Mississippi State
NCAA Individual Championships
MSU?s Lakat Falls In 2014 NCAA Singles Championship
May 21, 2014 | Men's Tennis
ATHENS, Ga. – Play in the 2014 NCAA Individual Championships began Wednesday, with Mississippi State men's tennis freshman Florian Lakat falling in the first round of singles play in Athens, Ga.
Lakat, ranked 61st nationally, squared off against East Carolina's No. 25 Joran Vliegen in the opening round of singles action. Both sides traded holds for a majority of the first set until late in the match. Down 6-5 and needing a hold to force a tiebreaker, Lakat fell victim to the match's first break, dropping the first set 7-5. Vliegen then used an early break in the second set to take control of the match, going on to defeat Lakat 7-5, 6-2.
The loss closes the book on the freshman campaign for Lakat, which was one of the most impressive in MSU history. Lakat finished the 2013-14 season with a 22-15 record, with 16 of those victories coming in dual match play. His play earned him SEC Freshman of the Year and All-SEC Second Team honors, along with being named the ITA Southern Region Rookie of the Year.
The Maroon and White are not done with 2014 just yet, as the 17th-ranked duo of Jordan Angus and Malte Stropp still await their turn in the NCAA Individual Championships. The Bulldog tandem will face off against North Carolina's No. 25 team of Brett Clark and Brayden Schnur on Thursday in the first round, with a start time still to be determined by the NCAA. The Bulldog duo reached the NCAA round of 16 last year in Champaign, Ill.
For more information on Mississippi State men's tennis and updates, fans can follow the Bulldogs on Twitter (@HailStateMT), Facebook (HailStateMT) and Instagram (HailStateMT).
2014 NCAA Men's Tennis Individual Championships
May 21, 2014 – Dan Magill Tennis Complex – Athens, Ga.
Singles – First Round
No. 25 Joran Vliegen (ECU) def. No. 61 Florian Lakat (MSU) 7-5, 6-2
