Mississippi State
UAB
Busy Weekend Ahead For Women's Tennis
February 02, 2024 | Women's Tennis
STARKVILLE – A busy weekend awaits Chris Hooshyar and the Mississippi State women's tennis team.
The 3-0 Bulldogs return to the courts for the first time since Jan. 20 when they welcome UAB and Jackson State to the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre on Saturday at noon and 4 p.m. respectively. On Sunday, MSU is scheduled to meet Belmont at 1 p.m. inside the Rula Tennis Pavilion.
Hooshyar could make history this weekend as the first coach in school history to begin their tenure 4-0. Shelby Ware (1983-84), Claire Pollard (1991) and Kel Lange (1993-96) are the only coaches to start their Bulldog careers 3-0.
Alexandra Mikhailuk reached a milestone during her last outing, notching her 60th career singles victory during a 5-2 win over Samford on Jan. 20. Mikhailuk, a graduate from Burlington, Ontario, Canada needs seven more wins to crack MSU's top 10 list for singles victories all-time.
While Mikhailuk leads the Bulldogs with a sparkling 3-0 dual match record in singles, it is junior Maria Rizzolo that tops the team with an 8-4 singles mark for the year. Mikhailuk and freshman Athina Pitta have posted seven doubles victories as a tandem followed closely by the team of junior Alessia Tagliente and sophomore Dharani Niroshan at 5-2.
Mississippi State has found success historically against each of the opponents traveling to Starkville this weekend. The Bulldogs hold a 29-3 advantage in the series against UAB, including an 18-2 mark at home. MSU has won 19-straight matches over the Blazers following a 6-1 victory inside the Rula Tennis Pavilion in 2023.
Mikhailuk, Rizzolo, Niroshan and Chloé Cirotte all recorded singles victories against UAB last spring.
The Blazers are 0-4 on the year and coming off a 4-1 home loss to Jacksonville State on Tuesday.
Mississippi State is a perfect 4-0 against Jackson State with all four wins coming in Starkville. The Bulldogs blanked the Tigers 7-0 last season and have only dropped one set ever in the series, outscoring JSU 27-0 in those matchups.
The Tigers are off to a 2-0 start to the season and knocked off Mississippi College 4-3 on Friday at home.
Sunday's match will mark just the second meeting between MSU and Belmont. The Bulldogs defeated the Bruins 4-1 last season despite dropping the doubles point. Cirotte claimed the first singles win and Mikhailuk clinched the match for Mississippi State.
Belmont enters the weekend 3-0 and will play at Ole Miss on Saturday at 11 a.m. prior to traveling to Starkville the following day.
For more information on the Bulldog women's tennis program, visit HailState.com or search for "HailStateWT" on X, Instagram and Facebook.
