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ORLANDO – The Virginia Tech women’s tennis team kicked off the USTA Collegiate Clay Court Invitational in Orlando with a bang on Thursday, with all seven Hokies competing in singles play picking up victories.

Both Tech players in the Gold singles draw received a round of 64 bye. Elena Cerezo-Codina won her round of 32 match over Central Florida’s Caroline Eberhart 6-0, 6-3 before Ilinca Stoica cruised past Dominkia Lackova of Youngstown State, 6-1, 6-0. Both players advance to the round of 16 on Friday.

Caroline Daxhelet and Raluca Mita also received a round of 64 bye in the Garnet singles draw. Daxhelet took care of Louisiana Tech’s Perny Alba 6-2, 6-1, while Mita beat Eveline Lepinay of Stetson 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in their round of 32 matches.

Sansitha Nandakumar swept Anja Irwin, also of Stetson, 6-0, 6-0 in the White singles draw. Katherine Butler also won her round of 32 match in the White draw, beating Florida Gulf Coast’s Laura Falceto 6-4, 6-3. Kelly Williford added another Hokie win with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Noelly Nsimba of Youngstown State. All seven Hokies who competed in singles on Friday will be in action in tomorrow’s round of 16.

In the Gold doubles draw, Williford and Mita won their doubles match against BYU’s Demi Daniels and Savannah Ware 8-3 to move to the round of 16. Also in the Gold draw, Daxhelet and Cerezo-Codina couldn’t secure their doubles win in the round of 32, accounting for the only Virginia Tech loss on the day. In the Garnet doubles draw, Butler and Nandakumar received a round of 32 bye and will compete in the round of 16 on Friday.

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