
Russell and Sarkar Named All C-USA For Third Time
5/11/2021 1:40:00 PM | Men's Tennis
NCAA qualifiers named to the first team
Conrad Russell and Sumit Sarkar earned their third selection to the All-Conference USA Men's Tennis in doubles while Sarkar was named to the second team in singles, as announced by the conference on Tuesday.
Russell and Sarkar are the first doubles team from Rice to be named to three all-conference doubles teams since Richard and William Barker earned All-WAC honors in 2001, 2003 and 2004. Russell and Sarkar earned first team honors as well in 2019 and were named to the second team during the abbreviated 2020 season.
They have combined for a 16-7 mark at the doubles first line over the past three years, including an 8-5 mark in 2021. They moved into the top 65 in the final weeks of the season to earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Doubles Championship, which begins play on May 23 in Orlando, Florida. They were 1- 1 against ranked opponents, picking up a win over LSU's 90th ranked Rafael Wagner and Ronald Hohmann in January. Their last match came in the Owls loss to Old Dominion in the quarterfinals of the Conference USA Championship. They were tied 4-4 with ODU's 76th ranked Luca Maldoner and Nicola Vidal when the Monarchs clinched the doubles point.
They are the ninth doubles team from Rice to qualify for the NCAA Doubles Championship since the NCAA moved to its current format in 1977 and the first to represent Rice since Tommy Bennett and David Warren made back-to-back appearances in 2016 & 2017. The Owls have produced a pair of All-American doubles team in the current format. Current Rice head coach Efe Ustundag and Shane Stone reached the third round 1999 while Richard and William Barker earned honors in both 2003 and 2004.
Sarkar earned all-conference singles honors for the fourth consecutive year, finishing 5-9 while playing at the first line for the Owls.
Russell and Sarkar are the first doubles team from Rice to be named to three all-conference doubles teams since Richard and William Barker earned All-WAC honors in 2001, 2003 and 2004. Russell and Sarkar earned first team honors as well in 2019 and were named to the second team during the abbreviated 2020 season.
They have combined for a 16-7 mark at the doubles first line over the past three years, including an 8-5 mark in 2021. They moved into the top 65 in the final weeks of the season to earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Doubles Championship, which begins play on May 23 in Orlando, Florida. They were 1- 1 against ranked opponents, picking up a win over LSU's 90th ranked Rafael Wagner and Ronald Hohmann in January. Their last match came in the Owls loss to Old Dominion in the quarterfinals of the Conference USA Championship. They were tied 4-4 with ODU's 76th ranked Luca Maldoner and Nicola Vidal when the Monarchs clinched the doubles point.
They are the ninth doubles team from Rice to qualify for the NCAA Doubles Championship since the NCAA moved to its current format in 1977 and the first to represent Rice since Tommy Bennett and David Warren made back-to-back appearances in 2016 & 2017. The Owls have produced a pair of All-American doubles team in the current format. Current Rice head coach Efe Ustundag and Shane Stone reached the third round 1999 while Richard and William Barker earned honors in both 2003 and 2004.
Sarkar earned all-conference singles honors for the fourth consecutive year, finishing 5-9 while playing at the first line for the Owls.
Players Mentioned
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