Hokies close regular season with four-match homestand

Tech welcomes Syracuse to Blacksburg Thursday morning, followed by an afternoon match with No. 25 N.C. State on Saturday

April 12, 2017

BLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech women’s tennis team caps its regular season with a four-match homestand, as the Hokies welcome Syracuse and No. 25 N.C. State to the Burrows-Burleson Tennis Center this weekend.

Tech (9-10, 2-8 ACC) will square off against Syracuse (7-10, 4-6 ACC) on Thursday, April 13, followed by a match against No. 25 N.C. State (17-7, 6-5 ACC) on Saturday, April 15. First serve against the Orange is set for 11 a.m., while the contest against the Wolfpack is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.

“We have some great opportunities ahead of us these next two weeks, and we are driven to continue to reach our program goals with each day we train and compete,” said coach Terry-Ann Zawacki-Woods. “We look forward to the matches ahead, and I know our team will be ready to play some great tennis.”

Admission is free for both events. The first 50 fans at Saturday’s match will receive a free VT tennis chap stick. Also, don’t forget to pick up a loyalty card at the marketing table. With this year’s loyalty card, fans can check in to select tennis matches and earn a prize at the end of the season.

Last week, Tech played its final regular-season road match of the year, rolling to a 5-2 win over Pittsburgh in ACC action on April 9. In singles play, Tech got wins from senior Francesca Fusinato, freshman Natalie Novotna and juniors Elena Cerezo-Codina and Caroline Daxhelet in the top four spots to seal the win. Senior Sansitha Nandakumar also added the final point with a straight set victory at the No. 6 spot.

Of note, Novotna and Fusinato are ranked in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) top-125 singles poll, checking in at No. 95 and No. 96, respectively. Novotna paces the Hokie roster with 14 victories, followed by Fusinato with 13. Additionally, Fusinato and Daxhelet are ranked as the No. 52 doubles tandem in the country, boasting a 4-4 mark at the No. 1 slot. The Hokie duo has upset two top-35 opponents since pairing up together midway through the season.

During the team’s last meeting with the Orange, Tech closed out its 2016 regular-season campaign with a 5-2 loss at Syracuse on April 17.

Syracuse most recently earned a 4-3 win against then-No. 42 Miami on April 9 at the Drumlins Tennis Club in Syracuse, New York. The Orange claimed the doubles point early and then went on to capture three of six singles matches for the win.

Miranda Ramirez holds a team best 13-3 singles mark, followed by Gabriela Knutson with nine singles wins. Knutson is the highest ranked Orange in singles, earning the No. 80 spot. Ramirez also checks in at No. 94, while Valeria Salazar Garza sits at No. 121. Knutson and Salazar Garza also are ranked as the No. 25 doubles tandem in the nation, showing a 7-5 record at the No. 1 slot this season.

Additionally, Tech and N.C. State will meet for the 26th time in program history, as the Wolfpack hold a 20-5 advantage over the Hokies. However, Tech picked up a 5-2 victory over N.C. State on March 27, 2016 at the J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center in Raleigh, North Carolina.

N.C. State comes to Blacksburg riding a seven-game winning streak. Most recently, the Wolfpack claimed a 5-2 road victory over Syracuse on April 7 at the Drumlins Tennis Club in Syracuse, New York.

Martina Frantova holds an 11-11 mark at the No. 1 slot this season and is the lone Wolfpack ranked inside the ITA singles poll at No. 66. Additionally, the doubles tandem of Frantova and Anna Rogers has gone undefeated in their last 12 matches and has accumulated an 18-1 overall record at the top doubles position this season, checking in at No. 14 nationally.

Looking ahead, Tech will play host to its final pair of Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) matches next weekend, as the team welcomes No. 45 Miami on Friday, April 21 and No. 47 Florida State on Sunday, April 23. Friday’s contest is scheduled for 3 p.m., while Sunday’s match is set to begin at 11:30 a.m.

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