University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: UNC Athletic Communications
3 Women’s Tennis Players Fill American Collegiate Invitational Field
August 16, 2017 | Women's Tennis
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – Hayley Carter, Sara Daavettila and Alexa Graham, all members of the North Carolina women's tennis team that won the 2017 ACC Championship, were selected to play in the fourth annual American Collegiate Invitational at the 2017 US Open, September 7-9.
The Tar Heel trio makes up nearly half of the eight-player field that will compete at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y. Carter is slated to compete in the event for the third time, while Daavettila and Graham, who grew up in nearby Garden City, N.Y., earn their first trip.
Former North Carolina All-American Jamie Loeb won the inaugural event back in 2014. The local product of Ossining, N.Y., is currently the No. 154 singles player in the world.
The American Collegiate Invitational, open only to American college players, began in 2014 as a way to spotlight college tennis during the US Open. Eight men and eight women play single-elimination singles tournaments Thursday to Saturday during the second week of the US Open, with the winners receiving a wild card into the 2018 US Open, main draw or qualifying, depending on their ranking next summer.
For the second straight year, the American Collegiate Invitational will also serve as a testing ground for several innovations, including utilizing a 25-second serve clock between points and eliminating coaching violations, allowing players to communicate with coaches between points.
In addition, William Blumberg of the Carolina men's team will compete against some of the top American collegiate players.
Women's Field:
*Sydney Campbell (Sr., Vanderbilt; Franklin, Tenn.)
*Hayley Carter (Sr., UNC; Hilton Head Island, S.C.)
Sara Daavettila (Fr., UNC; Williamston, Mich.)
Francesca Di Lorenzo (Soph., Ohio State; New Albany, Ohio)
**Alexa Graham (Fr., UNC; Garden City, N.Y.)
Brienne Minor (Soph., Michigan; Mundelein, Ill.)
Ingrid Neel (Fr., Florida; Rochester, Minn.)
Ena Shibahara (Fr., UCLA; Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.)
Men's Field:
*J.C. Aragone (Sr., Virginia; Yorba Linda, Calif.)
William Blumberg (Fr., UNC, Greenwich, Conn.)
Christopher Eubanks (Jr. Georgia Tech; Atlanta)
Tom Fawcett (Jr., Stanford; Winnetka, Ill.)
*Thai-Son Kwiatkowski (Sr., Virginia; Charlotte)
Alfredo Perez (Soph., Florida; Miami)
*Mike Redlicki (Sr., Arkansas; Chicago)
**Alex Rybakov (Soph., TCU; Coral Springs, Fla.)
*Indicates player is a graduating senior and/or has turned pro/exhausted collegiate eligibility.;
** USTA Wild Card Selection
The fields are comprised of the top two players in the ATP/WTA rankings (as of August 7) and the top five players in the year-end Intercollegiate Tennis Association singles rankings (excluding those selected by pro ranking), including at least two graduating seniors or players who have turned pro/exhausted their collegiate eligibility.
The men's/women's American Collegiate Invitational champions will receive main draw wild card entries into the 2018 US Open if either is ranked No. 120 or better by the US Open entry deadline next summer. Otherwise, the winners will receive qualifying wild cards. The champions will also get wild cards into three USTA Pro Circuit events, while each runner-up will get one.
The Tar Heel trio makes up nearly half of the eight-player field that will compete at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y. Carter is slated to compete in the event for the third time, while Daavettila and Graham, who grew up in nearby Garden City, N.Y., earn their first trip.
Former North Carolina All-American Jamie Loeb won the inaugural event back in 2014. The local product of Ossining, N.Y., is currently the No. 154 singles player in the world.
The American Collegiate Invitational, open only to American college players, began in 2014 as a way to spotlight college tennis during the US Open. Eight men and eight women play single-elimination singles tournaments Thursday to Saturday during the second week of the US Open, with the winners receiving a wild card into the 2018 US Open, main draw or qualifying, depending on their ranking next summer.
For the second straight year, the American Collegiate Invitational will also serve as a testing ground for several innovations, including utilizing a 25-second serve clock between points and eliminating coaching violations, allowing players to communicate with coaches between points.
In addition, William Blumberg of the Carolina men's team will compete against some of the top American collegiate players.
Women's Field:
*Sydney Campbell (Sr., Vanderbilt; Franklin, Tenn.)
*Hayley Carter (Sr., UNC; Hilton Head Island, S.C.)
Sara Daavettila (Fr., UNC; Williamston, Mich.)
Francesca Di Lorenzo (Soph., Ohio State; New Albany, Ohio)
**Alexa Graham (Fr., UNC; Garden City, N.Y.)
Brienne Minor (Soph., Michigan; Mundelein, Ill.)
Ingrid Neel (Fr., Florida; Rochester, Minn.)
Ena Shibahara (Fr., UCLA; Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.)
Men's Field:
*J.C. Aragone (Sr., Virginia; Yorba Linda, Calif.)
William Blumberg (Fr., UNC, Greenwich, Conn.)
Christopher Eubanks (Jr. Georgia Tech; Atlanta)
Tom Fawcett (Jr., Stanford; Winnetka, Ill.)
*Thai-Son Kwiatkowski (Sr., Virginia; Charlotte)
Alfredo Perez (Soph., Florida; Miami)
*Mike Redlicki (Sr., Arkansas; Chicago)
**Alex Rybakov (Soph., TCU; Coral Springs, Fla.)
*Indicates player is a graduating senior and/or has turned pro/exhausted collegiate eligibility.;
** USTA Wild Card Selection
The fields are comprised of the top two players in the ATP/WTA rankings (as of August 7) and the top five players in the year-end Intercollegiate Tennis Association singles rankings (excluding those selected by pro ranking), including at least two graduating seniors or players who have turned pro/exhausted their collegiate eligibility.
The men's/women's American Collegiate Invitational champions will receive main draw wild card entries into the 2018 US Open if either is ranked No. 120 or better by the US Open entry deadline next summer. Otherwise, the winners will receive qualifying wild cards. The champions will also get wild cards into three USTA Pro Circuit events, while each runner-up will get one.
Players Mentioned
UNC Field Hockey: Tar Heels Clip Cards in ACC Tourney Opener, 2-1
Tuesday, November 04
Head Coach Bill Belichick Pre-Stanford Press Conference
Tuesday, November 04
Rapid Reactions pres. by Modelo – Men’s Basketball vs. Central Arkansas – November 3, 2025
Tuesday, November 04
Hubert Davis Post-Central Arkansas Press Conference
Tuesday, November 04