Mississippi State
NCAA Individual Championships
MSU?s Angus/Stropp Fall In NCAA Round Of 16 To Close Season
May 24, 2014 | Men's Tennis
ATHENS, Ga. – The 2014 season has officially come to a close for the Mississippi State men's tennis program, as the 17th-ranked duo of Jordan Angus and Malte Stropp fell in the NCAA Doubles Championship round of 16 on Friday in Athens, Ga.
The Bulldog tandem faced off against Vanderbilt's fourth-ranked and third-seeded team of Gonzales Austin and Ryan Lipman, with a trip to the quarterfinals and ITA All-American honors on the line. The teams battled into a close tiebreaker in the first set, which the Commodore team would go on to win, 7-6(6). Angus and Stropp fired back in the second, utilizing a break early on to help them force a deciding third set.
In the final set, both teams traded holds in the early stages, until Austin and Lipman broke the Bulldogs' serve for a 4-3 lead. The State tandem would challenge in the final game to break back, but could not capitalize, as they fell to VU pair 7-6(6), 3-6, 6-4.
The loss caps the 2014 campaign for the Bulldogs, who advanced to the NCAA Championship for the 23rd time in program history. MSU finished with a 19-11 record, tying for seventh in the school record books for most wins in a season. The Bulldogs also earned a 7-5 Southeastern Conference record, which topped State's 2013 win total in league play, and landed MSU in fifth place in the strong SEC.
Individually, Florian Lakat earned numerous honors for his rookie campaign, including SEC Freshman of the Year, All-SEC Second Team and ITA Southern Region Rookie of the Year. Also earning honors was assistant coach Matt Roberts, who was named the ITA Assistant Coach of the Year for his leadership of the Maroon and White.
Friday's result also marks the end of the stellar career of Stropp, who has donned the Maroon and White for the last four seasons. Stropp leaves the MSU program with his name throughout the Bulldog record book, including standing tied for second in career doubles wins with 82 and tied for sixth in career overall wins with 167. He was an All-SEC selection, the 2011 SEC Freshman of the Year, and landed numerous national and league academic honors during his career.
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 23, 2014 – Dan Magill Tennis Complex – Athens, Ga.
Doubles – Round of 16
No. 4 Gonzales Austin/Ryan Lipman (VU) [3] def. No. 17 Jordan Angus/Malte Stropp (MSU) 7-6(6), 3-6, 6-4
