Thursday, February 26
Starkville
12 p.m.
Mississippi State
2
vs
4
Tennessee
No. 37 Mississippi State Splits Doubleheader against No. 14 Tennessee and Eastern Kentucky
February 26, 2026 | Women's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State women's tennis fights back on the second match of the day to go 1-1 for its fifth doubleheader of the season.
The Bulldogs opened the day against No. 14 Tennessee by claiming the doubles point with wins on courts one and three. Chiara Di Genova/ Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz started us off with a 6-4 ranked win over #21 Catherine Aulia/ Leyla Britez Risso. Athina Pitta/ Mia Robinson clinched the doubles point on court three with a 6-3 victory over Tennessee's Maeve Thornton/ Saray Yli-Piipari.
Athina Pitta secured court six with a singles victory against Saray Yli-Piipari, 7-6, 6-4
The Lady Vols came back in singles play, taking courts 3, 5, 1, and 2 to clinch the match, 4-2
Later in the day, Mississippi State ended on a high note by defeating EKU, 4-0.
State secured the doubles point to gain early momentum. MSU then sealed the match with three straight singles victories from Ntondele Zinga, Di Genova, and Carolina Troiano to complete the shutout.
The Bulldogs now hold a 29-3 record in non-conference action under head coach Chris Hooshyar and remain undefeated in non-conference play during his time. State is also 25-7 when competing in doubleheaders.
Match Notes
• Freshman, Mia Robinson is undefeated in singles this season
• The ranked doubles win over #21 Catherine Aulia/ Leyla Britez Risso is the first of the season
• State continues their non-conference winning streak of 22 under Coach Hooshyar
Up Next
Mississippi State will stay in Starkville to take on Kentucky at 1 p.m.
Match Results vs. #14 Tennessee
Doubles
1. Chiara Di Genova/ Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz (MSST) def. #21 Catherine Aulia/ Leyla Britez Risso (UT) - 6-4
2. Francesca Mattioli/ Vanesa Suarez (UT) def. Emma Cohen/ Thessy Ntondele Zinga (MSST) – 6-3
3. Athina Pitta/ Mia Robinson (MSST) def. Maeve Thornton/ Saray Yli-Piipari (UT) – 6-3
Mississippi State won the Doubles Point
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3
Singles
1. Katrina Scott (UT) def. Thessy Ntondele Zinga (MSST) – 6-0, 6-3
2. Vanesa Suarez (UT) def. Chiara Di Genova (MSST) – 6-1, 5-7, 6-2
3. #25 Leyla Britez Risso (UT) def. Carolina Troiano (MSST) – 6-2, 6-1
4. Mia Robinson (MSST) vs. #61 Catherine Aulia (UT) – 5-7, 7-5, 3-1
5. #76 Francesca Mattioli (UT) def. Noemie Oliveras (MSST) – 6-3, 6-1
6. Athina Pitta (MSST) def. Saray Yli-Piipari (UT) – 7-6(7-5), 6-4
Order of Finish: 3, 5, 1, 6, 2
Match Results vs. Eastern Kentucky
Doubles
1. Chiara Di Genova/ Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz (MSST) vs. Masha Fedenko/ Anastasiia Cherniakova (EKU) – 4-3
2. Emma Cohen/ Thessy Ntondele Zinga (MSST) def. Ceylin Ipek/ Sasha Parkhomenko (EKU) – 6-1
3. Athina Pitta/ Mia Robinson (MSST) def. Zhansaya Bakytzhan/ Izem Elif Olcer (EKU) – 6-2
Mississippi State won the Doubles Point
Order of Finish: 2,3
Singles
1. Thessy Ntondele Zinga (MSST) def. Ceylin Ipek (EKU) – 6-1, 6-0
2. Chiara Di Genova (MSST) def. Masha Fedenko (EKU) – 6-3, 6-4
3. Carolina Troiano (MSST) def. Sasha Parkhomenko (EKU) – 6-3, 6-4
4. Mia Robinson (MSST) vs. Izem Elif Olcer (EKU) – 6-3, 4-3
5. Noemie Oliveras (MSST) vs. Zhansaya Bakytzhan (EKU) – 6-3, 3-4
6. Emma Cohen (MSST) vs. Anastasiia Cherniakova (EKU) – 3-6, 5-3
Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2
For more Information on the Bulldog women's tennis program, visit Hailstate.com or search for "HailstateWT" on X, Instagram and Facebook.
