WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - The William and Mary women's tennis team opened play at the 20th annual Tribe Invitational, winning three of four doubles matches and having three players advance to the semifinals of their respective singles flights on Friday. Senior Anik Cepeda and freshman Jackie Lee highlighted the College's effort as both wrapped up perfect days in claiming victories in both the opening rounds of singles and doubles.

A couple of new doubles teams recorded victories on the opening day of the Invite for the Green and Gold. Cepeda and freshman Leeza Nemchinov rolled to an 8-2 victory over Devan McCluskey and Katherine Whiteaway of Penn State in the opening round of the Karen van der Merwe Doubles Flight. Cepeda and Nemchinov will meet the Penn pair of Stephanie Do and Jaime Yapp-Shing at 9 a.m. on court #1 at the Millie West Tennis Facility on Saturday.

In the Katrin Guenther Doubles Flight, senior Marlen Mesgarzadeh and junior Hope Johnson teamed for an 8-4 win over the James Madison duo of Michelle Nguyen and Taylor Pinchoff.  Senior Nina Vulovich and Lee earned a spot in the semifinals of the Michelle O Doubles Flight with a sweeping 8-0 triumph over the Norfolk State team of Maryna Kariuk and Laura Gutierrez. Vulovich and Lee will meet the JMU duo of Jacqueline Palmucci and Ruxandra Andriescu at 9 a.m. on court #2 at the Millie West Tennis Facility. The final rounds of doubles will also be held on Saturday, beginning at 10:15 a.m.

Junior Maria Belaya improved to 3-2 on the year in singles, cruising to a victory in the Megan Moulton-Levy Singles Flight. Belaya dispatched Marshall's Dana Oppinger, 6-3, 6-1, to advance to the semifinals where she will face Kansas' Maria Belen Luduena. The match will not begin for 1:30 p.m. on court #1 at the Millie West Tennis Facility.

Cepeda won her fourth straight match over the last two tournaments with a victory in the Cherie Dow Singles Flight. The Green and Gold senior downed Penn State's Katherine Whiteaway, 6-3, 7-5, to earn a spot in the semifinals. Cepeda's match on Saturday is slated for court #2 at the Millie West Tennis Facility and will not begin before 1:30 p.m.

Lee won her first collegiate singles match on the opening day of the Tribe Invitational. Playing in the Margie Waters Singles Flight, Lee downed Norfolk State's Laura Gutierrez, 6-3, 7-6 (4). She advances to face Jacqueline Palmucci of James Madison on court #3 at the Millie West Tennis Facility in a match that will not begin before 1:30 p.m.

The second day of the 20th annual Tribe Invitational kicks off with doubles play at 9 a.m. on Saturday. The final round of doubles will follow at 10:15 a.m., before singles gets underway at noon. The last singles matches of Saturday will not begin before 1:30 p.m. The event is at three locations throughout Williamsburg, including the Millie West Tennis Facility, the Common Caf Courts (located on Ukrop Way, adjacent to the Commons Dinning Hall) and the McComarck-Nagelsen Tennis Center (located at 805 S. Henry St., next to the Law School).

W&M Results from the Tribe Invitational
Megan Moulton-Levy Singles Flight
Quarterfinals
Maria Belaya (W&M) def. Dana Oppinger (Marshall) - 6-3, 6-1

Lauren Nikolaus Singles Flight
Quarterfinals
Maria Joe Cardona (Kansas) def. Hope Johnson (W&M) - 6-3, 7-6 (10)
Devan McCluskey (Penn State) def. Leeza Nemchinov (W&M) - 6-3, 6-4

Cherie Dow Singles Flight
Quarterfinals
Anik Cepeda (W&M) def. Katherine Whiteaway (Penn State) - 6-3, 7-5

Julie Shiflet Singles Flight
Quarterfinals
Crystal Yen (Harvard) def. Marlen Mesgarzadeh (W&M) - 6-7 (2), 7-5, retire

Kristine Kurth Singles Flight
Quarterfinals
Katherine Bulling (JMU) def. Sydney Smith (W&M) - 6-2, 6-1
Haley Fournier (Kansas) def. Nina Vulovich (W&M) - 6-7 (2), 6-2, 6-0

Margie Waters Singles Flight
Quarterfinals
Jackie Lee (W&M) def. Laura Gutierrez (Norfolk State) - 6-3, 7-6 (4)

Karen van der Merwe Doubles Flight
Quarterfinals
Cepeda/Nemchinov (W&M) def. McCluskey/Whiteaway (Penn State) - 8-2

Katrin Guenther Doubles Flight
Quarterfinals
Johnson/Mesgarzadeh (W&M) def. Pinchoff/Nguyen (JMU) - 8-4
Cardona/Fournier (Kansas) def. Belaya/Smith (W&M) - 8-6

Michelle O Doubles Flight
Quarterfinals
Vulovich/Lee (W&M) def. Gutierrez/Kariuk (Norfok State) - 8-0