No. 36 Mississippi State Women’s Tennis Falls To No. 39 South Carolina

Thursday, March 25

Starkville

11:00 AM

Mississippi State

South Carolina

Photo by: Austin Perryman/Mississippi State Athletics

STARKVILLE, MS - March 25, 2021 - Mississippi State's Tamara Racine during the match between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the Rula Tennis Pavilion in Starkville, MS. Photo By Austin Perryman

Photo by: Austin Perryman/Mississippi State Athletics

ÇSTARKVILLE, MS - March 25, 2021 - Mississippi State Head Coach Daryl Greenan during the match between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the Rula Tennis Pavilion in Starkville, MS. Photo By Austin Perryman

Photo by: Austin Perryman/Mississippi State Athletics

STARKVILLE, MS - March 25, 2021 - Mississippi State Head Coach Daryl Greenan and Magda Adaloglou during the match between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the Rula Tennis Pavilion in Starkville, MS. Photo By Austin Perryman

Photo by: Austin Perryman/Mississippi State Athletics

STARKVILLE, MS - March 25, 2021 - Mississippi State's Magda Adaloglou during the match between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the Rula Tennis Pavilion in Starkville, MS. Photo By Austin Perryman

Photo by: Austin Perryman/Mississippi State Athletics

STARKVILLE, MS - March 25, 2021 - Mississippi State's Marta Falceto during the match between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the Rula Tennis Pavilion in Starkville, MS. Photo By Austin Perryman

Photo by: Austin Perryman/Mississippi State Athletics

STARKVILLE, MS - March 25, 2021 - Mississippi State's Emma Antonaki during the match between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the Rula Tennis Pavilion in Starkville, MS. Photo By Austin Perryman

Photo by: Austin Perryman/Mississippi State Athletics

STARKVILLE, MS - March 25, 2021 - Mississippi State's Alexandra Mikhailuk during the match between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the Rula Tennis Pavilion in Starkville, MS. Photo By Austin Perryman

Photo by: Austin Perryman/Mississippi State Athletics

STARKVILLE, MS - March 25, 2021 - Mississippi State's Tamara Racine and Adaloglou and Tamara Racine during the match between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the Rula Tennis Pavilion in Starkville, MS. Photo By Austin Perryman

Photo by: Austin Perryman/Mississippi State Athletics

STARKVILLE, MS - March 25, 2021 - Mississippi State's Magda Adaloglou and Tamara Racine during the match between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the Rula Tennis Pavilion in Starkville, MS. Photo By Austin Perryman

Photo by: Austin Perryman/Mississippi State Athletics

STARKVILLE, MS - March 25, 2021 - Mississippi State Head Coach Daryl Greenan during the match between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the Rula Tennis Pavilion in Starkville, MS. Photo By Austin Perryman

Photo by: Austin Perryman/Mississippi State Athletics

STARKVILLE, MS - March 25, 2021 - The Mississippi State Bulldogs huddle during the match between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the Rula Tennis Pavilion in Starkville, MS. Photo By Austin Perryman

Photo by: Austin Perryman/Mississippi State Athletics

STARKVILLE, MS - March 25, 2021 - Mississippi State's Lilian Poling during the match between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the Rula Tennis Pavilion in Starkville, MS. Photo By Austin Perryman

Photo by: Austin Perryman/Mississippi State Athletics

STARKVILLE, MS - March 25, 2021 - Mississippi State's Valeria Nikolaev and Lilian Poling during the match between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the Rula Tennis Pavilion in Starkville, MS. Photo By Austin Perryman

Photo by: Austin Perryman/Mississippi State Athletics

STARKVILLE, MS - March 25, 2021 - Wide angle during the match between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the Rula Tennis Pavilion in Starkville, MS. Photo By Austin Perryman

Photo by: Austin Perryman/Mississippi State Athletics

No. 36 Mississippi State Women’s Tennis Falls To No. 39 South Carolina

March 25, 2021 | Women's Tennis

Photo Gallery

By: Mikaela Elizondo, Graduate Assistant/Communications

STARKVILLE – After claiming the opening doubles point, the 36th-ranked Mississippi State women's tennis team dropped four matches in singles to fall 4-1 to No. 39 South Carolina Thursday indoors at State's Rula Tennis Pavilion.