– HailState.com –
The Bulldogs opened the day against No. 14 Tennessee by claiming the doubles point with wins on courts one and three. Chiara Di Genova/ Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz started us off with a 6-4 ranked win over #21 Catherine Aulia/ Leyla Britez Risso. Athina Pitta/ Mia Robinson clinched the doubles point on court three with a 6-3 victory over Tennessee's Maeve Thornton/ Saray Yli-Piipari.
Athina Pitta secured court six with a singles victory against Saray Yli-Piipari, 7-6, 6-4
The Lady Vols came back in singles play, taking courts 3, 5, 1, and 2 to clinch the match, 4-2
Later in the day, Mississippi State ended on a high note by defeating EKU, 4-0.
State secured the doubles point to gain early momentum. MSU then sealed the match with three straight singles victories from Ntondele Zinga, Di Genova, and Carolina Troiano to complete the shutout.
The Bulldogs now hold a 29-3 record in non-conference action under head coach Chris Hooshyar and remain undefeated in non-conference play during his time. State is also 25-7 when competing in doubleheaders.
Match Notes
• Freshman, Mia Robinson is undefeated in singles this season
• The ranked doubles win over #21 Catherine Aulia/ Leyla Britez Risso is the first of the season
• State continues their non-conference winning streak of 22 under Coach Hooshyar
Up Next
Mississippi State will stay in Starkville to take on Kentucky at 1 p.m.
Match Results vs. #14 Tennessee
Doubles
1. Chiara Di Genova/ Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz (MSST) def. #21 Catherine Aulia/ Leyla Britez Risso (UT) - 6-4
2. Francesca Mattioli/ Vanesa Suarez (UT) def. Emma Cohen/ Thessy Ntondele Zinga (MSST) – 6-3
3. Athina Pitta/ Mia Robinson (MSST) def. Maeve Thornton/ Saray Yli-Piipari (UT) – 6-3
Mississippi State won the Doubles Point
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3
Singles
1. Katrina Scott (UT) def. Thessy Ntondele Zinga (MSST) – 6-0, 6-3
2. Vanesa Suarez (UT) def. Chiara Di Genova (MSST) – 6-1, 5-7, 6-2
3. #25 Leyla Britez Risso (UT) def. Carolina Troiano (MSST) – 6-2, 6-1
4. Mia Robinson (MSST) vs. #61 Catherine Aulia (UT) – 5-7, 7-5, 3-1
5. #76 Francesca Mattioli (UT) def. Noemie Oliveras (MSST) – 6-3, 6-1
6. Athina Pitta (MSST) def. Saray Yli-Piipari (UT) – 7-6(7-5), 6-4
Order of Finish: 3, 5, 1, 6, 2
Match Results vs. Eastern Kentucky
Doubles
1. Chiara Di Genova/ Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz (MSST) vs. Masha Fedenko/ Anastasiia Cherniakova (EKU) – 4-3
2. Emma Cohen/ Thessy Ntondele Zinga (MSST) def. Ceylin Ipek/ Sasha Parkhomenko (EKU) – 6-1
3. Athina Pitta/ Mia Robinson (MSST) def. Zhansaya Bakytzhan/ Izem Elif Olcer (EKU) – 6-2
Mississippi State won the Doubles Point
Order of Finish: 2,3
Singles
1. Thessy Ntondele Zinga (MSST) def. Ceylin Ipek (EKU) – 6-1, 6-0
2. Chiara Di Genova (MSST) def. Masha Fedenko (EKU) – 6-3, 6-4
3. Carolina Troiano (MSST) def. Sasha Parkhomenko (EKU) – 6-3, 6-4
4. Mia Robinson (MSST) vs. Izem Elif Olcer (EKU) – 6-3, 4-3
5. Noemie Oliveras (MSST) vs. Zhansaya Bakytzhan (EKU) – 6-3, 3-4
6. Emma Cohen (MSST) vs. Anastasiia Cherniakova (EKU) – 3-6, 5-3
Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2
For more Information on the Bulldog women's tennis program, visit Hailstate.com or search for "HailstateWT" on X, Instagram and Facebook.
– HailState.com –
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
123
Catherine Aulia/ Leyla Britez Risso (21/-) [UT]
400
600
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,1,3
#1 Singles Match
12
Katrina Scott / 0 [UT]
66
03
#2 Singles Match
123
Vanesa Suarez / 0 [UT]
656
172
#3 Singles Match
12
Leyla Britez Risso / 0 (25/-) [UT]
66
21
#4 Singles Match
1234
Catherine Aulia / 0 (61/-) [UT]
751UF
573UF
#5 Singles Match
12
Francesca Mattioli / 0 (76/-) [UT]
66
31
#6 Singles Match
12
Saray Yli-Piipari / 0 [UT]
64
76
Order of Finish:
3,5,1,6,2
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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