Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG– Virginia Tech's Natalie Novotna claimed the event title on Sunday at the Dick Vitale Clay Court Classic. Sophomore Nika Kozar claimed a pair of singles wins on the final day of the Kentucky Invitational.
DICK VITALE CLAY COURT CLASSIC
Novotna downed Liberty's Ashley Bongart in the final match. The Tech junior rolled past Bongart as she claimed the title in straight sets with scores of 6-1, 6-3.
Singles
Natalie Novotna (VT) def. Ashley Bongart (LU) 6-1, 6-3
KENTUCKY INVITE
At the Kentucky Invitational, Kozar battled to two wins. She opened the day with tough match against Tulane's Christina Sisti as the two went into a tiebreak during the first set. Sisti held on to win it 7-6(3). Kozar came back to win the second 6-4. The pair again kept it close in the 10-point tiebreaker with Kozar hold off to claim it 11-9.
Kozar again took three to get the win this time facing Kentucky's Akvile Parazinskaite. The Hokies' sophomore won the first set 6-4, but the Wildcats' player came back in the second to win it 6-3. In the tiebreaker, Kozar secured it 10-8.
The Hokies wrapped up the fall slate this weekend and will be back on the court in January for the start of spring duals.
Singles
Nika Kozar (VT) def. Christina Sisti (Tulane) 6-7(3), 6-4, 1-0(9)
Kozar (VT) def. Akvile Parazinskaite (UK) 6-4, 3-6, 1-0(8)
Samantha Gillas (VT) def. Ivone Alvaro (Tulane) 7-6, 7-0, 1-0(2)
Ana Tkachenko (UK) def. Gillas (VT) 7-5, 3-0 ret.
Laura Fabrizi (TU) def. Nina Sorkin (VT) 6-4, 4-6, 1-0(9)
Justina Mikulskyte (UK) def. Sorkin (VT) 6-1, 7-6(1)
Alexandra Alegre (Tulane) def. Emily Pence (VT) 3-6, 6-1, 1-0(6)
Brianna Tulloch (UK) def. Pence (VT) 6-3, 6-2
Daniela La Fuente (Tulane) def. Annie Clark (VT) 7-6,4), 6-0
Diana Tkachenko (UK) def. Clark (VT) 6-2, 6-2
Adelaide Lavery (Tulane) def. Dori Mesmer (VT) 6-1, 6-1
McKenzie Moorhead (UK) def. Mesmer (VT) 6-3, 6-2
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DAY TWO
BLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech's Natalie Novotna continued to advance, winning two on Saturday to advance into the finals at the Dick Vitale Clay Court Classic. The Hokies were also in action at the Kentucky Invitational where two Tech duos claimed wins.
Dick Vitale Clay Court
Novotna opened with a hard-fought match against Oklahoma State's Catherine Guliher. After giving up the first set 7-5, Novotna powered back to win the second 6-3. In the 10-point tiebreak third, Novotna rolled to take it 10-3.
In her second match of the day, Novotna met a local opponent, squaring off against Liberty's Laura Soares. The Tech junior downed the Flames' Soares with straight set scores of 6-4, 7-5.
On the doubles side, Novotna paired with Sarah Baron to knock off UCF's Sarah Culbertson and Valentina Martin, 7-5. The Tech tandem fell to the Cowboy's Gulihur and Marina Guinart, 8-3.
Novotna will compete in the championship match on Sunday against Liberty's Ashley Bongart.
Kentucky Invite
The Kentucky Invite featured only doubles matches on Saturday.
Tech claimed a win from Nika Kozar and Nina Sorkin as the pair defeated Tulane's Ivone Alvaro and Daniela La Fuente, 8-7. The pair fell in their second match to Kentucky's Justina Mikulskyte and Lesedi Jacobs as the Wildcat pair edged them 8-7.
The Hokies pair of Annie Clark and Emily Pence faltered 8-1 against Tulane's Christina Sisti and Adelaide Lavery. Clark and Pence rallied for their second match of the day, knocking off Kentucky's Ana Tkachenko and Alexis Merrill, 8-4.
Tech will wrap up the Kentucky Invite on Sunday.
