CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The William and Mary women's tennis team opened play at the Kitty Harrison Invitational on Friday. Senior Anik Cepeda won a pair of singles matches to advance to the semifinals of White Draw, while freshman Leeza Nemchinov tallied the first nationally-ranked singles win of her career. In doubles action, the Tribe pair of freshman Jackie Lee and junior Sydney Smith advanced to the semifinals of the Navy Draw.

Cepeda started the day with a 6-0, 7-6 (5) victory over Carol Kahoun of Virginia Tech, before rallying for a three-set win over Minnesota's Paula Rincon-Otero. After the Golden Gopher player took the first set, 6-4, Cepeda evened it with a 6-2 win in the second. The Tribe senior outlasted Rincon-Otero in a third-set tiebreaker, 7-6 (10), for her sixth win of the fall. Cepeda will face No. 27 nationally ranked Marianne Jodoin of Duke in the semifinals at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Nemchinov rolled to an impressive, 6-2, 6-0, over No. 93 nationally ranked Natalie Pintusava of Minnesota in the first round of the Blue Singles Draw. It marked the Tribe rookie's fifth singles win of the fall, before she dropped a three-set heartbreaker, 1-6, 7-6 (5), 6-1, in the quarterfinals to North Carolina's Tessa Lyons. She will face Marshall's Dominik Zaprazna at 1 p.m. in the consolation draw on Saturday.

Junior Hope Johnson also tallied and opening round singles win for the Tribe. Playing in the White Draw, Johnson defeated UNC Greensboro's Alex Whitehead, 7-6 (3), 6-3, for her fifth win of the fall. The Tribe junior dropped her quarterfinal tilt to North Carolina's Laura Salter. In the consolation draw, Johnson will face Raluca Mita of Virginia Tech at 1 p.m.

Lee and Smith highlighted the Tribe's doubles effort with an opening round win on Friday. Playing together for the first time, the Green and Gold tandem upended Alisha Burton and Amy Ellis of UNCG, 8-3. They will face the combined team of Minnesota's Emilie Renault and Norfolk State's Andrea Macchiavello in the Navy Draw semifinals at 9 a.m. on Saturday with the finals to follow at 10:30 a.m.

The second day of the Kitty Harrison Invitational will get underway with the final two rounds of doubles at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Saturday's singles action will get underway at 1 p.m.

W&M Results from the Kitty Harrison Invitational
Blue Singles Draw
Leeza Nemchinov (W&M) def. #93 Natalie Pintusava (Minnesota) - 6-2, 6-0
Tessa Lyons (UNC) def. Leeza Nemchinov (W&M) - 1-6, 7-6 (5), 6-1

White Singles Draw
Hope Johnson (W&M) def. Alex Whitehead (UNCG) - 7-6 (3), 6-3
Anik Cepeda (W&M) def. Carol Kahoun (Va. Tech) - 6-0, 7-6 (5)
Laura Slater (UNC) def. Hope Johnson (W&M) - 6-4, 6-0
Anik Cepeda (W&M) def. Paula Rincon-Otero (Minnesota) - 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (10)

Navy Singles Draw
Emily Lauten (Va. Tech) def. Jackie Lee (W&M) - 6-2, 6-2
Tea Ivanovic (Va. Tech) def. Sydney Smith (W&M)  - 6-4, 6-0
Jamie Grinberg (UNCG) def. Jackie Lee (W&M) - 6-1, 6-3
Amy Ellis (UNCG) def. Sydney Smith (W&M) - 6-2, 7-5

Blue Doubles Draw
McHale/Lyons (UNC) def. Cepeda/Nemchinov (W&M) - 9-7

Navy Doubles Draw
Lee/Smith (W&M) def. Ellis/Burton (UNCG) - 8-3