Hokies jump in the Oracle/ITA National Rankings

Freshman Natalie Novotna earns her highest individual ranking of the season after going 2-0 in conference play last weekend

April 19, 2017

BLACKSBURG, Va. (April 19, 2017) – Senior Francesca Fusinato, junior Caroline Daxhelet and freshman Natalie Novotna of the Virginia Tech women’s tennis team remain inside this week’s Oracle/Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Collegiate Tennis Women’s Division I National Rankings, released on Tuesday afternoon.

ITA Singles Rankings | ITA Doubles Rankings

Novotna moves up 11 spots to No. 84 in this week’s ITA top-125 singles poll. The Vysoka nad Labem, Czech Republic, native has jumped 20 spots within the last two weeks, marking her highest individual ranking of the season. She holds a team-best 16-4 mark, primarily playing at the No. 2 position. Last weekend, Novotna went 2-0 in Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) action and has won five of her last six matches, totaling an 8-4 overall record in league play.

Fusinato also checks in at No. 102 in this week’s ITA top-125 singles poll. The Feltre Belluno, Italy, native has topped a total of seven ranked opponents this season and has won five of her last seven singles matches at the No. 1 slot. She holds the second-best singles record on the team, racking up a 14-7 overall mark on the year.

Additionally, Fusinato and Daxhelet sit at No. 61 in this week’s ITA top-90 doubles poll. The Hokie duo boasts a 4-6 mark on the year, playing against highly touted opponents at the No. 1 slot. The doubles tandem have upset two top-35 teams since March 12, most recently taking down Duke’s then-No. 26 Meible Chi and Kaitlyn McCarthy on March 26.

Last week, Tech (11-10, 4-8 ACC) pulled off a sweep of ACC opponents at the Burrows-Burleson Tennis Center in Blacksburg, topping both Syracuse and then-No. 25 N.C. State on April 13 and 15, respectively. Daxhelet recorded a three-set victory over N.C. State’s Adriana Reami, enabling the Hokies to upset the Wolfpack by a score of 4-3 on Sunday. Tech lost the doubles point, but won four matches in singles play to claim the victory. With the match tied at three apiece, Daxhelet beat Reami 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (8) to give the Hokies a 4-3 edge. With the win, Tech won its third straight ACC match and its fourth in the past five.

Of note, Daxhelet also was named the Virginia Tech Student-Athlete of the Week following her 2-0 performance in ACC singles play last weekend. For more information click HERE.

Looking ahead, Tech will play host to its final pair of ACC matches next weekend, as the team welcomes No. 39 Miami on Friday, April 21 and No. 42 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