Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech women's tennis will look optimistically to the future after laying down a foundation of young talent in its 2021 dual season.
The Hokies went 7-4 in non-conference play, while navigating a rigorous ACC schedule. The conference was once again the most well-rounded league in the country, placing six teams in the final top-10 ITA rankings.
The highlight of Tech's season came in the first round of the ACC Championships when the Hokies defeated the higher-seed Clemson Tigers. This marked the second time in the last two ACC Championships that Virginia Tech upset the Tigers in the first round.
Spurred on by wins from veterans Nika Kozar, Nina Sorkin, and Elizabet Danailova, along with freshman Katie Andreini, the Hokies overcame a 1-0 deficit to move on to the second round of the tournament.
There were several thrilling matches early in the season that came out in Tech's favor, as well. No love was lost between the Hokies and Xavier during their Valentine's Day contest, which Andreini clinched for Virginia Tech by winning two tiebreaks for a win in straight sets.
Later in the season, freshman Tamara Barad Itzhaki, who played Court 1 for most of the season, battled back to win the clinching match in three sets for a 4-3 victory over Marshall on the road.
The season marked the final ride in maroon and orange for three Hokies – Shene Disbergen, Nika Kozar, and Nina Sorkin. Disbergen teamed up with Rita Pinto in doubles and reached as high as No. 65 in the rankings following a victory over the No. 39 duo from North Carolina. Kozar was periodically ranked in doubles with Danailova and crept into the singles rankings towards the end of the season. Sorkin has been a staple in the Hokies' lineup for four years.
Despite losing some firepower moving forward, Tech returns four players that are sophomores or younger that saw action in at least seven matches, and will look to carry that momentum into the fall.