McCartney Kessler prepared for Friday’s match against Alabama as she would any other.
She put onFlorida’s black alternative tank top uniform, laced up her white Nike shoes and conveyed her school pride with Gators eye black.
The only difference was she didn’t play in the women’s tennis team’s match against Alabama on Friday.
Kessler was a late-match scratch after injuring her hip in Sunday’s win over Texas A&M, and her absence was noted in Florida’s 4-1 loss to the Crimson Tide.
"It was tale of two matches today,” coach Roland Thornqvist said following Florida’s fifth conference loss of the season. “I thought we played a poor doubles point without having McCartney (Kessler) out there and I don't know that we were really there mentally. I thought we could have done much better.”
Sophomore Katie Kubicz got the nod to start in place of the injured Kessler, pairing up with Victoria Emma on Court 3. As a result of changing UF’s No. 1 pair, transfer duo Tsveta Dimitrova and Ida Jarlskog moved up to Court 1 and freshmen pairing Marlee Zein and Sydney Berlin took Court 2.
The loss of Kessler was felt early, with the Gators (9-9, 6-5 SEC) failing to compete on two of the three courts and dropping the opening point for the eighth time this season.
Dimitrova and Jarlskog couldn’t find their game against Andie Daniell and Moka Ito, falling 6-2. Zein and Berlin failed to keep up with Luca Fabian and Alba Cortina-Pou in their 6-2 loss.
The start of singles play was similar to doubles: sloppy.
UF trailed early on half of the singles courts, as Kubicz filled in at the No. 6 spot. No. 8 Jarlskog was the first to fall for the Gators, losing to No. 68 Daniell in straight sets (6-3, 6-1).
Kubicz was next to lose, falling in straight sets to Ann Selim, 6-2, 6-4.
Alabama led 3-0 and looked to clinch one of its biggest victories of the season in blowout fashion. Emma trailed Ito in the second set tied at 4 games apiece.
“I remember looking at the scoreboard and thinking, ‘Wow, this might be our worst lost ever at home,’” Thornqvist said, “but then next thing you know we are coming back in there and we're a few games from turning the whole thing around.”
The momentum swung in favor of Florida, with Emma mounting a three-point comeback capped off with an ace in the second set to take a 5-4 lead.
Meanwhile on Court 5, Berlin dropped the first set 6-3, but came back at Fabian with six straight games and a perfect second set to even it at 1-1.
Dimitrova defeated Pelletier 6-4, 6-3 to claim Florida’s first point of the match. The Gators trailed 3-1 as the three remaining matches entered three-set territory.
Both Berlin and Emma took control of their third-sets as each stood just one point away from victory at a point in their respective matches. Neither finished though, as Zein fell to Cortina-Pou 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 to clinch Alabama’s fourth SEC victory of the season.
“As poor as we were in doubles and perhaps in the beginning of singles, I was equally pleased with the fight and the attitude we showed to get right back in the match,” Thornqvist said. “Obviously we are terribly disappointed, but the attitude I was really happy with.”
Follow Victor Prieto on Twitter @victorprieto_11 and contact him at vprieto@alligator.org.
Victoria Emma (pictured) was paired with sophomore Katie Kubicz in place of the injured McCartney Kessler in Florida's 1-4 loss to Alabama on Friday.
