BLACKSBURG, Va. - Senior Nina Vulovich and junior Sydney Smith opened play in the ITA Atlantic Region Championships for the William and Mary women's tennis on Friday afternoon at the Burrows-Burelson Tennis Center. Both Vulovich and Smith won a match in the qualifying singles flight, before combining to win their opening round main draw doubles match.

In the main doubles draw, Vulovich and Smith upended the West Virginia duo of Irinka Toiaze and Vivian Tsui, 8-3, to earn a spot in the second round on Saturday. The victory improved the Tribe duo to 4-2 on the year as they advance to face No. 9-16 Kara Kucin and Ellie Ball of Marshall in the second round at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

Vulovich and Smith both tallied their fifth singles wins of the fall on Friday as well with first round qualifying flight victories. Vulovich downed Morgan State's Arina Alilueve, 6-3, 6-0, before falling the final round of qualifying in three sets, 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, to Georgetown's Madeline Jaeger. Smith upended West Virginia's Irinka Toidze, 6-3, 6-2, in the opening round, before falling to George Washington's Lana Robins, 6-3, 6-0.

In the main doubles draw on Saturday, senior Anik Cepeda and freshman Leeza Nemchinov, who was seeded No. 9-16, open competition with an 8 a.m. match against the Richmond team of Melissa Kandinata and Katya Salas in the secon round. The W&M junior tandem of Maria Belaya and Jeltje Loomans, who are ranked No. 12 nationally, are seeded No. 3 in the regional championship and will face Morgan State's Arina Alilueva and Margarita Belyakova at 9 a.m. on Saturday.

Nemchinov, Cepeda and Belaya will be in action in the main singles flight as well, beginning on Saturday. Nemchinov will meet Maryland's Sarah Gealer at 11:30 a.m., while Cepeda drew George Washington's Leah Pascarella at 2 p.m. Belaya, who is the event's No. 5 seed, will face qualifier Shannon Cleary of UMBC at 3:30 p.m.

The ITA Atlantic Region Championships hosted by Virginia Tech will run through Tuesday, Oct. 23.

W&M Results from the ITA Atlantic Region Championships
Qualifying Singles Draw First Round (32)
#1 Nina Vulovich (W&M) def. Arina Alilueva (Morgan State) - 6-3, 6-0
#5 Sydney Smith (W&M) def. Irinka Toidze (West Virginia ) - 6-3, 6-2

Qualifying Singles Draw Second Round (16)
Madeline Jaeger (Georgetown) def. #1 Nina Vulovich (W&M) - 1-6, 6-4, 6-4
Lana Robins (George Washington) def. #5 Sydney Smith (W&M) - 6-3, 6-0

Main Doubles Draw First Round (48)
Vulovich/Smith (W&M) def. Toiaze/Tsui (W. Va.) - 8-3