Recruiting Profile
Selby's College Goals Take a New Direction with CMS
by Rhiannon Potkey, 21 January 2020
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Sena Selby was just like most other kids that say they want to go pro or play Division I college tennis. She really didn’t consider any alternatives for much of her junior career.
Sena Selby Has Committed to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
© Contributed Photo
“It maybe sounds awful, but Division III wasn’t an option at first,” Selby said. “But I began considering it more once I started being recruited. I was getting more attention from D-III school than D-I schools.”
Not only did Selby realize Division III was a viable option, she realized it was the more attractive pathway for her aspirations. The four-star senior from White Plains, New York could have signed with an Ivy League school or lower-level Division I program, but chose to commit to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
"Being able to compete for a national championship is what sold me to the D-III schools,” Selby said. “I don't even think the level of tennis is worse, especially at the top D-III schools. I think it's very competitive, so I really feel like I got the best of both worlds.”
Selby’s final decision came down to CMS, Pomona-Pitzer, Middlebury and Wesleyan. Having lived in New York her entire life, Selby was initially hesitant about attending college in California.
But CMS coach Dave Schwarz convinced Selby to explore living in another part of the country.
“He said if a job opportunity ever came in the future on the West Coast, I would be comfortable and know what to expect,” Selby said. “That made sense because I would at least have the opportunity to see if that was for me. If I went to school in the Northeast, I may never imagine going to California in the future. But this way, I could broaden my horizons and experience a new place.”
