No. 25 MSU Women’s Tennis Falls In Tough 4-2 Battle At No. 47 LSU

Sunday, April 1

Baton Rouge, La.

12:00 PM

Mississippi State

LSU

No. 25 MSU fell in a tough 4-2 decision to No. 47 LSU Sunday to close out a four-match road swing.

Photo by: Trevor Birchett/MSU Athletics

No. 25 MSU Women’s Tennis Falls In Tough 4-2 Battle At No. 47 LSU

April 01, 2018 | Women's Tennis

BATON ROUGE, La. – In a match that came down to the wire, featuring three three-set affairs and two tiebreakers, the 25^th-ranked Mississippi State women's tennis team (14-7, 5-5 SEC) could not hold off a late rally by No. 47 LSU (13-6, 4-5 SEC), falling 4-2 at the LSU Tennis Complex Sunday afternoon.

"We did a much better job today than Friday, but in the end it wasn't enough," head coach Daryl Greenan said. "We created opportunities but didn't capitalize as well as LSU. This was a tough week for us. We just need to keep working hard and get excited about a couple weeks competing back at home."

The Bulldogs fought off an early surge by the Tigers in doubles to get the opening point of the afternoon. LSU's 27^th-ranked duo of Jessica Golovin and Eden Richardson upended MSU's Madison Harrison and Khrystyna Vozniak 6-3 on court 1. At No. 3, the Bulldog pair of Sara Lizariturry and Anastasia Rentouli made quick work of LSU's tandem of Ashton Rabalais and Luba Vasilyuk 6-2. Posting the same score on court 2, the Maroon & White's Magda Adaloglou and Janina Braun defeated the Tiger pair of Ryann Foster and Kennan Johnson giving MSU the early 1-0 lead.

Despite the Bulldogs taking four of the six first sets, the Tigers fought back to force three matches to a third set with the score knotted at 2-2.

First off the courts, MSU's Vozniak posted a straight-set – 6-0, 6-1 – triumph against LSU's Rabalais on court 6, extending the Bulldog lead to 2-0.

The Tigers responded by taking the next two singles matches in straight-set fashion as well. On court 2, LSU's No. 120 Richardson made quick work of MSU's Braun 6-1, 6-1. Following close behind at No. 3, LSU's No. 80 Golovin triumped 6-4, 6-2 against the Maroon & White's Adaloglou to tie things at 2-all.

With the last three matches all going to third sets, Foster extended LSU's lead to 3-2, holding off MSU's Harrison 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 in a fierce war on court 1. Then, clinching the match at No. 5, Tiger Vasilyuk posted a come-from-behind triumph against MSU's Lizariturry 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-2 to secure the 4-2 victory for LSU.

The remaining match was suspended with LSU's Johnson leading MSU's Rentouli 3-6, 7-6(2), 5-2 on court 4.

Next Up For MSU…

MSU returns home for a three-match homestand to close out the 2018 regular season. The Bulldogs kick things off by hosting No. 38 Tennessee Thursday, April 5, at 3 p.m. CT at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.

For more information on the Mississippi State women's tennis program, follow "HailStateWT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

No. 47 LSU 4, No. 25 Mississippi State 2
LSU Tennis Complex
Baton Rouge, La.
April 1, 2018

Doubles
1. No. 27 Jessica Golovin/Eden Richardson (LSU) def. Madison Harrison/Khrystyna Vozniak (MSU) 6-3
2. Magda Adaloglou/Janina Braun (MSU) def. Ryann Foster/Kennan Johnson (LSU) 6-2
3. Sara Lizariturry/Anastasia Rentouli (MSU) def. Ashton Rabalais/Luba Vasilyuk (LSU) 6-2
Order of finish: 1, 3, 2

Singles
1. Ryann Foster (LSU) def. Madison Harrison (MSU) 5-7, 6-2, 6-3
2. No. 120 Eden Richardson (LSU) def. Janina Braun (MSU) 6-1, 6-1
3. No. 80 Jessica Golovin (LSU) def. Magda Adaloglou (MSU) 6-4, 6-2
4. Kennan Johnson (LSU) vs. Anastasia Rentouli (MSU) 3-6, 7-6(2), 5-2 (susp.)
5. Luba Vasilyuk (LSU) def. Sara Lizariturry (MSU) 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-2
6. Khrystyna Vozniak (MSU) def. Ashton Rabalais (LSU) 6-0, 6-1
Order of finish: 6, 2, 3, 1, 5