Rizzolo Earns Ranked Win At Vandy

Sunday, March 17

Nashville, Tenn.

1 p.m.

Mississippi State

Vanderbilt

STARKVILLE, MS - March 10, 2024 - Mississippi State's Maria Rizzolo during the match between the LSU Tigers and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the AJ Pitts Tennis Centre in Starkville, MS. Photo By Mike Mattina

Photo by: Mike Mattina/MSU Athletics

Rizzolo Earns Ranked Win At Vandy

March 17, 2024 | Women's Tennis

By: Logan Lowery, Assistant Director/Communications

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Maria Rizzolo earned her first ranked win of the season but it would not be enough as Mississippi State fell at No. 30 Vanderbilt 6-1 on Sunday afternoon.

Rizzolo knocked off 60^th-ranked Bridget Stammel in straight sets 6-3, 7-6(6) for her second straight singles win of the weekend. She also downed Kentucky's Lidia Gonzalez 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-3 on Friday.

The victory over Stammel was the second highest of Rizzolo's career. The junior who transferred to MSU from Minnesota opened her Bulldog career last year with a win over then sixth-ranked Cameron Morra of Duke.

Athina Pitta came close to adding another point to State's tally. Pitta dropped her first set to Valeria Ray 6-0 but battled back to take a second-set tiebreaker 7-6(5) before coming up just short in a super tiebreaker 10-8.

The Commodores improved to 3-2 in conference play with the win and are 8-4 overall.

Chris Hooshyar's Bulldogs (9-8, 0-5 SEC) return home to host 17^th-ranked Alabama on Friday at 3 p.m.

No. 30 Vanderbilt 6, Mississippi State 1
Ensworth Tennis Facility | Nashville, Tenn.
March 17, 2024

Doubles
1. No. 26 Anessa Lee/Celia-Belle Mohr (VU) vs. Alexandra Mikhailuk/Athina Pitta (MSU) 3-2, unfinished
2. Valeria Ray/Bridget Stammel (VU) def. Chloé Cirotte/Jayna Clemens (MSU) 6-1
3. Holly Staff/Amy Stevens (VU) def. Dharani Niroshan/Alessia Tagliente (MSU) 6-1
Order of finish: (2,3)

Singles
1. No. 9 Celia-Belle Mohr (VU) def. Alexandra Mikhailuk (MSU) 6-1, 6-1
2. Maria Rizzolo (MSU) def. No. 60 Bridget Stammel (VU) 6-3, 7-6(6)
3. Anessa Lee (VU) def. Chloé Cirotte (MSU) 6-0, 0-1, retired
4. Valeria Ray (VU) def. Athina Pitta (MSU) 6-0, 6-7(5), 1-0[8]
5. Holly Staff (VU) def. Dharani Niroshan (MSU) 6-1, 7-6(1)
6. Sonya Macavei (VU) def. Alessia Tagliente (MSU) 7-5, 6-0
Order of finish: (3,1,5,6,2,4)

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