14 Inside Hokie Sports FIGHTER Özlem Uslu has taken the ACC by storm since her arrival here in the States. The Gebze, Turkey native has won 15 of her 20 singles matches this season and was one of two Virginia Tech singles players to beat No. 9 UVA opponents in 2023’s Commonwealth Clash. In the match, she defeated No. 60 Natasha Subhash, which was Uslu’s second victory over a ranked opponent. “The ACC is the best conference to play in, every match is tough and you have to fight for every point,” Uslu said about her ACC opponents. “I am glad I chose Tech because we are playing in the ACC. I have the opportunity to play and beat the top players in college tennis.” Uslu moved to America in August. She was born and raised in Turkey and played competitive singles tennis there in the U-16 division. She took a break from her studies to focus fully on tennis in Turkey, so her classes at Tech are the first ones she has taken since early high school. While she has faced a slight learning curve in moving to a new country and adjusting to a new language, her teammates have been nothing but supportive. They help Uslu with school, tennis, and everything that deals with her adopting aspects of American culture. While her transition ÖZLEM USLU: “I’M A ” Freshman from Turkey poised for success in Blacksburg By Lucy West
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