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BLACKSBURG, Va. – The Virginia Tech women’s tennis team dropped a 4-0 decision to seventh-ranked Alabama on Sunday at the ITA Kick-Off Weekend championship match in Tuscaloosa, AL. The Hokies move to 3-1 on the season while Alabama improves to 2-0.

The day began with 36^th-ranked duo of Francesca Fusinato and Raluca Mita dropping their first match of the season against the Crimson Tide’s Erin Routliffe and Maya Jansen on court 1. That match was followed by the Hokies’ Caroline Daxhelet and Kelly Williford dropping their match to Danielle Spielmann and Emily Zabor by a score of 6-4 on court 2, securing the doubles point for Alabama. Elena Cerezo-Codina and Sansitha Nandakumar were in a close 4-5 tilt with the Tide’s Luicelena Perez and Natalia Mayetto on court 3 before the point was clinched.

The Hokies struggled in singles play against a talented Alabama team. Williford was the first off with a loss to Perez on court 5, followed No. 25 Routliffe topping the Hokies’ Ilinca Stoica on court 1. No. 59 Jansen sealed the victory for the Crimson Tide with a 6-3, 7-6 victory over Cerezo-Codina.

Before the singles point was clinched, other Hokies in action included Daxhelet, who found herself in a tight 5-5 battle in the second set with Zabor. Sansitha Nandakumar won the first set in her match against Maynetto and Fusinato was battling No. 56 Spielmann before the match was clinched.

Tech will hit the court next at the Hilton Garden Invitational in Winston-Salem, N.C. on Friday, January 30^th in an all-day event.

Singles:

#1: #25 Erin Routliffe (UA) def. Ilinca Stoica (VT) 6-2, 6-2

#2: Francesca Fusinato (VT) vs. #56 Danielle Spielmann 4-6, 5-3 dnf

#3: #59 Maya Jansen (UA) def. Elena Cerezo-Codina (VT) 6-3, 7-6

#4: Carloline Daxhelet (VT) vs. Emily Zabor 3-6, 5-5 dnf

#5: Luicelena Perez (UA) def. Kelly Williford (VT) 6-1, 6-2

#6: Sansitha Nandakumar (VT) vs. Natalia Maynetto (UA) 6-3, 2-4 dnf

Order of finish: 5, 1, 3*

Doubles:

#1: Routliffe/Jansen (UA) def. Fusinato/Mita (VT) 6-1

#2: Spielmann/Zabor (UA) vs Daxhelet/Williford (VT) 6-4

#3: Cerezo-Codina/Nandkumar (VT) vs. Perez/Maynetto (UA) 5-4

Order of finish: 1, 2*

For updates on Virginia Tech women's tennis, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @VT_WTennis