We are thrilled to welcome Zara Larke and Blanca Pico Navarro into the UVA family!!
"Both young ladies have played on some of the biggest stages of junior tennis, are excellent students in the classroom and will fit in well with our team culture."
🔗https://t.co/EefBeOIpVL pic.twitter.com/BhoEH8ud6j— Virginia Women's Tennis (@UVAWomensTennis) July 17, 2023
Virginia Adds Two Players for 2023-24
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia head coach Sara O’Leary announced that Zara Larke (Buddina, Australia) and Blanca Pico Navarro (Alicante, Spain) will join the women’s tennis team in 2023-24.
“We are thrilled to welcome Zara and Blanca into the UVA family this fall,” O’Leary said. “Both young ladies have played on some of the biggest stages of junior tennis, are excellent students in the classroom and will fit in well with our team culture. Their character along with their love for tennis and the University of Virginia made it clear to us that they will be a perfect fit here at UVA.”
Zara Larke has been ranked as high as No. 91 in the ITF World Junior rankings. She has twice advanced to the second round of singles at the Junior Australian Open (2022 & 2023). She won the singles title at the 2022 Victorian Junior Clay Court International (J3) in Mornington, Australia, the singles title at the 2021 ITF J5 Copa Flamenco and three junior doubles titles including the J1 Sarawak Cup in Malaysia in October, 2022.
Blanca Pico Navarro made five singles semifinals in juniors tournaments in 2022 and won the doubles title at the J200 tournament in Valencia in March 2023. She was a singles finalist at the 2022 ITF Juniors clay court tournament in Leiria, Portugal.