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Spartans start spring season at Virginia Tech on Sunday
UNCG (0-0) at Virginia Tech (0-0), Jan. 30, 3:30 p.m., Blacksburg, Va.
Storylines:
- After completing the fall portion of its schedule, the UNCG women's tennis team will kick off the spring season on Sunday as the Spartans travel to Virginia Tech for a 3:30 p.m. match.
- Fans can follow all of the action live by clicking here.
- The match will mark the first time the Spartans have competed since the Kitty Harrison Invitational back on Nov. 7 that concluded a successful fall season.
- Last season, the Spartans went 10-11 during the spring season. UNCG also had a 4-6 mark in Southern Conference matches to finish in seventh place as a team.
- At the conclusion of the season, the Spartans earned plenty of awards from the Southern Conference. Alex Whitehead was named second-team All-SoCon at the No. 1 singles position, while Annette Rios claimed second-team honors at No. 5 singles. Whitehead also teamed up with Mikayla Rogers to earn second-team All-SoCon at No. 3 doubles.
- Whitehead and Rios weren't done with collection postseason hardware as the duo were both named to the Southern Conference All-Freshman Team after the year was over.
- The Spartans received a boost during the fall portion of their schedule from Niltooli Wilkins, a sophomore transfer from Minnesota. Wilkins went 11-5 during the fall in singles competition, including victories in her first six matches as a Spartan.
- Perhaps the greatest win for UNCG in the fall was Wilkins' defeat over Hilary Bartlett from Pinceton, who was ranked 49th in the nation at the time, 2-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-7), at the Kitty Harrison Invitational.
- UNCG found success earlier this season at the Air Force Invitational at the beginning of October. Whitehead teamed up with Stephanie Macfarlane to earn runner-up honors in doubles, while Wilkins claimed runner-up honors in singles at the event.
- The Spartans also had tremendous success as they hosted the Spartans Doubles Challenge. UNCG went 16-4 overall at the event with Wilkins and Whitehead winning the Navy group, while Devon Sutherland and Dilara Yurtkuran claimed top honors in the Gold group.
- At the UVA Fall Invitational back in September Whitehead and Macfarlane were able to come home with third place honors in the doubles bracket.
- Sunday will also be the season opener for Virginia Tech, although the Hokies will open their season earlier in the day. The Hokies are set to face Richmond at 10 a.m. prior to their match against UNCG.
- Last season, the Hokies went 10-13 overall and 2-9 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Virginia Tech's season came to an end at the ACC Championships as it fell to Georgia Tech in the opening round, 4-1.
- UNCG -
