Bulldogs Back At Home Against Louisiana

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State women's tennis has been downright dominant in non-conference home matches for more than a decade.

Since Feb. 27, 2013, the Bulldogs have won 70 of their last 71 non-conference matches at home and currently have an active streak of 10 straight. MSU will put that string of success to the test on Friday by welcoming Louisiana to the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre at 1 p.m.

The Bulldogs have reeled off an astounding 22-straight wins against the Ragin' Cajuns and lead the overall series 22-1 and 14-0 at home. State's lone setback in the series came in the initial meeting in 1975.

The Bulldogs opened the 2023 season against Louisiana in Starkville and earned a 5-2 win inside the Rula Tennis Pavilion. Alexandra Mikhailuk and Chloé Cirotte each secured wins in singles, while Mikhailuk also played a pivotal role in earning the doubles point alongside Maria Rizzolo.

Mississippi State is off to a 6-1 start under first-year coach Chris Hooshyar. The Bulldogs enter Friday's encounter eager to rebound following a tough 4-3 loss at Memphis in their first road action this past Sunday in a match that came down to last set tiebreakers on the final two courts.

This week's lineup is highlighted by Mikhailuk, who is riding an impressive 7-0 record in singles throughout dual match play. Notably, five of Mikhailuk's victories were secured in straight sets. She is also up to 64 career singles wins, which is only three shy of entering the school's top 10 list in that category.

MSU's dynamic doubles duo, consisting of Dharani Niroshan and Alessia Tagliente, continues to shine with a remarkable five-match winning streak. Niroshan and Tagliente have also won nine of their last 10 matches together.

Louisiana comes into Friday's match with a 2-2 record and is off the heels of a 5-2 win at Stephen F. Austin on Tuesday.

For more information on the Bulldog women's tennis program, visit HailState.com or search for "HailStateWT" on X, Instagram and Facebook.

Bulldogs Back At Home Against Louisiana

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Players Mentioned

Chloé Cirotte

Alexandra Mikhailuk

Dharani Niroshan

Maria Rizzolo

Alessia Tagliente

Mississippi State University Athletics