Jasmine Lee and Lisa Marie Rioux close amazing season with final ITA rankings of the season.
Lee, Rioux Cap Stellar Season With Final ITA Rankings
May 31, 2017 | Women's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State women's tennis placed two Bulldogs in Wednesday's final ITA National Rankings of the season, as senior Jasmine Lee officially closed out her MSU career while freshman Lisa Marie Rioux capped a stellar rookie campaign for the Maroon & White.
Lee finished her Bulldog career ranked No. 13 in singles play and No. 7 overall in doubles with partner Rioux. Both rankings on Wednesday were the second highest finishes in program history. Lee's No. 11 in 2016 is the only ranking better in singles, while Jackie Holden/Claire Pollard's No. 1 mark in 1989 is the highest overall and in doubles.
Despite falling to No. 73 on February 21, Lee clawed back up the singles rankings to finish the season at No. 13 overall. The season saw the Bulldog earn a 23-7 record overall, while putting together an impressive 19-3 mark at the No. 1 spot for the Maroon & White. Lee climbed as high as No. 7 this season, which was a career best for Lee.
In doubles play, the pair of Lee and Rioux were very impressive in their first and only season as a duo. The tandem opened the spring at No. 5 in the nation and climbed as high as No. 2 overall. The pair was a stellar 24-6 overall for the Bulldogs and earned 10 ranked doubles wins. Lee and Rioux also became MSU's second-ever tandem to earn All-America honors in doubles play.
Lee accomplished many firsts in her five semesters at MSU, most notably becoming the program's first-ever women's tennis player to earn multiple ITA All-American honors. The 2016 NCAA singles quarterfinals did so twice in singles (2016-17) and once in doubles (2017). She was also a three-time First Team All-SEC selection, the first State player to ever achieve the feat.
The Kaohsiung, Taiwan native compiled a 72-27 mark for her career, which ranked as the second best in program history. Lee's career combined win percentage (.719) and career singles win percentage (.727) were both bests for the program as she tops the record book for MSU. The Bulldog's combined win percentage (.778) for the 2016-17 season ranks second all-time at MSU.
For Rioux, her first season with the Bulldogs was a banner year to say the least. The Bulldog earned SEC All-Freshman Team honors before claiming All-American status alongside Lee. The rookie's 27-8 doubles mark also went down as the seventh best season in program history, while her .771 doubles winning percentage ranks fourth all-time for a single season.
As a team, the Bulldogs turned in one of the best seasons in program history after capturing the program's highest-ever ranking of No. 16 on April 4, before tying the program's best ITA finish at No. 20 to end the season. The Maroon & White finished 15-9 on the season, while earning seven wins in the always-tough Southeastern Conference. The seven SEC wins tied a program record set in 2016.
Up Next
The Maroon & White now shifts focus to the final ITA Regional standings, which will be released on June 7.
Additional Notes
Social Media
For more information on the Mississippi State women's tennis program, follow "HailStateWT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Lee finished her Bulldog career ranked No. 13 in singles play and No. 7 overall in doubles with partner Rioux. Both rankings on Wednesday were the second highest finishes in program history. Lee's No. 11 in 2016 is the only ranking better in singles, while Jackie Holden/Claire Pollard's No. 1 mark in 1989 is the highest overall and in doubles.
Despite falling to No. 73 on February 21, Lee clawed back up the singles rankings to finish the season at No. 13 overall. The season saw the Bulldog earn a 23-7 record overall, while putting together an impressive 19-3 mark at the No. 1 spot for the Maroon & White. Lee climbed as high as No. 7 this season, which was a career best for Lee.
In doubles play, the pair of Lee and Rioux were very impressive in their first and only season as a duo. The tandem opened the spring at No. 5 in the nation and climbed as high as No. 2 overall. The pair was a stellar 24-6 overall for the Bulldogs and earned 10 ranked doubles wins. Lee and Rioux also became MSU's second-ever tandem to earn All-America honors in doubles play.
Lee accomplished many firsts in her five semesters at MSU, most notably becoming the program's first-ever women's tennis player to earn multiple ITA All-American honors. The 2016 NCAA singles quarterfinals did so twice in singles (2016-17) and once in doubles (2017). She was also a three-time First Team All-SEC selection, the first State player to ever achieve the feat.
The Kaohsiung, Taiwan native compiled a 72-27 mark for her career, which ranked as the second best in program history. Lee's career combined win percentage (.719) and career singles win percentage (.727) were both bests for the program as she tops the record book for MSU. The Bulldog's combined win percentage (.778) for the 2016-17 season ranks second all-time at MSU.
For Rioux, her first season with the Bulldogs was a banner year to say the least. The Bulldog earned SEC All-Freshman Team honors before claiming All-American status alongside Lee. The rookie's 27-8 doubles mark also went down as the seventh best season in program history, while her .771 doubles winning percentage ranks fourth all-time for a single season.
As a team, the Bulldogs turned in one of the best seasons in program history after capturing the program's highest-ever ranking of No. 16 on April 4, before tying the program's best ITA finish at No. 20 to end the season. The Maroon & White finished 15-9 on the season, while earning seven wins in the always-tough Southeastern Conference. The seven SEC wins tied a program record set in 2016.
Up Next
The Maroon & White now shifts focus to the final ITA Regional standings, which will be released on June 7.
Additional Notes
- Jasmine Lee is the only Bulldog in program history to finish No. 13 or higher and she accomplished the feat in back-to-back seasons
- Before Lee, the highest finish MSU earned in singles was No. 23 Zsuzsanna Fodor in 2005
- The pair of Lee and Lisa Marie Rioux are just the second team in program history to finish in the ITA Doubles Top 10
- Lee and Rioux join Jackie Holden and Claire Pollard as the only other tandem to achieve a Top 10 Doubles finish
- The 1989 pair of Holden and Pollard won the NCAA Doubles National Championship
- Lee's 51 career doubles wins rank ninth all-time at MSU
- Lee's .708 career doubles winning percentage is third all-time at MSU
- Rioux's .683 combined winning percentage for her freshman season is tied with Claire Pollard (1988-89) for the seventh best in program history
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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