ITA rankings were released on Wednesday with the Bulldogs coming in at No. 20.
Bulldogs Open 2017 At No. 20 Nationally; Borges Ranked Sixth In Singles
January 04, 2017 | Men's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. – For the sixth-consecutive season, the Mississippi State men's tennis team will open the spring campaign in the Top 30 of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Rankings as the Bulldogs begin 2017 ranked 20th nationally.
The sophomore trio of Nuno Borges, Niclas Braun and Trevor Foshey all earned individual rankings as well with Wednesday's release, with Borges earning a tie for sixth overall in singles and the duo of Braun and Foshey coming in a No. 59 in doubles.
"We developed tremendously last season and had a great year on the court," head coach Matt Roberts said. "This season we are more experienced and our guys are hungry to get past where we set the bar for our team a year ago. This national ranking shows that coaches around the country respect our team and we're excited to get the season started and continue to work hard and compete as a unit."
The Bulldogs finished last season ranked 19th overall in the country after advancing to the 2016 NCAA Championship Round of 16. The NCAA appearance was the program's 25th postseason berth and third consecutive under head coach Roberts.
Leading the way on the individual side was sophomore Borges who tied Christian Sigsgaard of Texas for sixth overall. The singles ranking is the highest for any Bulldog since 2013 when Romain Bogaerts also claimed the sixth spot.
"Nuno matured a lot this fall and learned how to control his emotions at a higher level," Roberts said of the sophomore. "It's great to see his growth in this area and this fall was a perfect opportunity for him to work on his emotional control and mental fortitude. Nuno is starting to see how he can compete with anyone in the nation and has gained so much confidence from his play over the fall."
The sixth ranked sophomore won the ITA Southern Regional crown after downing six foes to punch his ticket to the USTA/ITA National Indoor Championship. Borges fought all the way to the semifinals in New York before falling in three sets to the nation's No. 1 player at the time, Mikael Torpegaard.
The Bulldogs had one doubles duo ranked as the sophomore team of Braun and Foshey as the pair ranked 59th overall. The national ranking is the first for the Bulldog pair as the tandem competed at their highest level during this past fall season. The duo won seven matches, with most of their damage coming at the ITA Southern Regional. The pair advanced all the way to the finals of the event as Braun and Foshey downed two ranked teams on their way to a runner-up finish.
Up Next
The Maroon and White will kick off the 2017 season in Malibu, Calif., against Pepperdine on Friday, Jan. 20 at 3 p.m. CT, before traveling to south to face San Diego State on Sunday, Jan. 22, also at 3 p.m. CT. After six matches on the road, MSU will return to Starkville for its home opener against Tulane on Feb. 24 at 3 p.m. CT.
Social Media
For more information on the Mississippi State men's tennis program, follow "HailStateMT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
The sophomore trio of Nuno Borges, Niclas Braun and Trevor Foshey all earned individual rankings as well with Wednesday's release, with Borges earning a tie for sixth overall in singles and the duo of Braun and Foshey coming in a No. 59 in doubles.
"We developed tremendously last season and had a great year on the court," head coach Matt Roberts said. "This season we are more experienced and our guys are hungry to get past where we set the bar for our team a year ago. This national ranking shows that coaches around the country respect our team and we're excited to get the season started and continue to work hard and compete as a unit."
The Bulldogs finished last season ranked 19th overall in the country after advancing to the 2016 NCAA Championship Round of 16. The NCAA appearance was the program's 25th postseason berth and third consecutive under head coach Roberts.
Leading the way on the individual side was sophomore Borges who tied Christian Sigsgaard of Texas for sixth overall. The singles ranking is the highest for any Bulldog since 2013 when Romain Bogaerts also claimed the sixth spot.
"Nuno matured a lot this fall and learned how to control his emotions at a higher level," Roberts said of the sophomore. "It's great to see his growth in this area and this fall was a perfect opportunity for him to work on his emotional control and mental fortitude. Nuno is starting to see how he can compete with anyone in the nation and has gained so much confidence from his play over the fall."
The sixth ranked sophomore won the ITA Southern Regional crown after downing six foes to punch his ticket to the USTA/ITA National Indoor Championship. Borges fought all the way to the semifinals in New York before falling in three sets to the nation's No. 1 player at the time, Mikael Torpegaard.
The Bulldogs had one doubles duo ranked as the sophomore team of Braun and Foshey as the pair ranked 59th overall. The national ranking is the first for the Bulldog pair as the tandem competed at their highest level during this past fall season. The duo won seven matches, with most of their damage coming at the ITA Southern Regional. The pair advanced all the way to the finals of the event as Braun and Foshey downed two ranked teams on their way to a runner-up finish.
Up Next
The Maroon and White will kick off the 2017 season in Malibu, Calif., against Pepperdine on Friday, Jan. 20 at 3 p.m. CT, before traveling to south to face San Diego State on Sunday, Jan. 22, also at 3 p.m. CT. After six matches on the road, MSU will return to Starkville for its home opener against Tulane on Feb. 24 at 3 p.m. CT.
Social Media
For more information on the Mississippi State men's tennis program, follow "HailStateMT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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