After much success on the court this past weekend, Mississippi State women’s tennis standouts Anastasia Rentouli and Emma Antonaki swept the SEC’s weekly honors, the Southeastern Conference announced on Wednesday.
State’s Antonaki, Rentouli Earn SEC Honors Following Historic Weekend
March 06, 2019 | Women's Tennis
by Emily Pschigoda, Student Assistant/Communications
STARKVILLE, Miss. – After much success on the court this past weekend, Mississippi State women's tennis standouts Anastasia Rentouli and Emma Antonaki swept the SEC's weekly honors, the Southeastern Conference announced on Wednesday. The senior Rentouli was tabbed the SEC Player of the Week while the rookie Antonaki earned SEC Freshman of the Week.
She also led South Carolina's 95-ranked Mia Horvit 3-2 in the third set when play was suspended in the Bulldogs' road match with South Carolina on Saturday. State's senior improved to 9-1 in dual match play, 18-5 overall on the year.
Rentouli is 32-10 overall matches this year when combining singles and doubles, 18-3 in dual matches. She currently stands fourth all-time at MSU in overall victories (141), second in singles wins (81) & tied for fourth in doubles wins (60).
In the season's first two SEC contests, the MSU true freshman Antonaki picked up her team-leading 19th and 20th singles wins – both over top 40 foes - while extending her current win streak to 11 straight matches. Antonaki earned a tough 7-5, 7-5 singles triumph over South Carolina's 38th-ranked Paige Cline Saturday.
Antonaki carried her momentum into Sunday at Florida, upsetting 33rd-ranked Gator McCartney Kessler in a 6-3, 7-5 affair, where she won the last six games of the second set to claim the match. With State down 2-0, Antonaki's singles victory gave the team its first point in the exciting comeback over the Gators.
Antonaki is 20-6 (singles) and 17-4 (doubles) in her rookie campaign, leading MSU in both categories. The freshman is also an incredible 21-3 in dual matches overall (12-1 singles, 9-2 doubles), all coming at the No. 1 and 2 positions.
Antonaki and Rentouli also teamed up to upset South Carolina's 34th-ranked pair of Silvia Chinellato and Cline in a 6-4 doubles affair on Saturday in Columbia.
STARKVILLE, Miss. – After much success on the court this past weekend, Mississippi State women's tennis standouts Anastasia Rentouli and Emma Antonaki swept the SEC's weekly honors, the Southeastern Conference announced on Wednesday. The senior Rentouli was tabbed the SEC Player of the Week while the rookie Antonaki earned SEC Freshman of the Week.
"We were able to raise our level significantly as a team last weekend. It was both exciting and encouraging to see how we handed the pressure and adversity," said head coach Daryl Greenan. "The recognition Ana and Emma received this week is a nice honor and well deserved. Ana has been a tremendous leader for us both on and off the court. She is solid as a rock. Emma is a very talented freshman for us and the upsets she pulled off last weekend speak for themselves.
Rentouli sparked the Bulldogs to an exciting 4-3 ousting of the Florida Gators in Gainesville on Sunday - the first triumph over UF in program history - with a 0-6, 6-1, 6-2 upset victory over 52nd-ranked Victoria Emma. The win over Emma tied the highest-ranked victory of Rentouli's career and was the first of three three-set wins that helped MSU overcome a 3-1 deficit to the Gators.She also led South Carolina's 95-ranked Mia Horvit 3-2 in the third set when play was suspended in the Bulldogs' road match with South Carolina on Saturday. State's senior improved to 9-1 in dual match play, 18-5 overall on the year.
Rentouli is 32-10 overall matches this year when combining singles and doubles, 18-3 in dual matches. She currently stands fourth all-time at MSU in overall victories (141), second in singles wins (81) & tied for fourth in doubles wins (60).
In the season's first two SEC contests, the MSU true freshman Antonaki picked up her team-leading 19th and 20th singles wins – both over top 40 foes - while extending her current win streak to 11 straight matches. Antonaki earned a tough 7-5, 7-5 singles triumph over South Carolina's 38th-ranked Paige Cline Saturday.
Antonaki carried her momentum into Sunday at Florida, upsetting 33rd-ranked Gator McCartney Kessler in a 6-3, 7-5 affair, where she won the last six games of the second set to claim the match. With State down 2-0, Antonaki's singles victory gave the team its first point in the exciting comeback over the Gators.
Antonaki is 20-6 (singles) and 17-4 (doubles) in her rookie campaign, leading MSU in both categories. The freshman is also an incredible 21-3 in dual matches overall (12-1 singles, 9-2 doubles), all coming at the No. 1 and 2 positions.
Antonaki and Rentouli also teamed up to upset South Carolina's 34th-ranked pair of Silvia Chinellato and Cline in a 6-4 doubles affair on Saturday in Columbia.
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