Mississippi State
LSU
No. 57 MSU Splits Doubleheader
March 09, 2025 | Women's Tennis
STARKVILLE – The Mississippi State women's tennis team split a doubleheader at the Rula Tennis Pavilion on Sunday. After dropping a 4-2 decision to LSU, the Bulldogs bounced back blanking Eastern Kentucky, 4-0.
State began the day on a strong note as Gianna Oboniye and Athina Pitta paired up to hand LSU's No. 11 Cadence Brace and Kayla Cross their first doubles dual match loss of the season. However, the tigers won the next two doubles matches to clinch the doubles point. LSU won two singles matches to gain a 3-1 lead before Kenna Erickson clinched the match for LSU.
Later, the Bulldogs won two straight doubles matches to gain a 1-0 lead. Jayna Clemens and Di Genova each picked up singles triumphs to extend the lead to 3-0. After dropping her first set, Carolina Troiano battled back to win a 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 decision over EKU's Masha Fedenko to clinch the match for MSU.
Records
No. 57 Mississippi State (10-5, 0-5 SEC)
No. 8 LSU (14-1, 5-0 SEC)
Eastern Kentucky (7-11)
Quoting Coach Hooshyar:
"All in all, I feel like we're moving in the right direction. We're full of freshmen and sophomores, and we're competing against some of the best players in the country, which I want it no other way. And if we keep developing, then, you know, I want to be considered one of the best teams. We just got to keep moving in the right direction."
Match Notes
• MSU has won 83 of its last 85 non-conference home matches since Feb. 27, 2013.
• The Bulldogs are 19-1 in non-conference home matches under Chris Hooshyar.
• Gianna Oboniye and Athina Pitta become the first duo this spring to defeat LSU's 11th-ranked tandem of Cadence Brace and Kayla Cross.
• This marks Oboniye and Pitta's first ranked doubles win of the season.
• The pair have won nine of their 11 matches to begin dual match play.
• Oboniye improves to 7-2 in dual match play.
• Chiara Di Genova earned her second-straight SEC victories of the season and improved to 7-4 in dual match play.
• Jayna Clemens boasts a 10-1 mark in singles dual match play.
• Carolina Troiano picked up her fourth singles match clinch of the season.
Up Next
No. 57 Mississippi State will host No. 61 on Friday at 12 p.m. Then, play a doubleheader on Sunday against No. 11 Auburn at 12 p.m. and Mississippi Valley State at 4 p.m.
LSU
Match Results
Doubles:
1. Gianna Oboniye/Athina Pitta (MSU) def. No. 11 Cadence Brace/Kayla Cross (LSU) 6-4
2. No. 25 Tilwith Di Girolami/Anita Sahdiieva (MSU) def. Emma Cohen/Alessia Tagliente (MSU) 6-4
3. Kenna Erickson/Gaby Rivera (LSU) def. Jayna Clemens/Chiara Di Genova (MSU) 6-4
Order of finish: (3,1,2)
Singles:
1. Gianna Oboniye (MSU) def. No. 54 Cadence Brace (LSU) 3-0, retired
2. No. 63 Kayla Cross (LSU) def. Alessia Tagliente (MSU) 6-1, 6-2
3. No. 65 Tilwith Di Girolami (LSU) def. Carolina Troiano (MSU) 6-0, 6-1
4. Jayna Clemens (MSU) vs. Anita Sahdiieva (LSU) 6-4, 2-3, unfinished
5. Chiara Di Genova (MSU) def. Kinaa Graham (LSU) 6-2, 6-1
6. Kenna Erickson (LSU) def. Emma Cohen (MSU) 6-3, 6-2
Order of finish: (1,3,2,5,6)
Eastern Kentucky
Match Results
Doubles:
1. Gianna Oboniye/Athina Pitta (MSU) def. Anastasiia Cherniakova/Masha Fedenko (EKU) 6-2
2. Emma Cohen/Alessia Tagliente (MSU) def. Zhansaya Bakytzhan/Sasha Parkhomenko (EKU) 6-2
3. Jayna Clemens/Chiara Di Genova (MSU) vs. Ceylin Ipek/Izem Elif Olcer (EKU) 4-3, unfinished
Order of finish: (1,2)
Singles:
1. Carolina Troiano (MSU) def. Masha Fedenko (EKU) 2-6, 6-1, 6-2
2. Alessia Tagliente (MSU) vs. Sasha Porkhomenko (EKU) 6-0, 2-6, 4-3, unfinished
3. Athina Pitta (MSU) vs. Ceylin Ipek (EKU) 6-7(5), 5-1, unfinished
4. Jayna Clemens (MSU) def. Anastasiia Cherniakova (EKU) 6-1, 6-3
5. Chiara Di Genova (MSU) def. Izem Elif Olcer (EKU) 6-3, 6-0
6. Ava Rath (MSU) vs. Zhansaya Bakytzhan (EKU) 5-7, 3-1, unfinished
Order of finish: (4,5,1)
For more Information on the Bulldog women's tennis program, visit Hailstate.com or search for "HailstateWT" on X, Instagram and Facebook.
– HailState.com –
Players Mentioned
