Thursday, April 9
Starkville
3 p.m.
Mississippi State
4
vs
0
South Carolina
Bulldogs Earn Top-25 Win in Home Finale
April 09, 2026 | Women's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. – No. 55 Mississippi State women's tennis capped its home slate with a dominant top-25 victory over South Carolina.
The win marked State's first top-25 triumph since defeating No. 20 Tennessee in 2021 and the program's first time reaching four conference wins in a season since 2019.
MSU set the tone early by securing the doubles point. No. 37 Athina Pitta and Gianna Oboniye got things started on court two with a 6-4 win over Kaitlyn Carnicella and Jana Stojanova.
Carolina Troiano and Emma Cohen clinched the point on court three, defeating Sara Borkop and Jane Dunyon, 6-3.
The Bulldogs carried that momentum into singles play, dominating across the board to secure a 4-0 sweep with wins on courts two, three and four.
Following the match we celebrated our graduate, Alessia Tagliente. Tagliente has totaled 33 singles, and 37 doubles wins in her career while earning multiple honors, including the 2025 ITA Southern Regional Cissie Leary Sportsmanship Award, and Blue Gray Classic Sportsmanship Award recognition. She has also excelled in the classroom, earning SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll honors and ITA Scholar-Athlete.
Match Notes
• First top 25 win since defeating No. 20 Tennessee in 2021
• The last time State won two ranked SEC matches in a season was in 2022
• The last time MSU won four SEC matches in a season was in 2019
• The Bulldogs second ranked win under head coach Chris Hooshyar
• Highest ranked win since beating #2 Vanderbilt in 2018
• Mia Robinson earns her third SEC win this season
• Chiara Di Genova has clinched three of the four SEC wins for the Bulldogs
• Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz earns her first SEC win over a ranked opponent this season
• Third win all-time against South Carolina
Up Next
Mississippi State will head to Georgia on April 11 to wrap up regular season play.
Match Results vs. South Carolina
Doubles
1. Helena Buchwald/ Lauren Friedman (SC) def. Chiara Di Genova/ Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz (MSST) – 6-2
2. Athina Pitta/ Gianna Oboniye (MSST) def. Kaitlyn Carnicella/ Jana Stojanova (SC) – 6-4
3. Emma Cohen/ Carolina Troiano (MSST) def. Sara Borkop/ Jane Dunyon (SC) – 6-3
Mississippi State won the Doubles Point
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3
Singles
1. Gianna Oboniye (MSST) vs. Kaitlyn Carnicella (SC) – 5-7, 6-4, 2-0 unf.
2. Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz (MSST) def. Helena Buchwald (SC) – 6-3, 6-3
3. Chiara Di Genova (MSST) def. Sara Borkop (SC) – 6-4, 6-4
4. Mia Robinson (MSST) def. Taylor Goetz (SC) – 6-2, 6-2
5. Carolina Troiano (MSST) vs. Jana Stojanova (SC) – 7-6 (7-4), 6-6 (5-4) unf.
6. Athina Pitta (MSST) vs. Jane Dunyon (SC) – 6-3, 3-6, 3-4 unf.
Order of Finish: 4, 2, 3
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 win marked State's first top-25 triumph since defeating No. 20 Tennessee in 2021 and the program's first time reaching four conference wins in a season since 2019.
MSU set the tone early by securing the doubles point. No. 37 Athina Pitta and Gianna Oboniye got things started on court two with a 6-4 win over Kaitlyn Carnicella and Jana Stojanova.
Carolina Troiano and Emma Cohen clinched the point on court three, defeating Sara Borkop and Jane Dunyon, 6-3.
The Bulldogs carried that momentum into singles play, dominating across the board to secure a 4-0 sweep with wins on courts two, three and four.
Following the match we celebrated our graduate, Alessia Tagliente. Tagliente has totaled 33 singles, and 37 doubles wins in her career while earning multiple honors, including the 2025 ITA Southern Regional Cissie Leary Sportsmanship Award, and Blue Gray Classic Sportsmanship Award recognition. She has also excelled in the classroom, earning SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll honors and ITA Scholar-Athlete.
Match Notes
• First top 25 win since defeating No. 20 Tennessee in 2021
• The last time State won two ranked SEC matches in a season was in 2022
• The last time MSU won four SEC matches in a season was in 2019
• The Bulldogs second ranked win under head coach Chris Hooshyar
• Highest ranked win since beating #2 Vanderbilt in 2018
• Mia Robinson earns her third SEC win this season
• Chiara Di Genova has clinched three of the four SEC wins for the Bulldogs
• Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz earns her first SEC win over a ranked opponent this season
• Third win all-time against South Carolina
Up Next
Mississippi State will head to Georgia on April 11 to wrap up regular season play.
Match Results vs. South Carolina
Doubles
1. Helena Buchwald/ Lauren Friedman (SC) def. Chiara Di Genova/ Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz (MSST) – 6-2
2. Athina Pitta/ Gianna Oboniye (MSST) def. Kaitlyn Carnicella/ Jana Stojanova (SC) – 6-4
3. Emma Cohen/ Carolina Troiano (MSST) def. Sara Borkop/ Jane Dunyon (SC) – 6-3
Mississippi State won the Doubles Point
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3
Singles
1. Gianna Oboniye (MSST) vs. Kaitlyn Carnicella (SC) – 5-7, 6-4, 2-0 unf.
2. Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz (MSST) def. Helena Buchwald (SC) – 6-3, 6-3
3. Chiara Di Genova (MSST) def. Sara Borkop (SC) – 6-4, 6-4
4. Mia Robinson (MSST) def. Taylor Goetz (SC) – 6-2, 6-2
5. Carolina Troiano (MSST) vs. Jana Stojanova (SC) – 7-6 (7-4), 6-6 (5-4) unf.
6. Athina Pitta (MSST) vs. Jane Dunyon (SC) – 6-3, 3-6, 3-4 unf.
Order of Finish: 4, 2, 3
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
1
Helena Buchwald/ Lauren Friedman (17/-) [SC]
6
2
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,1,3
#1 Singles Match
1234
Kaitlyn Carnicella / 0 (38/-) [SC]
740UF
562UF
#2 Singles Match
12
Helena Buchwald / 0 (41/-) [SC]
33
66
#3 Singles Match
12
Sara Borkop / 0 [SC]
44
66
#4 Singles Match
12
Taylor Goetz / 0 [SC]
22
66
#5 Singles Match
123
Jana Stojanova / 0 [SC]
66UF
76UF
#6 Singles Match
1234
Jane Dunyon / 0 [SC]
364UF
633UF
Order of Finish:
4,2,3
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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