Dick Vitale Clay Court
Main Draw
Natalie Novotna (VT) def. Catherine Gulihur (OkSt) 5-7, 6-3, 10-3
Novotna (VT) def. Laura Soares (LU) 6-4, 7-5
Consolation
Tsveta Dimitrova (UF) def. Shene Disbergen (VT) 6-3, 6-3
Doubles
Sarah Baron/Natalie Novotna (VT) def. Sarah Culbertson/Valentina Martin (UCF) 7-5
Marina Guinart/Catherine Gulihur (OkSt) def. Baron/Novotna (VT) 8-3
Ksenia Kuznetsova/Natalia Serrano (UCF) def. Rita Pinto/Disbergen (VT) 7-6(4)
Kentucky Invitational
Nika Kozar/Nina Sorkin (VT) def. Ivone Alvaro/Daniela La Fuente (Tulane) 8-7
Justina Mikulskyte/Lesedi Jacobs (UK) def. Kozar/Sorkin (VT) 8-7
Christina Sisti/Adelaide Lavery (Tulane) def. Elizabet Danailova/Samantha Gillas (VT) 8-6
Diana Tkachenko/Akvile Parazinskaite (UK) def. Danailova/Gillas (VT) 8-5
Alexandra Alegre/Laura Fabrizi (Tulane) def. Annie Clark/Emily Pence (VT) 8-1
Clark/Pence (VT) def. Ana Tkachenko/Alexis Merrill (UK) 8-4
McKenzie Moorhead/Brianna Tulloch (UK) def. Dori Mesmer/Jade Woo (VT) 8-6
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DAY ONE
BLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech women's tennis team claimed wins on the first day at two weekend tournaments. Natalie Novotna advanced two rounds at the Dick Vitale Clay Court while several Hokies won at the Kentucky Classic.
Dick Vitale Clay Court
Natalie Novotna downed UCF's Natalia Serrano in straight sets with scores of 7-5, 6-3. She followed up with a second-round win over Boston College's Laura Lopez, defeating the Eagles player 6-2, 6-0.
Rita Pinto also opened the day with a win, defeating Florida Gulf Coast's Madison Gallegos 6-3, 6-2. She faltered in the second-round to Katherine Earnhardt of Appalachian State, 6-2, 6-3.
Singles
Natalie Novotna (VT) def. Natalia Serrano (UCF) 7-5, 6-3
Novotna (VT) def. Laura Lopez (BC) 6-2, 6-0
Rita Pinto (VT) def. Madison Gallegos (FGCU) 6-3, 6-2
Katherine Earnhardt (AppSt) def. Pinto (VT) 6-2, 6-3
Ksenia Kuznetsova (UCF) def. Shene Disbergen (VT) 6-0, 6-3
Disbergen (VT) def. Julia Ascua (FGCU) 9-7
Kentucky Classic
In Kentucky, five Hokies claimed wins on Friday. Nina Sorkin rolled past Tulanes Ivone Alvaro, winning the match 6-1, 6-1.
Nika Kozar knocked off the Green Waves' Daniela La Fuente 6-2, 6-4 while Annie Clark defeated Tulane's Adelaide Lavery 7-6, 6-3. Her fellow freshman Jade Woo also won in straight sets as she took the 6-0, 6-2 decision against Kentucky's McKenzie Moorhead.
Samantha Gillas battled in her match, going to three-sets against Tulane's Laura Fabrizi. Gillas won the first 6-1, but faltered 6-2 in the second. The Tech player came back strong to win the third 6-4.
Singles
Nina Sorkin (VT) def. Ivone Alvaro (Tulane) 6-1, 6-1
Akvile Parazinskaite (UK) def. Sorkin (VT) 1-6, 7-5, 6-1
Nika Kozar (VT) def. Daniela La Fuente (Tulane) 6-2, 6-4
Justina Mikulskyte (UK) def. Kozar (VT) 6-0, 6-2
Samantha Gillas (VT) def. Laura Fabrizi (Tulane) 6-0, 2-6, 6-4
Diana Tkachenko (UK) def. Gillas (VT) 6-0, 6-1
Annie Clark (VT) def. Adelaide Lavery (Tulane) 7-6, 6-3
Ana Tkachenko (UK) def. Clark (VT) 6-1, 6-3
Jade Woo (VT) def. McKenzie Moorhead (UK) 6-0, 6-2
Brianna Tulloch (UK) def. Woo (VT) 6-1, 6-3
Christina Sisti (Tulane) def. Emily Pence (VT) 6-3, 6-4
Lesedi Jacobs (UK) def. Pence (VT) 6-2, 6-2
Alexandra Alegre (Tulane) def. Dori Mesmer (VT) 6-0, 6-3
Alexis Merrill (UK) def. Mesmer (VT) 6-0, 6-1