Mississippi State
NC State
MSU Women’s Tennis Travels To Gainesville For ITA Kick-Off Weekend
January 25, 2019 | Women's Tennis
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State's women's tennis team (2-0) seeks to build on last Saturday's season-opening doubleheader sweep, as the squad makes its second road trip of 2019.
The Bulldogs will travel to Gainesville, Florida, for the annual ITA Kick-Off Weekend, to be held at Florida's Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex. On Saturday, State will face North Carolina State (2-0) at 1 p.m. CT. On Sunday, the Bulldogs will face either No. 11 host Florida (0-1) or UCSB (0-0).
"I think we are ready. It's going to be a tough match, but that's what we signed up for," said associate head coach Sachin Kirtane. "They've been great in practice. We need to come out and play with focus. No matter what, it's a long season, and we need to keep looking to getting better."
Last Time Out For MSU…
In their first outing of 2019, the Bulldogs posted back-to-back 6-1 victories against Chattanooga and Samford in Birmingham. State outlasted the Mocs and the Bulldogs, going 6-0 in doubles and 10-2 in singles overall in the two affairs. The Bulldogs' veteran expertise proved effective, as MSU's seasoned personnel went undefeated on the day.
In singles action, rookie Tamara Racine made her Maroon & White debut going unbeaten on court 4 during the twinbill. State's 56th-ranked Magda Adaloglou and seniors Anastasia Rentouli and Janina Braun also posted 2-0 marks as individuals.
About the ITA Kick-Off Weekend At Florida…
The ITA Kick-Off Weekend is in its 11th season, with the Bulldogs having appeared in the last six. The team in the four-team tournament in Gainesville that wins two matches advances to ITA National Indoor Championship, to be held Feb. 8-11 in Seattle, Washington. Sixteen teams around the country will advance to Seattle.
State is slated to battle North Carolina State on Saturday to begin the weekend's action. Last season, the Wolfpack posted a 17-15 ledger with a trip to the NCAA Tournament to conclude the 2018 stretch. NC State took its opening weekend by boasting 7-0 sweeps of East Tennessee State and East Carolina. The Wolfpack is paced by in singles by 23rd-ranked Anna Rogers and No. 111 Alana Smith. In tandem play, Smith and Roger sit at No. 20 nationally while Adreana Reami and Amanda Rebol are No. 37.
The other two teams in the field - UCSB and No. 11 host Florida – also meet at 1 p.m. CT Saturday. The UCSB Gauchos will open the 2019 season against the Gators to inaugurate the ITA Kick-Off Weekend.
The 11th-ranked Gators were edged in a nail-biting, 4-3 season opener in Gainesville against California on Jan. 23. Florida is led in the national rankings by No. 9 Ida Jarlskog, No. 29 McCartney Kessler and No. 33 Victoria Emma. In doubles, Gators Tsveta Dimitrova and Jarlskog are No. 41, with Kessler and Emma at No. 53.
What To Note As MSU Travels To ITA Kick-Off Weekend…
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MSU is in its 45th season of women's tennis, with Daryl Greenan in his 10th season as the head coach.
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The Bulldogs have appeared in five previous editions of the ITA Kick-Off Weekend, holding a 4-6 overall record in the event.
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Saturday's match will be the first meeting ever between the Bulldogs and NC State.
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Junior Sara Lizariturry leads State with a 11-3 overall singles record in 2018-19.
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Mirroring their consistency for the 2018 ITA Kick-Off Weekend, seniors Janina Braun and Anastasia once again enter the weekend both holding four-match win streaks.
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Senior Anastasia Rentouli moved into sole possession of 4th place all-time at MSU in total career victories (127), 2nd in singles wins (74), with her 4-0 mark last weekend.
Live Results
Follow @HailStateWT on Twitter for live updates of Saturday's match.
Next Up For MSU…
After the conclusion of ITA Kick-Off Weekend in the Sunshine State, the Bulldogs will return to the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre to host Alcorn State in a doubleheader on Saturday, February 9, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. CT. All of MSU's regular season home matches are free.
