Men?s Tennis Caps Road Swing Against No. 73 South Carolina
March 05, 2016 | Men's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. – With a short trip to Columbia, S.C., the 50th-ranked Mississippi State men's tennis team (8-3, 0-1) closes out the weekend against No. 73 South Carolina (7-7, 0-1) at the Carolina Tennis Center.
Sunday's match will begin at 10 a.m. CT, live stats can be found by visiting Gamecoksonline.com.
“I was proud of how our guys finished yesterday against Georgia, and we are looking to carry that momentum into Sunday's match,” head coach Matt Roberts said. “Our conference has tough competition so we have to bring our best every match. Our team is looking forward to the challenge and the chance to get better.”
Last time out, MSU fell to No. 16 Georgia 5-2 in Athens to open up conference play. State's biggest highlight of the day was the performance of junior Mate Cutura. The junior began the day by earning a doubles win with partner Trevor Foshey, before the No. 44 ranked player knocked off UGA's No. 27 Austin Smith in singles action. The ranked win for Cutura was his third of the season and first in dual-match competition.
Also a bright spot for the Maroon and White was freshman Niclas Braun. Much like Cutura, Braun began his singles match by dropping the first set but would fight back to take the match. Braun's singles win improved his dual record to 7-1 and extended his seven-match win streak.
Sunday's match versus No. 73 USC will feature two teams coming off SEC losses, after the Gamecocks dropped a decision to No. 49 Alabama, 5-2 at home. The Gamecocks have one doubles team ranked in the latest ITA poll, with the tandem of Alex Fennell and Harrison O'Keefe making the cut at No. 51.
MSU returns home next weekend to face No. 22 Kentucky and No. 64 Tennessee at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre on Friday and Sunday.
For more information on the Mississippi State men's tennis program, follow “HailStateMT” on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
