No. 21 MSU Women?s Tennis Opens NCAAs Vs. No. 34 Virginia Tech Friday
May 12, 2016 | Women's Tennis
LUBBOCK, Texas – Looking to continue its already historic season, the 21st-ranked Mississippi State women's tennis team begins play in the 2016 NCAA Championship Friday, facing 34th-ranked Virginia Tech in the opening round. Friday's match is slated for a 2 p.m. CT start at Texas Tech's McLeod Tennis Center in Lubbock.
Live stats will be provided via texastech.com for Friday's match, which is the first-ever meeting between MSU and VT in women's tennis. Should the Bulldogs advance, MSU will play again on Saturday against the winner of 16th-ranked and regional host Texas Tech or Boston University for the right to advance to the NCAA round of 16 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on May 19.
State enters the tournament at 17-8 overall (second-most wins in program history and most since 1986) and carries four ranked players in singles, including First Team All-SEC selection Jasmine Lee at 13th, Second Team All-SEC selection Georgiana Patrasc at 36th, freshman Anastasia Rentouli at 101st and sophomore Madison Harrison at 115th.
The junior standout Lee finished the regular season at 28-11 overall at the No. 1 position, and also earned a bid to the NCAA Singles Championship as a top 16 seed, becoming State's first singles ITA All-American ever. Patrasc has also earned a bid to the NCAA Singles Championship and posted an 18-3 dual match record and 27-7 overall.
At the middle of the lineup are Harrison and Rentouli. Harrison earned 13 dual match victories in her first season with the Maroon and White, while Rentouli collected 27 total singles wins, which ties second for most on the team this season. The two have seen most of their action coming at the No. 3 and No. 4 positions, respectively.
State also possesses power in the lower part of the lineup with sophomores Kristina Vozniak and Jennifer Brown. At the No. 5 slot, Vozniak earned a 12-10 mark for dual match play this spring. Brown was also solid at the No. 6 position, composing a 13-7 dual match record.
In doubles, the Bulldogs are led by the duo of Harrison and Vozniak, who are 30th in the ITA doubles rankings. The tandem was also selected as the first alternate to the NCAA Doubles Championship. Lee and Louise Ronaldson, and Patrasc and Rentouli are State's other two duos entering NCAAs.
State's first-round foe, Virginia Tech, made it to the second round of the ACC Tennis Championship and is making its seventh NCAA showing all-time, the second in a row. Senior Francesca Fusinato, a second-team, All-ACC selection, is VT's highest-ranked singles performer at No. 59 with 11 dual match singles wins. Sophomore Elena Cerezo-Codina was a third-team, All-ACC choice. Sophomore Caroline Daxhelet leads the Hokies with 17 dual match singles wins.
“We are all excited to begin regional play tomorrow,” head Daryl Greenan said. "We had a strong finish to the regular season and we are looking forward to our match tomorrow against Virginia Tech."
MSU is 4-5 in the NCAA Championship all-time, 4-1 in first-round matches.
For more information on Mississippi State women's tennis and updates, fans can follow the Bulldogs on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at HailStateWT.
2016 NCAA Women's Tennis Championship – First & Second Rounds
May 13-14, 2016 – McLeod Tennis Center - Lubbock, Texas
5/13/16 – First Round
Match 1 – 2 p.m. CT – No. 21 Mississippi State vs. No. 34 Virginia Tech
Match 2 – 5 p.m. CT – No. 16 Texas Tech vs. Boston University
5/14/16 – Second Round
Match 3 – 4 p.m. CT - Match 1 Winner vs. Match 2 Winner **
**- winner advances to NCAA Round of 16 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on May 19
Schedule subject to change
