Photo by: Grant Lee
Owls Add Zemel
6/13/2022 5:25:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Transfer from Kentucky
Rice men's tennis coach Efe Ustundag announced on Monday the signing of former Kentucky standout Yasha Zemel, who will join the Owls at the start of the 2022-23 season.
"We are getting a proven player with leadership skills and a lot of experience" Ustundag said. "His work ethic and goals will be great for the young guys on the team. I expect Yasha to make an immediate impact at the top of the singles and doubles line-ups. The guys are very excited for his addition to our program and we look forward to the day he take the court as a Rice Owl."
Zemel, who will come to Rice with two years of eligibility remaining, originally joined the Wildcats in the spring of 2021 and was 7-6 in singles and 4-6 in doubles. He was 10-6 this past season in singles and 9-5 in doubles on a Kentucky squad that reached the national championship match at the NCAA Championship before falling to Virginia.
Zemel's career highlights before college include a doubles championship alongside Shahar Elbaz at the 2018 Israel F11 in Kiryat Shmona and a Universal Tennis Rating high of 13.6, as well as three quarterfinal appearances in International Tennis Federation Futures singles play and Israeli junior national championships in the U14, U16 and U18 divisions.
"We are getting a proven player with leadership skills and a lot of experience" Ustundag said. "His work ethic and goals will be great for the young guys on the team. I expect Yasha to make an immediate impact at the top of the singles and doubles line-ups. The guys are very excited for his addition to our program and we look forward to the day he take the court as a Rice Owl."
Zemel, who will come to Rice with two years of eligibility remaining, originally joined the Wildcats in the spring of 2021 and was 7-6 in singles and 4-6 in doubles. He was 10-6 this past season in singles and 9-5 in doubles on a Kentucky squad that reached the national championship match at the NCAA Championship before falling to Virginia.
Zemel's career highlights before college include a doubles championship alongside Shahar Elbaz at the 2018 Israel F11 in Kiryat Shmona and a Universal Tennis Rating high of 13.6, as well as three quarterfinal appearances in International Tennis Federation Futures singles play and Israeli junior national championships in the U14, U16 and U18 divisions.
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