McCartney Kessler (left) and Marlee Zein (right) were selected to participate in the upcoming NCAA Individual Championships.
Kessler and Zein Selected for NCAA Individual Championships
Tuesday, May 4, 2021 | Women's Tennis
McCartney Kessler and Marlee Zein picked to represent Gators in upcoming NCAA Singles & Doubles Championships.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – University of Florida women's tennis players McCartney Kessler and Marlee Zein have been selected to compete in the upcoming NCAA Singles & Doubles Championships as the NCAA Division I Women's Tennis Subcommittee announced its picks Tuesday night.
Kessler will take part in the singles competition and pair up with Zein in doubles play.
The NCAA Singles & Doubles Championships are set for May 23-28 at the USTA National Campus (Collegiate Center) in Lake Nona, Fla. The field consists of 64 singles players and 32 doubles teams. The full draw will be released following the conclusion of the team championships.
An at large selection, Kessler is the No. 8 overall seed in singles. In doubles, Kessler and Zein earned the tournament's No. 6 overall seed via an at large bid.
Kessler has been a formidable force all season long in both singles and doubles, leading the Gators in wins in both. The three-time All-SEC selection will make her second appearance in the event after also taking part in the singles draw in 2019. For the junior Zein, 2021 marks her first appearance in the individual tournament.
Kessler (13-2), who wrapped up the season on a seven-match winning streak, collected seven victories over ranked opponents and her steady performance helped the Gators secure seven-straight wins to close out the regular season. The Georgia native opened the season ranked No. 32 and has climbed to as high as No. 7 this season.
Kessler and Zein combined to form one of the nation's top doubles duos. Registering a team-best nine dual match victories, including five over ranked foes, Kessler and Zein rose to as high as No. 2 in ITA rankings at a point in the season.
Automatic qualification into the Division I singles championship is awarded to any conference with one or more eligible singles players ranked in the ITA Top 125 for eligible/entered singles players. For conferences with more than one singles player within the ITA Top 125 eligible/entered singles players, the subcommittee applies the NCAA selection criteria to determine which student-athlete is the automatic qualifier from those conferences. All singles players must have a minimum of 13 started singles matches, with six matches in the spring, in order to be selected as an automatic qualifier or an at-large selection.
Automatic qualification into the Division I doubles championship is awarded to any conference with one or more eligible doubles teams ranked in the ITA Top 60 for eligible/entered doubles teams. For conferences with more than one doubles team within the ITA Top 60 eligible/entered doubles teams, the subcommittee applies the NCAA selection criteria to determine which doubles team is the automatic qualifier from those conferences. All doubles teams must have started a minimum of 10 doubles matches, with a minimum of four matches in the spring, in order to be selected as an automatic qualifier or an at-large selection.
The NCAA team championships kick off this weekend as the No. 11 overall seed Gators host Siena Friday, May 7 at 1 p.m. in first round action from the Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex. To purchase tickets, click here.
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Kessler will take part in the singles competition and pair up with Zein in doubles play.
The NCAA Singles & Doubles Championships are set for May 23-28 at the USTA National Campus (Collegiate Center) in Lake Nona, Fla. The field consists of 64 singles players and 32 doubles teams. The full draw will be released following the conclusion of the team championships.
An at large selection, Kessler is the No. 8 overall seed in singles. In doubles, Kessler and Zein earned the tournament's No. 6 overall seed via an at large bid.
Kessler has been a formidable force all season long in both singles and doubles, leading the Gators in wins in both. The three-time All-SEC selection will make her second appearance in the event after also taking part in the singles draw in 2019. For the junior Zein, 2021 marks her first appearance in the individual tournament.
Kessler (13-2), who wrapped up the season on a seven-match winning streak, collected seven victories over ranked opponents and her steady performance helped the Gators secure seven-straight wins to close out the regular season. The Georgia native opened the season ranked No. 32 and has climbed to as high as No. 7 this season.
Kessler and Zein combined to form one of the nation's top doubles duos. Registering a team-best nine dual match victories, including five over ranked foes, Kessler and Zein rose to as high as No. 2 in ITA rankings at a point in the season.
Automatic qualification into the Division I singles championship is awarded to any conference with one or more eligible singles players ranked in the ITA Top 125 for eligible/entered singles players. For conferences with more than one singles player within the ITA Top 125 eligible/entered singles players, the subcommittee applies the NCAA selection criteria to determine which student-athlete is the automatic qualifier from those conferences. All singles players must have a minimum of 13 started singles matches, with six matches in the spring, in order to be selected as an automatic qualifier or an at-large selection.
Automatic qualification into the Division I doubles championship is awarded to any conference with one or more eligible doubles teams ranked in the ITA Top 60 for eligible/entered doubles teams. For conferences with more than one doubles team within the ITA Top 60 eligible/entered doubles teams, the subcommittee applies the NCAA selection criteria to determine which doubles team is the automatic qualifier from those conferences. All doubles teams must have started a minimum of 10 doubles matches, with a minimum of four matches in the spring, in order to be selected as an automatic qualifier or an at-large selection.
The NCAA team championships kick off this weekend as the No. 11 overall seed Gators host Siena Friday, May 7 at 1 p.m. in first round action from the Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex. To purchase tickets, click here.
FOLLOW THE GATORS
SOCIAL: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
JOIN THE CONVERSATION: #GoGators
Players Mentioned
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