With the setback, State dropped to 10-7, 2-7 in SEC play, while the Gamecocks improved to 7-10, 4-5 in the SEC. South Carolina now owns a 31-2 advantage over State all-time and has claimed the last five meetings between the teams.

"We started that match extraordinarily well, dominating doubles against a good doubles team. It was the best we've played all year," head coach Daryl Greenan said. "Unfortunately, South Carolina stole the momentum back, taking all six first sets in singles. They were just a little more solid than us. We have to do a better job taking advantage of our opportunities because they are too few and far between in this league."

The Bulldogs earned an early 1-0 lead after an impressive performance on all three courts in doubles action. Emma Antonaki and Marta Falceto grabbed the first win with a convincing 6-2 victory over South Carolina's Silvia Chinellato and Emma Shelton on court 2.

Court 1 featured a top-20 matchup between State's 18th-ranked tandem of Magda Adaloglou and Tamara Racine and USC's 15th-ranked duo of Megan Davies and Mia Horvit. Adaloglou and Racine rolled past the Gamecocks 6-2 to put State up 1-0 early. Competing together for the first time ever, Bulldogs Chloé Cirotte and Alexandra Mikhailuk were ahead 5-2 against USC's Ana Cruz and Allie Gretowski when the doubles point was clinched.

But the Gamecocks roared back in singles, grabbing the first set on all six courts, going on to claim the first four matches to finish.

On court 6, South Carolina evened the match at 1-1 as Cruz downed MSU's Cirotte 6-3, 6-3. USC's 85^th-ranked Horvit ousted Racine 6-1, 6-2 at the No. 1 spot before Gretowski downed Mikhailuk at No. 5 6-4, 6-4 to give South Carolina a 3-1 lead. Davies then clinched the match for the Gamecocks with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over State's 19th-ranked Antonaki on court 2.

Play on the final two courts was suspended at that point. At the No. 3 position, MSU's 61^st-ranked Adaloglou and USC's Shelton had split the first two sets and were tied 2-2 in the third when play was halted. Bulldog Lilian Poling had also split sets, but trailed Chinellato 4-2 in the third on court 4.

Next Up
The Bulldogs will continue their five-match homestand this Saturday, March 27, as they host No. 24 Florida at 12 p.m. CT.

For more information on Mississippi State women's tennis team, visit HailState.com and follow "HailStateWT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

#39 South Carolina 4, #36 Mississippi State 1
March 25, 2021
Starkville, Miss. – Rula Tennis Pavilion

Doubles
1. #18 Magda Adaloglou/Tamara Racine (MSU) def. #15 Megan Davies/Mia Horvit (USC) 6-2
2. Emma Antonaki/Marta Falceto (MSU) def. Silvia Chinellato/Emma Shelton (USC) 6-2
3. Chloé Cirotte/Alexandra Mikhailuk (MSU) vs. Ana Cruz/Allie Gretkowski (USC) 5-2, susp.
Order of finish: 2,1

Singles
1. #85 Mia Horvit (USC) def. Tamara Racine (MSU) 6-1, 6-2
2. Megan Davies (USC) def. #19 Emma Antonaki (MSU) 6-4, 6-4
3. #61 Magda Adaloglou (MSU) vs. Emma Shelton (USC) 4-6, 6-4, 2-2, susp.
4. Silvia Chinellato (USC) vs. Lilian Poling (MSU) 6-4, 2-6, 4-2, susp.
5. Allie Gretowski (USC) def. Alexandra Mikhailuk (MSU) 6-4, 6-4
6. Ana Cruz (USC) def. Chloé Cirotte (MSU) 6-3, 6-3
Order of finish: 6,1,5,2