MSU earns its third-straight NCAA Tournament bid and will face Northwestern in the First Round.
Women’s Tennis Earns Third-Straight NCAA Bid; Faces Northwestern In First Round
May 02, 2017 | Women's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. – For the third year in a row, the Mississippi State women's tennis earned a bid to the NCAA Women's Tennis Championship, the NCAA announced Tuesday afternoon. The Bulldogs are headed to Atlanta, Ga., and will face Northwestern in the first round on Saturday, May 13, at 10 a.m. CT at Georgia Tech's Ken Byers Tennis Complex.
On May 13, the first match will showcase 18th-ranked MSU (15-8) against No. 37 Northwestern (14-11) at 10 a.m. CT. Following the Bulldogs and Wildcats, the eighth-ranked (and No. 8 national seed) host Georgia Tech (25-4) will battle Alabama State (13-8) at 1 p.m. CT in the other first round contest in Atlanta. The winners of the two Saturday matches will then face each other in the second round matchup on Sunday, May 14, at 12 p.m. CT for the right to move on to the NCAA Round of 16 in Athens, Ga., on May 19.
"We are happy to be back in the NCAA Tournament and excited we are back for the third year in a row," head coach Daryl Greenan said. "The girls have earned it and we have had a solid year this season. We competed well in the SEC in one of its strongest years and we are excited about an easy trip to Atlanta. Northwestern is a tough No. 3 seed but I feel like we have been hardened and toughened in the SEC."
Tuesday's selection marks MSU women's tennis' seventh appearance in the NCAA Championship all-time and the first time State has made three-straight appearances since the 1999-2001 seasons. In its previous six appearances, MSU has advanced to the second round five times.
State has posted 15 wins this season to date, with all setbacks coming against current top 17 teams, with four coming in the top 10. MSU has defeated five top 25 opponents and went a perfect 3-0 against top 50 opponents in 2017. The Bulldogs' seven SEC wins this year tied the program best, which the team set last season, and MSU also advanced to the quarterfinals of the SEC Championship for the third year in a row.
State's first-round foe, Northwestern, made it to the semifinals of the 2017 Big Ten Tournament. The Wildcats boast 79th-ranked Erin Larner in singles. In doubles, the Wildcats have three ranked duos in No. 16 Maddie Lipp and Alex Chatt, No. 60 Lipp and Rheeya Doshi and No. 65 Brooke Rischbieth and Erin Larner. The Bulldogs and Wildcats have only faced each other once with Northwestern claiming a victory in a 1990 neutral site match in Bloomington, Ind. NU is coached by former Mississippi State player, All-American, and 1989 NCAA Doubles Champion Claire Pollard, who is in her 19th season at Northwestern.
Georgia Tech, hosting the NCAA 1st/2nd Rounds for the eighth time, is making its 18th-straight appearance in the NCAA Team Championship. GT, which advanced to this year's ACC title match, has won 19 of its last 21 contests. The Jackets' first-round foe, Alabama State, won the SWAC Championship to earn their bid to the 2017 NCAA Team Championship.
Admission
Admission for the First and Second Rounds will be free at the Ken Byers Tennis Complex.
Up Next
Selections for the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships will be released Wednesday, May 3. MSU's eighth-ranked All-American Jasmine Lee is set to earn her third NCAA singles bid. Lee and Lisa Marie Rioux, ranked third nationally as a tandem, expect to earn their first NCAA doubles bid.
Additional Notes
Social Media
For more information on the Mississippi State women's tennis program, follow "HailStateWT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
On May 13, the first match will showcase 18th-ranked MSU (15-8) against No. 37 Northwestern (14-11) at 10 a.m. CT. Following the Bulldogs and Wildcats, the eighth-ranked (and No. 8 national seed) host Georgia Tech (25-4) will battle Alabama State (13-8) at 1 p.m. CT in the other first round contest in Atlanta. The winners of the two Saturday matches will then face each other in the second round matchup on Sunday, May 14, at 12 p.m. CT for the right to move on to the NCAA Round of 16 in Athens, Ga., on May 19.
"We are happy to be back in the NCAA Tournament and excited we are back for the third year in a row," head coach Daryl Greenan said. "The girls have earned it and we have had a solid year this season. We competed well in the SEC in one of its strongest years and we are excited about an easy trip to Atlanta. Northwestern is a tough No. 3 seed but I feel like we have been hardened and toughened in the SEC."
Tuesday's selection marks MSU women's tennis' seventh appearance in the NCAA Championship all-time and the first time State has made three-straight appearances since the 1999-2001 seasons. In its previous six appearances, MSU has advanced to the second round five times.
State has posted 15 wins this season to date, with all setbacks coming against current top 17 teams, with four coming in the top 10. MSU has defeated five top 25 opponents and went a perfect 3-0 against top 50 opponents in 2017. The Bulldogs' seven SEC wins this year tied the program best, which the team set last season, and MSU also advanced to the quarterfinals of the SEC Championship for the third year in a row.
State's first-round foe, Northwestern, made it to the semifinals of the 2017 Big Ten Tournament. The Wildcats boast 79th-ranked Erin Larner in singles. In doubles, the Wildcats have three ranked duos in No. 16 Maddie Lipp and Alex Chatt, No. 60 Lipp and Rheeya Doshi and No. 65 Brooke Rischbieth and Erin Larner. The Bulldogs and Wildcats have only faced each other once with Northwestern claiming a victory in a 1990 neutral site match in Bloomington, Ind. NU is coached by former Mississippi State player, All-American, and 1989 NCAA Doubles Champion Claire Pollard, who is in her 19th season at Northwestern.
Georgia Tech, hosting the NCAA 1st/2nd Rounds for the eighth time, is making its 18th-straight appearance in the NCAA Team Championship. GT, which advanced to this year's ACC title match, has won 19 of its last 21 contests. The Jackets' first-round foe, Alabama State, won the SWAC Championship to earn their bid to the 2017 NCAA Team Championship.
Admission
Admission for the First and Second Rounds will be free at the Ken Byers Tennis Complex.
Up Next
Selections for the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships will be released Wednesday, May 3. MSU's eighth-ranked All-American Jasmine Lee is set to earn her third NCAA singles bid. Lee and Lisa Marie Rioux, ranked third nationally as a tandem, expect to earn their first NCAA doubles bid.
Additional Notes
- This is the third-straight season MSU has earned an NCAA Women's Tennis Championship bid
- It marks the first time for MSU to have three consecutive NCAA appearances since 1999-2001
- MSU earned its seventh NCAA Team Championship berth overall
- State is 5–6 all-time in the NCAA Team Championship, but has a 5-1 record in the opening round
- The NCAA opener will be only the second all-time meeting between MSU and Northwestern
- Northwestern has won the only previous matchup in 1990 at a neutral site
- NU is coached by former Mississippi State player, All-American and 1989 NCAA Doubles Champion Claire Pollard, who is in her 19th season at Northwestern
Social Media
For more information on the Mississippi State women's tennis program, follow "HailStateWT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
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