Wednesday, October 9
Tulsa, OK
All Day
Florida Gators
vs
ITA All-American Championships
Junior McCartney Kessler to make her second career appearance at the ITA All-American Championships
Kessler Travels to Tulsa for ITA All-American Championships
Tuesday, October 8, 2019 | Women's Tennis
Women’s tennis junior McCartney Kessler begins play at premier tournament Wednesday.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - University of Florida women's tennis junior McCartney Kessler begins play at the Saint Francis Health System ITA All-American Championships Wednesday morning in Tulsa, Okla. at the Case Tennis Center at LaFortune Park.
No. 23 Kessler, one of 48 players to receive an automatic entry into the event's main draw, will take on No. 63 Iuliia Bryzgalova of Penn Wednesday at 10 a.m. ET. The sophomore Bryzgalova is the reigning Ivy League Player of the Year.
This will be Kessler's second all-time appearance at the event; she finished with a 1-1 record playing in the qualifying round a season ago.
Kessler, off to a 7-3 start this fall, looks to build on the momentum she's established in her first two tournaments of the season. The two-time All-SEC performer opened the fall with five consecutive wins at the W15 Lubbock and followed that with two victories at the USTA Fall Ranked Spotlight.
The Georgia native spent the entirety of the 2018-19 season ranked, and currently possesses a career-best 23rd ITA rank. She boasts a 22-13 record for her career in tournament play.
A total of five SEC players earned an automatic bid.
The 2019 event will have a new look to it as the men and women will hold their All-American Championships in the same location for the first time.
Another tournament first will happen on Championship Sunday when the men's and women's singles finals air live on ESPNU. The women's final is set for 6 p.m. (CT) followed by the men's final at 8 p.m. (CT).
Selections and those currently in the women's main draw include nine of the top 10 players in the Oracle ITA Preseason National Rankings. The list includes top-ranked Katarina Jokic (Georgia), Estela Perez-Somarriba (Miami, Fla.; No. 2), Makenna Jones (North Carolina; No. 3), Alexa Graham (North Carolina; No. 4); Kelly Chen (Duke; No. 5), Sara Daavettila (North Carolina; No. 7); Anna Rogers (NC State; No. 8), Jada Hart (UCLA; No. 9) and Kenya Jones (Georgia Tech; No. 10).
Pepperdine's Ashley Lahey, who captured the Oracle ITA Masters last weekend and is ranked No. 14, has also been selected to compete in the main draw.
The men's and women's singles quarterfinalists, consolation finalists, plus the doubles semifinalists and consolation finalists for each gender will earn automatic entry into the Oracle ITA National Fall Championships slated for Nov. 6-10 in Newport Beach, Calif.
About the Intercollegiate Tennis Association
The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) is committed to serving college tennis and returning the leaders of tomorrow. As the governing body of college tennis, the ITA oversees men's and women's varsity tennis at NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and Junior/Community College divisions. The ITA administers a comprehensive awards and rankings program for men's and women's varsity players, coaches and teams in all divisions, providing recognition for their accomplishments on and off the court. For more information on the ITA, visit the ITA website at www.itatennis.com, like the ITA on Facebook or follow @ITA_Tennis on Twitter and Instagram.
Schedule
Wednesday, Oct. 9
(all times listed in ET)
Singles Main Draw
10 a.m. - No. 23 McCartney Kessler vs. No. 63 Iuliia Bryzgalova
2019 Saint Francis Health System ITA All-American Championships
Oct. 5-13
University of Tulsa
Tulsa, Okla.
Case Tennis Center at LaFortune Park
Main Draw
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JOIN THE CONVERSATION: #GoGators
No. 23 Kessler, one of 48 players to receive an automatic entry into the event's main draw, will take on No. 63 Iuliia Bryzgalova of Penn Wednesday at 10 a.m. ET. The sophomore Bryzgalova is the reigning Ivy League Player of the Year.
This will be Kessler's second all-time appearance at the event; she finished with a 1-1 record playing in the qualifying round a season ago.
Kessler, off to a 7-3 start this fall, looks to build on the momentum she's established in her first two tournaments of the season. The two-time All-SEC performer opened the fall with five consecutive wins at the W15 Lubbock and followed that with two victories at the USTA Fall Ranked Spotlight.
The Georgia native spent the entirety of the 2018-19 season ranked, and currently possesses a career-best 23rd ITA rank. She boasts a 22-13 record for her career in tournament play.
A total of five SEC players earned an automatic bid.
The 2019 event will have a new look to it as the men and women will hold their All-American Championships in the same location for the first time.
Another tournament first will happen on Championship Sunday when the men's and women's singles finals air live on ESPNU. The women's final is set for 6 p.m. (CT) followed by the men's final at 8 p.m. (CT).
Selections and those currently in the women's main draw include nine of the top 10 players in the Oracle ITA Preseason National Rankings. The list includes top-ranked Katarina Jokic (Georgia), Estela Perez-Somarriba (Miami, Fla.; No. 2), Makenna Jones (North Carolina; No. 3), Alexa Graham (North Carolina; No. 4); Kelly Chen (Duke; No. 5), Sara Daavettila (North Carolina; No. 7); Anna Rogers (NC State; No. 8), Jada Hart (UCLA; No. 9) and Kenya Jones (Georgia Tech; No. 10).
Pepperdine's Ashley Lahey, who captured the Oracle ITA Masters last weekend and is ranked No. 14, has also been selected to compete in the main draw.
The men's and women's singles quarterfinalists, consolation finalists, plus the doubles semifinalists and consolation finalists for each gender will earn automatic entry into the Oracle ITA National Fall Championships slated for Nov. 6-10 in Newport Beach, Calif.
About the Intercollegiate Tennis Association
The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) is committed to serving college tennis and returning the leaders of tomorrow. As the governing body of college tennis, the ITA oversees men's and women's varsity tennis at NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and Junior/Community College divisions. The ITA administers a comprehensive awards and rankings program for men's and women's varsity players, coaches and teams in all divisions, providing recognition for their accomplishments on and off the court. For more information on the ITA, visit the ITA website at www.itatennis.com, like the ITA on Facebook or follow @ITA_Tennis on Twitter and Instagram.
Schedule
Wednesday, Oct. 9
(all times listed in ET)
Singles Main Draw
10 a.m. - No. 23 McCartney Kessler vs. No. 63 Iuliia Bryzgalova
2019 Saint Francis Health System ITA All-American Championships
Oct. 5-13
University of Tulsa
Tulsa, Okla.
Case Tennis Center at LaFortune Park
Main Draw
FOLLOW THE GATORS
SOCIAL: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
JOIN THE CONVERSATION: #GoGators
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