Blacksburg, Va. (October 31, 2008) - Again competing against some of the top players and teams in the region, the ETSU women's tennis team had a solid opening-first day at the Hokie Invitational, in Blacksburg, Va.

Leading the way for the Bucs was senior Tara Byrne (Johnson City) and junior Yevgenyia Stupak (Kyiv, Ukraine). Both ETSU upperclassmen won their matches in the Flight A singles draws, as Byrne dropped Mia Drobjak of Radford, 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-1, and the No.63^rd ranked Stupak defeated ASU's Gisela Fernandez in straight sets 6-1, 6-0.

ETSU would then go on and spilt its next six singles matches. Sophomore Andra Voiena (Brasov, Romania) defeated Lyndsay Ottosen in straight sets 7-5, 6-0, while freshman Paula Jamie (Madrid, Spain) lost to Chattanooga's Shaina Singh 6-3, 6-2 in Flight B action.

In Flight C senior Vita Moskaliova (Minsk, Belarus) lost to Virginia's Maggie Yahner 7-5, 6-1, however freshman Karina Kedzo (Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela) would put ETSU in the winner's bracket defeating Western Carolina's Ashley Lawrence 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

Rounding out the Bucs singles scores was junior Whitney Trotter (Guadalajara, Mexico) who dropped Antoinette Iosue of Radford in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 and freshman Jessica Ratcliff (Bristol) who lost to Abbey Walker of Virginia Tech 6-0, 6-0.

In doubles action the Bucs turned in one of its strongest days of the fall season, winning all four of its opening-round matches. In Flight A doubles the ETSU duo of Stupak and Jamie defeated Western Carolina's team of Lawrence and Smyers 8-3, while the Bucs team of Byrne and Kedzo defeated Cook and Soler of Eastern Carolina 9-7.

In Flight B doubles action the ETSU team of Sheets and Voiena defeated Arkansas' Ma and Waltmen 8-5, while the Buc duo of Trotter and Moskaliova advanced by dropping Radford's duo Hammond and Lauzon 8-2.

For more information about this tournament or other ETSU women's tennis information please visit www.ETSUBUCS.com.