Monday, 10/01/2012

BLACKSBURG, Va. - The William and Mary women's tennis team closed out play at the 19th annual Hokie Invitational in style on Sunday, winning three of its four matches competed. Senior Anik Cepeda and the Tribe doubles team of senior Nina Vulovich and junior Sydney Smith won their third straight matches to claim the consolation draw of singles Flight A and doubles Flight B, respectively, while Smith won her consolation singles matches in Flight B.

After falling in three sets in the first round of the top singles flight, Cepeda rallied to win her third straight match and take the consolation draw on Sunday. The Tribe senior downed Virginia Tech's Carol Kahoun, 6-4, 6-2.

Smith and Vulovich won their third straight match as well to claim the consolation draw of Flight B. The Green and Gold pairing upended the Virginia Tech duo of Emily Lauten and Megan Conley, 8-2, to improve to 3-2 on the year.

Smith dropped her opening two singles matches of the Hokie Invite, but bounced back to win her final two in the consolation side of Flight B. On Sunday, she needed three sets but pulled out the victory over UMBC's Isabel Aldunate. Smith took the opening set, 6-2, before the Retriever player rallied for the second, 7-5. In the third-set super tiebreaker, Smith notched her third victory of the fall, winning 10-8 over Aldunate. 

After winning matches on Friday and Saturday, Cepeda and junior Hope Johnson fell in the fifth-place match of Flight A on Sunday. The Tribe pair fell to the East Tennessee State tandem of Antonia Kolovou and Larn McShane, 8-6.

The Green and Gold return to action when it hosts the 20th annual Tribe Invitational, Oct. 5-7. The event will be held at the Millie West Tennis Facility, the Caf Courts and the McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center on the campus of William and Mary.

W&M Results from the Hokie Invitational
Flight A Singles
Anik Cepeda (W&M) def. Carol Kahoun (Va. Tech) - 6-4, 6-2

Flight B Singles
Sydney Smith (W&M) def. Isabel Aldunate (UMBC) - 6-2, 5-7, 10-8

Flight A Doubles
Kolovou/McShane (ETSU) def. Cepeda/Johnson (W&M) - 8-6

Flight B Doubles
Smith/Vulovich (W&M) def. Lauten/Conley (Va. Tech) - 8-2