Mississippi State
Texas A&M
Bulldogs Begin SEC Home Slate Against No. 13 Aggies
March 07, 2024 | Women's Tennis
STARKVILLE – Head coach Chris Hooshyar is set to host his first Southeastern Conference home match on Friday when he and Mississippi State welcomes 13th-ranked Texas A&M to the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre at 3 p.m.
In the event of inclement weather, the match against the Aggies will move indoors to the adjacent Rula Tennis Pavilion.
The 9-4 Bulldogs have been brilliant at home this season, sporting a remarkable 8-1 record between the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre and the Rula Tennis Pavilion.
Senior Alexandra Mikhailuk has been shining in singles with a 9-1 record during dual match play and leads the team with a 12-6 record overall. Mikhailuk has up to 66 career singles victories and is one win shy of equaling MSU Hall of Famer Claire Pollard (1986-89) for 10th on the school's all-time list in that category.
Jayna Clemens has also been playing well, having won six of her last seven singles matches this spring. Clemens, Dharani Niroshan and Maria Rizzolo have all reached double-digit victories in singles this season.
The team of Niroshan and Alessia Tagleinte leads the Bulldogs' doubles tandems in wins, having prevailed in 10 out of their last 13 matches together.
Texas A&M is 10-5 the season and has started SEC play strong with back-to-back home wins over then No. 14 South Carolina and then No. 19 Florida. The Aggies defeated the Gamecocks 6-1 last Friday and followed up with a 4-3 victory against the Gators this past Sunday.
Texas A&M's singles lineup is led by the top-ranked player in the country in Mary Stoiana. The junior has accumulated a 19-2 singles record this season, including a 10-1 mark during dual match play.
The Aggies also have No. 17 Nicole Khirin and No. 30 Mia Kupres in their singles' arsenal along with the nation's sixth-ranked doubles duo of Kupres and Stoiana.
For more information on the Bulldog women's tennis program, visit HailState.com or search for "HailStateWT" on X, Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
