Hokie ClubLOUISVILLE, Ky. – The 36th-ranked Virginia Tech women's tennis team fell to 49th-ranked Louisville in a close 4-3 match on Sunday afternoon at Bass-Rudd Tennis Center in Louisvilley, Kentucky.
The Hokies (10-4, 1-4 ACC) got off to an early lead after winning the doubles point as freshmen Nika Kozar and Nina Sorkin won 6-2 on court three. Tech clinched the point with Katherine Butler and Natalie Novotna's 6-2 decision at two.
The Cardinals pulled ahead 2-1, winning singles matches on courts five and two, but the Hokies evened it up at 2-2 with 52nd-ranked Novotna taking court one in straight sets. She defeated Aleksandra Mally, 6-2, 6-2.
Louisville again pulled into the lead with a win at four, but Sorkin evened it up again. The Hokies' freshman downed Sena Suswam 6-4, 6-4 on court six.
The deciding match came down to three where Elena Cerezo-Codina squared off against Abbie Pahz. The opening set was close with Pahz winning it 7-5. In the second set, the two once again kept it close and were knotted at 6-6 to force the tiebreak as the Cardinals' player again held on to win it 7-6(7).
Virginia Tech will be back on the court Friday, March 23 in a 3 p.m. home match against Pitt.
Singles
1. #52 Natalie Novotna (VT) def. Aleksandra Mally (UL) 6-2, 6-2
2. Mariana Humberg (UL) def. Caroline Daxhelet (VT) 6-2, 6-4
3. Abbie Pahz (UL) def. Elena Cerezo-Codina (VT) 7-5, 7-6(7)
4. Tiffany Huber (UL) def. Nika Kozar (VT) 6-1, 6-4
5. Raven Neely (UL) def. Katherine Butler (VT) 6-1, 6-3
6. Nina Sorkin (VT) def. Sena Suswam (UL) 6-4, 6-4
Order of finish: 5,2,1,4,6,3
Doubles
1. Pahz/Humberg (UL) def. Cerezo-Codina/Daxhelet (VT) 6-2
2. Butler/Novotna (VT) def. Suswam/Neely (UL) 6-2
3. Kozar/Sorkin (VT) def. Mally/Rodriguez (UL) 6-2
Order of finish: 3,2,1