March 22, 2009
ATLANTA – Sixth-ranked Georgia Tech avoided any suspense by winning the doubles point and cruising to two-set victories in five of six singles matches, beating Virginia Tech 7-0 at the Bill Moore Tennis Center here Sunday.
The Yellow Jackets, who beat 20th-ranked Virginia (5-2) on Saturday, won their fourth consecutive ACC match to improve to 10-5 overall and 4-1 in the ACC. Virginia Tech fell to 10-6 and 1-3.
“I thought our girls performed well today,” Georgia Tech head coach Bryan Shelton said. “I thought we came out with a purpose. We wanted to bring good energy and I thought we did that very well today.”
Sophomore Sasha Krupina clinched the Yellow Jacket victory with a 6-1, 6-2 win at No. 5 singles, giving the home team a 4-0 lead. No. 18 Amanda McDowell made short work of Jessica Brouwer at No. 2 singles, 6-4, 6-1. Christy Striplin followed with a 7-5, 6-0 win against Yasmin Hamza.
No. 7 Irina Falconi gave the Yellow Jackets a 5-0 lead after she held off Virginia Tech’s Inga Beermann at No. 1 singles. Noelle Hickey defeated Martha Blakely at No. 3, 7-6, 6-3.
The only suspense came at No. 6 singles where Georgia Tech’s Viet Ha Ngo and Virginia Tech’s Holly Johnson went into a third-set tie-breaker.
“I think we’re in a good place (in the ACC) right now,” Shelton said. “We’re certainly battle-tested at this point in the season and have some good opportunities to reach some goals in the coming weeks.”
Georgia Tech took a 1-0 lead by winning two of three doubles matches. Striplin and Hickey cruised to a quick 8-0 victory over Brouwer and Johnson at No. 1 doubles. Falconi and Krupina held off a late comeback by Hamza and Walker to win at No. 3 doubles, 8-5. The Hokies won at No. 2 doubles when Beermann and Blakely won the tie-breaker to beat McDowell and Blau, 8-7.
Georgia Tech begins a three-match road swing beginning Wednesday at Vanderbilt. The Yellow Jackets resume ACC play Saturday at Wake Forest and Sunday at NC State.
