Lady Bulldog Netters Fall In SEC Tournament Opener To Tennessee

Thursday, April 17

Auburn, Ala.

2:00 p.m.

Mississippi State

Tennessee

Lady Bulldog Netters Fall In SEC Tournament Opener To Tennessee

April 17, 2008 | Women's Tennis

By: hailstate.com

AUBURN, Ala. ? Mississippi State's women's tennis team fell in the first round of the 2008 Southeastern Conference Championship Thursday, dropping a 4-0 decision to fifth-seeded and 24th-ranked Tennessee. The Lady Bulldogs dropped to 7-13 overall with the loss. Tennessee improved to 14-8 on the season.

UT grabbed the early lead with strong 8-0 and 8-2 wins at the No. 2 and 3 doubles positions. At No. 2, Tennessee's pairing of Rosalia Alda and Ghizela Schutte downed State's tandem of Radka Ferancova and Renee Joseph. On court #3, UT's team of Connor Vogel and Jennifer Meredith bested MSU's Tatiana Feit and Valeriya Makarycheva. Tennessee led 6-2 on court #1 when play was suspended at that point.

In singles, UT grabbed the first set in five of the six singles matches to set up the team victory. Tennessee took a 2-0 advantage when Schutte completed a 6-0, 6-2 victory over MSU's Renee Joseph at the No. 2 position. UT went up 3-0 when Connor Vogel provided a 6-4, 6-1 win over State's Makarycheva at No. 5.

The match-clincher would come at the No. 6 spot, where UT's Alda bested State's DeAndra Saddler 6-0, 7-6.

In the remaining matches, which were suspended, Tennessee held one-set leads at the No. 1 and 3 positions, while State's de Villiers had secured the first set at No. 4.

#24 TENNESSEE 4, #72 MISSISSIPPI STATE 0
SEC Championship ? First Round
April 17, 2008 ? Auburn, Ala.

DOUBLES - #13 Caitlin Whoriskey/Zsofia Zubor (UT) def. Martina Banikova/Elna de Villiers (MSU) 6-2, susp.; Rosalia Alda/Ghizela Schutte (UT) def. Radka Ferancova/Renee Joseph (MSU) 8-0; Connor Vogel/Jennifer Meredith (UT) def. Tatiana Feit/Valeriya Makarycheva (MSU) 8-2.

SINGLES - #47 Whoriskey (UT) vs. Banikova (MSU) 6-1, 4-3, susp.; Schutte (UT) def. Joseph (MSU) 6-0, 6-2; Orlin (UT) vs. Ferancova (MSU) 6-4, 5-2, susp.; Zubor (UT) vs. de Villiers (MSU) 2-6, 3-4, susp.; Vogel (UT) def. Makarycheva (MSU) 6-4, 6-1; Alda (UT) def. DeAndra Saddler (MSU) 6-0, 7-6.

(numbers preceding names are current national rankings)