Mississippi State
Tulane
Dawgs Close January With Doubleheader Sweep
January 31, 2025 | Women's Tennis
The Bulldogs began the afternoon by beating Tulane 6-1 and capped off the evening with a 7-0 shutout of Alabama A&M to complete the sweep and improve to 4-0 on the year.
"What impressed me today was more the team's energy and the team's togetherness," said head coach Chris Hooshyar. "Last year, when we were playing and you could hear a pin drop too much. We're trying to teach the girls how to be more energetic and how to understand the momentum. I would say my biggest surprise today was that. The players on the bench and the players that finished their matches that were watching, they understood when and how to increase the volume and energy. That really impressed me today."
MSU's opening match against Tulane (0-1) was a bit of a measuring stick for Hooshyar to gauge how far his team has come over the past 11 months. The Green Wave shutout State 4-0 in New Orleans last February so taking the first six points on Friday was further proof that the program is heading in the right direction.
"Leading up to this week, we knew we wanted revenge on Tulane," said senior Maria Rizzolo. "We put in the extra work and practice for the week that we wanted to show today, which I feel like it did."
Mississippi State made a statement early by taking the doubles point against Tulane. Rizzolo and Carolina Troiano stuck first by beating Micah Pierce and Delanie Tribby 6-2. Gianna Oboniye and Athina Pitta followed suit with their 6-3 win over Summer Chandler and Campbell Ricci to clinch the early momentum.
Troiano tallied the first singles win in straight sets against Jiayun Zhu 6-4, 6-3 followed by Alessia Tagliente extending her team-best singles winning streak to five after pelting Pierce 6-3, 6-4. Rizzolo clinched her fifth-career match by outlasting Chandler 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
MSU's success continued as Oboniye rallied over Ricci 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 before Jayna Clemens earned State's sixth-straight point with her 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 comeback against Natalia Fantini.
Following a brief break, Mississippi State returned to the courts against Alabama A&M (0-1) and the positive results continued to carry over.
Clemens and Oboniye teamed up to take care of Valentine Abide Talaki and Gabrielle Henderson 6-1 while Rizzolo and Troiano clinched the doubles point with their 6-2 triumph against Sofia Sotelo Raya and Ntokozo Zungu.
Rizzolo started MSU's sweep in singles by making short work of Zungu 6-1, 6-0 followed closely by Clemens' victory over Sotelo Raya by the same score. Troiano earned her second match-clincher of the year by topping Alicia Owegi 6-2, 6-1.
Chiara Di Genova kept things going the homestanding Bulldogs way by beating Henderson 6-3, 6-0 followed by Tagliente's sixth-consecutive singles win against Abide Talaki 6-3, 6-1.
It was Ava Rath who capped the shutout for State with her 6-3, 7-6(4) victory over Hannah Nagpall. It was just the second match Rath has competed in this season and the sophomore's first-career dual match win.
Mississippi State has another doubleheader in store on Sunday. The Bulldogs will welcome UAB and Arkansas State to the Rula Tennis Pavilion at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., respectively.
Mississippi State 6, Tulane 1
Rula Tennis Pavilion | Starkville, Miss.
Jan. 31, 2025
Doubles:
1. Gianna Oboniye/Athina Pitta (MSU) def. Summer Chandler/Campbell Ricci (TUL) 6-3
2. Maria Rizzolo/Carolina Troiano (MSU) def. Micah Pierce/Delanie Tribby (TUL) 6-2
3. Chiara Di Genova/Alessia Tagliente (MSU) vs. Natalia Fantini/Jiayun Zhu (TUL) 4-3, unfinished
Order of finish: (2,1)
Singles:
1. Gianna Oboniye (MSU) def. Campbell Ricci (TUL) 2-6, 6-4, 7-5
2. Maria Rizzolo (MSU) def. Summer Chandler (TUL) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
3. Alessia Tagliente (MSU) def. Micah Pierce (TUL) 6-3, 6-4
4. Carolina Troiano (MSU) def. Jiayun Zhu (TUL) 6-4, 6-3
5. Brooke Theis (TUL) def. Chiara Di Genova (MSU) 6-0, 5-7, 6-4
6. Jayna Clemens (MSU) def. Natalia Fantini (TUL) 4-6, 6-4, 7-5
Order of finish: (4,3,2,1,6,5)
Mississippi State 7, Alabama A&M 0
Rula Tennis Pavilion | Starkville, Miss.
Jan. 31, 2025
Doubles:
1. Jayna Clemens/Gianna Oboniye (MSU) def. Valentine Abide Talaki/Gabrielle Henderson (AAMU) 6-1
2. Maria Rizzolo/Carolina Troiano (MSU) def. Sofia Sotelo Raya/Ntokozo Zungu (AAMU) 6-2
3. Chiara Di Genova/Alessia Tagliente (MSU) vs. Naomi Blanks/Hannah Nagpall (AAMU) 5-3, unfinished
Order of finish: (1,2)
Singles:
1. Maria Rizzolo (MSU) def. Ntokozo Zungu (AAMU) 6-1, 6-0
2. Carolina Troiano (MSU) def. Alicia Owegi (AAMU) 6-2, 6-1
3. Alessia Tagliente (MSU) def. Valentine Abide Talaki (AAMU) 6-3, 6-1
4. Chiara Di Genova (MSU) def. Gabrielle Henderson (AAMU) 6-3, 6-0
5. Jayna Clemens (MSU) def. Sofia Sotelo Raya (AAMU) 6-1, 6-0
6. Ava Rath (MSU) def. Hannah Nagpall (AAMU) 6-3, 7-6(4)
Order of finish: (1,5,2,4,3,6)
For more information on the Bulldog men's tennis program, visit HailState.com or search for "HailStateWT" on X, Instagram and Facebook.
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,1
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
4,3,2,1,6,5
Players Mentioned
