Virginia Tennis Team Shines at Kitty Harrison Invitational

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Virginia’s fall season began not with a gentle warm-up, but with a statement.

At the Kitty Harrison Invitational at the Chewning Tennis Center, first-year standout Shannon Lam tore through her eight-player singles flight, winning three straight matches to claim the title and announce herself at the collegiate level. No easing in. No feeling things out. Just wins.

Lam’s perfect run set the tone for a Cavaliers squad that looked sharp across the board in Chapel Hill from Friday through Sunday.

Behind her, three more Virginia players pushed deep into their respective draws. Katie Rolls, Alyssa James and Blanca Pico Navarro each pieced together two victories, driving through their brackets and earning spots in the finals of their flights. Different styles, same outcome: progress, poise, and a string of early-season wins that suggest real depth in the lineup.

The Kitty Harrison Invitational often serves as a barometer for who is ready to handle the grind of the fall. Virginia’s early answers were emphatic.

Looking Ahead

Now the stakes rise.

The Cavaliers head down the road to Cary, N.C., for the ITA All-American Championships, running Sept. 19-27. It’s the first major gateway to the NCAA Individual Championships, the first real chance to turn early form into national relevance.

If this weekend in Chapel Hill is any indication, Virginia won’t just be making up the numbers in Cary. They’ll be chasing places in May.