3 other UNC sports to watch this weekend

While a lot of the focus will be on the North Carolina football team when it takes on Georgia Tech at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, three other UNC teams will also be competing in Chapel Hill over the weekend.

Here’s what to know for each matchup.

Women’s tennis

Kitty Harrison Invitational

(all day today through Sunday)

North Carolina will be without its top-three singles players — Hayley Carter, Sara Daavettila and Jessie Aney — who are currently competing in the ITA National Individual Indoor Championship in Flushing Meadows, New York. But the rest of the team will host the 13th annual Kitty Harrison Invitational from today until Sunday at Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center.

Over the past couple years, the Kitty Harrison Invitational has been an opportunity for those who don’t see much playing time to compete against other schools.

Last season, Cassandra Vazquez, Chloe Ouellet-Pizer and Marika Akkerman all picked up singles victories in the invitational. The trio will look to have similar success this weekend.

This will also be a chance for a pair of first-years — Alexa Graham and Makenna Jones — to show what they’re made of. Both players were ranked in the top-10 of the class of 2016.

Men’s basketball

Exhibition vs. UNC-Pembroke

(tonight at 7:30 p.m.)

UNC kicks off the regular season on Nov. 11 at Tulane, but tonight’s game against UNC-Pembroke will be the first chance this season for fans to see the Tar Heels in action against another team.

There are several questions the team will need to answer before the latter half of the season. Chief among those is how UNC will replace junior wing Theo Pinson, who is out indefinitely after breaking a bone in his right foot in mid-October.

Head Coach Roy Williams has said senior Nate Britt or sophomore Kenny Williams could slide into his place in the starting lineup, and the Tar Heels might have a better idea who the best option is after tonight’s game.

The exhibition will also showcase North Carolina’s group of first-years, who will play their first game inside the Smith Center. Forward Tony Bradley and guards Brandon Robinson, Shea Rush and Seventh Woods will likely see a fair amount of playing time against UNC-Pembroke, and they could use the game as a chance to earn more minutes once the regular season begins.

Men’s soccer

ACC Tournament quarterfinal

(Sunday at 1 p.m.)

Arguably the most successful fall sports team at UNC has been the men’s soccer team.

The Tar Heels have an 11-2-3 (5-1-2 ACC) record and are currently ranked No. 4 in the country. UNC won the ACC Coastal Division in the regular season and is the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament.

North Carolina will take on the eighth-seed Boston College — whom the Tar Heels defeated 5-0 back on Sept. 23 — at Fetzer Field on Sunday.

The Tar Heels breezed past the Eagles during the regular season thanks to four goals from sophomore forward Nils Bruening.

Boston College ranks 11th in the ACC in goals allowed per game, meaning UNC should find the back of the net with ease Sunday.

@jbo_vernon

sports@dailytarheel.com