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BLACKSBURG, Va. -- The Virginia Tech women’s tennis team opens the dual match season on Wednesday when the Hokies face Elon at 6 p.m. The match will be held at the Burrows-Burleson Tennis Center on the Virginia Tech campus and admission is free.

Virginia Tech, ranked No. 55 in this week’s ITA national poll, finished the 2008-09 season with a 13-11 record and No. 54 final national ranking. The Hokies return six players from last year and will feature two juniors, four sophomores and three freshmen.

Martha Blakely (So., Reading, Pa.), ranked No. 96 nationally in singles and No. 18 in the Atlantic Region will lead Tech against Elon. The Hokies also feature Christin Newman (Fr., Greensboro, N.C.), ranked No. 7 in the region and Yasmin Hamza (Jr., Cairo, Egypt), No. 20 in the region. The Tech pair of Shannon Betts (So., Newnan, Ga.)/Newman is ranked sixth in the region in doubles while Blakely/Holly Johnson (Jr., Tallahassee, Fla.) earned a No. 8 regional ranking.

Elon (2-1) opened its season on Jan. 16, with a 7-0 loss at No. 39 Wake Forest. The Phoenix bounced back on Saturday with 7-0 home wins over North Carolina Central and North Carolina A&T. Tech defeated Elon, 7-0, last year in the season-opener in Blacksburg.

Following Wednesday’s contest, the Hokies will travel to Athens, Ga. on Friday to face No. 4 Georgia in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Kick-off Weekend. The winner of the Virginia Tech/Georgia match will play the No. 48 William & Mary/No. 52 Georgia State winner on Saturday for the right to advance to the ITA National Team Indoor Championships, Feb. 12-15, at the Boar’s Head Sports Club in Charlottesville, Va., (hosted by the Univ. of Virginia).

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