.) won a dramatic, 4-6, 6-7, 7-6 (5), opening match against Ana Bara (Virginia Commonwealth, but lost, 6-0, 6-1, in the quarterfinals against top seed and 36th-ranked Michaela Kissel (Marshall). Blakely will play No. 98 Yevgenia Stupak (East Tennessee State) at 1:30 p.m., in the fifth-place bracket. Also in Flight A, Yasmin Hamza (Jr., Cairo, Egypt) easily defeated Lauren McCarthy (Penn State), 6-2, 6-1, in her opening match before dropping a 6-3, 6-4, match to fourth-seed and 107th-ranked Ragini Acharya (William & Mary). Hamza will take on Ellszaveta Zaytseva (Winthrop) at 1:30 p.m. in the fifth-place bracket.

Shannon Betts (So., Newnan, Ga.) won her opening Flight C match versus Lexi Brand (Maryland), 6-2, 6-4, but lost, 6-2, 6-3, in the quarters to fourth seed Paula Jaime (East Tennessee State). Betts returns to action Saturday at 1:30 p.m., against Dominica Zaprazna (Marshall) in the fifth place bracket. In Flight D, Katie Blow (So., Richmond, Va.) lost to fourth seed Deanna Bailey (Marshall), 6-2, 6-2, before winning, 0-6, 6-2, 1-0 (7), in the consolation over Andra Voinea (East Tennessee State). Blow will play Sarah Henderson (Penn State) in a noon consolation semifinal.

Two Tech freshmen saw their first collegiate competition in Flight E as Megan Conley (Knoxville, Tenn.) lost, 2-6, 6-3, 6-1, to Riley Blanks (Virginia), then routed Amanda Morejon (William & Mary), 6-1, 6-0, in the consolation. Due to a default, Conley received a bye into Sunday’s 10 a.m., final against the winner of Saturday’s Krutiyeko (Maryland)-Catherine Crystal (Richmond) match. Emily Lauten (Marietta, Ga.), seeded third in the flight, won her first round match, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3, against Oksana Krutiyenko (Maryland), but lost 6-2, 6-2, in the quarters against Thaddea Lock. Lauten battles Kara Sheets (East Tennessee State) Saturday at 1:45 p.m. in the fifth-place bracket.

The Hokies had a tough morning in the doubles competition losing all four matches. In Flight A doubles action, Hamza/Lauten lost, 8-6, to Reich/Zaprazna (Marshall) and will play Matuszcyk/Smyth (Richmond) in the consolation Saturday at 8:45 a.m. Also in Flight A, Betts/Blakely dropped at tight, 9-7, match against the third-seeded team of Acharya/Cepeda (William & Mary). The Tech pair will return to the court on Saturday at 9 a.m., to face Brand/Hushke (Maryland) in a consolation match.

Blow/Conley dropped their first Flight B action, 8-2, to the No. 3 seeds, Jaime/Kedzo (East Tennessee State) and will play Henderson/Lotto (Penn State) Saturday at 9 a.m. in the consolation round. Newman/Rauscher dropped a tight 9-7 decision to the Flight B No. 4 seeds Cao/Lehman (Harvard) and will take on the mixed team of Blanks (Virginia)/Krutiyenko (Maryland) Saturday at 9 a.m.

The event continues Saturday with two rounds of doubles, starting at 8 a.m., with one round of singles beginning at noon. The final day of the tournament will begin with doubles at 8 a.m. and conclude with singles, starting at 10 a.m.

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