Hokies head to Nashville for ITA Kickoff Weekend

Tech will square off against top-ranked Vanderbilt on Friday

January 26, 2017

BLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech women’s tennis team travels to Nashville, Tennessee, for a showdown against No. 9 Vanderbilt on Friday, Jan. 27, in the 2017 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Kickoff Weekend, at the Currey Tennis Center held on Vanderbilt’s campus.

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The first match of the four-team tournament is set to begin at 11 a.m. ET, as Kansas (No. 2) squares off against Atlantic Coast Conference foe Clemson (No. 3). The Hokies, seeded fourth, are scheduled to take on No. 1-seeded Vanderbilt at 3 p.m. ET.

Looking ahead, Saturday’s consolation match is scheduled for 10 a.m. ET, followed by the ITA Kickoff site championship at 2 p.m. ET. There are 15 ITA Kickoff “regionals” played on both the men’s and women’s side, with four teams competing in each regional. The winners of the single-elimination event advance to next month’s ITA Division I National Team Indoor Championships.

“We are excited for the opportunity to compete in the ITA Kickoff Weekend against high quality teams, as we are looking to build and improve with each match we play,” said coach Terry Ann Zawacki-Woods.

Tech (2-0) kicked off the 2017 season in fine fashion, as the squad captured a pair of victories over Troy and East Tennessee State on Jan. 21, in Blacksburg. The Hokies outscored their opponents 10-4 on the weekend, as senior Francesca Fusinato and freshman Natalie Novotna went 2-0 in singles play.

Of note, junior Caroline Daxhelet paces the Hokies roster with a No. 47 singles ranking. Additionally, Daxhelet and junior Elena Cerezo-Codina earned a No. 59 national doubles ranking after a stellar fall season paired on the court.

No. 9 Vanderbilt will open its 2017 campaign this weekend, as the team boasts three players ranked in singles play. The Commodores are led by redshirt junior Astra Sharma, as she enters the spring season ranked No. 2 in the country, the highest individual ranking for a player in Vanderbilt program history.

Kansas (1-0) opened its season with a 6-1 win over Saint Louis on Jan. 20, in Lawrence, Kansas. Sophomore Anastasia Rychagova, ranked No. 65 nationally, is on a four-match win streak with an overall record of 15-4. Additionally, the freshmen duo of Maria Toran Ribes and Tatiana Nikolaeva are leading the way in doubles play with six consecutive wins.

Clemson (2-0) also opened the 2017 season with a pair of wins over Charlotte (7-0) and Charleston Southern (6-1) on Jan. 21, at the Clemson Indoor Tennis Center. Two Tigers –sophomores Ayan Broomfield and Ally Miller-Krasilnikov – went 2-0 in singles play and are currently ranked at No. 40 and No. 84, respectively, to start the spring season.

Fans can follow all the action during each match of the 2017 season by following the squad on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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