Thursday, April 27
Knoxville, Tenn.
5:00 PM
Mississippi State
vs
Vanderbilt
Bulldogs ready to take on Commodores at SEC Tournament in Knoxville.
Bulldogs Take On Commodores To Open #SECMT17
April 26, 2017 | Men's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. – With the regular season officially in the rearview mirror, the 18th-ranked Mississippi State men's tennis team (17-7, 8-4 SEC) shifts its focus to the 2017 Southeastern Conference Tournament as the Bulldogs prepare to face 49th-ranked Vanderbilt (12-14, 2-10 SEC) on Thursday.
First serve between the Bulldogs and Commodores is set for 5 p.m. CT, from Barksdale Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. UTsports.com will provide live stats and video.
"Our guys are excited to get back out on the courts this Thursday for the SEC Tournament," head coach Matt Roberts said. "We've had a great week of training and we feel good heading into tomorrow. Vanderbilt has a good team that fights with a lot of heart, so we will have to bring our best game against those guys tomorrow."
Vandy qualified for Thursday's match after defeating Alabama on Wednesday, 4-2.
The Bulldogs enter the tournament as the fifth seed, after turning in an 8-4 record in league play. A big part of MSU's success this season has been the play of No. 3 Nuno Borges. The sophomore has compiled a 29-5 singles record overall this season, while leading the conference with a 17-2 mark at the No. 1 spot. Borges has also racked up the ranked wins this season, downing 19 ranked foes this year and earning a 4-2 record against top-10 foes.
Who To Watch For MSU
The Bulldogs have been strong all season long in singles action, but it's the turnaround in doubles play that has been a bright spot for MSU of late. The Bulldogs have won the last five doubles points this season, with MSU taking a total of 14 this year. The ninth-ranked Bulldog pair of Niclas Braun and Trevor Foshey have led the charge with a 17-9 record and are responsible for clinching five doubles points. The senior duo of Mate Cutura and Vaughn Hunter lead MSU in the clinch category, having delivered seven doubles points for the Bulldogs.
Previewing The Commodores
In March, the Bulldogs and Commodores faced off in Nashville with the Maroon and White taking a 5-2 decision. Since that defeat, Vandy has gone 3-6 to close out the season with three tough, 4-3 defeats in that mix.
Who To Watch For Vandy
No. 54 Daniel Valent leads Vandy, who is fresh off an upset of No. 27 Mazen Osama Wednesday, leads the team with a 23-15 record in singles action.
Up Next
If MSU should win on Thursday, the Bulldogs will face No. 19 South Carolina in the SEC quarterfinals on Friday at 5 p.m. CT.
Live Video/Stats
Live stats can be found here, while a live video stream of Thursday's match can be found here.
SEC Championship Info
For information on past matches, tourney draws, stats, parking maps or anything else SEC Tournament related, visit here.
Additional Notes
Social Media
For more information on the Mississippi State men's tennis program, follow "HailStateMT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
First serve between the Bulldogs and Commodores is set for 5 p.m. CT, from Barksdale Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. UTsports.com will provide live stats and video.
"Our guys are excited to get back out on the courts this Thursday for the SEC Tournament," head coach Matt Roberts said. "We've had a great week of training and we feel good heading into tomorrow. Vanderbilt has a good team that fights with a lot of heart, so we will have to bring our best game against those guys tomorrow."
Vandy qualified for Thursday's match after defeating Alabama on Wednesday, 4-2.
The Bulldogs enter the tournament as the fifth seed, after turning in an 8-4 record in league play. A big part of MSU's success this season has been the play of No. 3 Nuno Borges. The sophomore has compiled a 29-5 singles record overall this season, while leading the conference with a 17-2 mark at the No. 1 spot. Borges has also racked up the ranked wins this season, downing 19 ranked foes this year and earning a 4-2 record against top-10 foes.
Who To Watch For MSU
The Bulldogs have been strong all season long in singles action, but it's the turnaround in doubles play that has been a bright spot for MSU of late. The Bulldogs have won the last five doubles points this season, with MSU taking a total of 14 this year. The ninth-ranked Bulldog pair of Niclas Braun and Trevor Foshey have led the charge with a 17-9 record and are responsible for clinching five doubles points. The senior duo of Mate Cutura and Vaughn Hunter lead MSU in the clinch category, having delivered seven doubles points for the Bulldogs.
Previewing The Commodores
In March, the Bulldogs and Commodores faced off in Nashville with the Maroon and White taking a 5-2 decision. Since that defeat, Vandy has gone 3-6 to close out the season with three tough, 4-3 defeats in that mix.
Who To Watch For Vandy
No. 54 Daniel Valent leads Vandy, who is fresh off an upset of No. 27 Mazen Osama Wednesday, leads the team with a 23-15 record in singles action.
Up Next
If MSU should win on Thursday, the Bulldogs will face No. 19 South Carolina in the SEC quarterfinals on Friday at 5 p.m. CT.
Live Video/Stats
Live stats can be found here, while a live video stream of Thursday's match can be found here.
SEC Championship Info
For information on past matches, tourney draws, stats, parking maps or anything else SEC Tournament related, visit here.
Additional Notes
- The Bulldogs have won their opening SEC Tourney match the last two seasons
- State has not won the SEC Tournament since 1996
- MSU leads Vanderbilt 38-14 all-time
- State defeated Vandy in Nashville, 5-2, on March 16
- MSU is 6-0 against Vandy on neutral courts
- The Bulldogs are 3-2 this season in neutral matches
- MSU is 10-4 this season when winning the doubles point
- Mate Cutura and Vaughn Hunter have clinched seven doubles points for MSU this season
- No. 4 Nuno Borges leads the Bulldogs in singles play with a 29-5 record overall
- Borges has earned 24 ranked singles wins over his short career
Social Media
For more information on the Mississippi State men's tennis program, follow "HailStateMT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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