State Netters Set For Home Matchup With Georgia State
STARKVILLE, Miss. -The Mississippi State men's tennis team will conclude its current non-conference homestand Saturday, as they host Georgia State at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre on the MSU campus. Match time is slated for 1 p.m.
After a six day layoff, the Bulldogs enter Saturday's matchup with a 3-2 record. In its last victory, MSU topped South Alabama to move to 3-0 at home this season. State's other two wins came against UAB and Louisiana Lafayette.
The Bulldogs, ranked 49th as a team, have two singles players and a doubles team that are ranked in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association's poll. Senior Philippe Frayssinoux is ranked 42nd while senior Ivan Bjelica enters the poll with a ranking of 45th. Also helping State's cause this spring are junior Ryan Farlow and freshman Antonio Lastre. Farlow is 4-1 in dual matches while Lastre is 3-0. Bjelica and Frayssinoux also entered the doubles rankings this week at 59th. The duo is 2-0 in dual matches this spring.
Georgia State (1-5), enters Saturday's contest having lost five consecutive matches. The Panthers are currently led by Nejc Podkrajsek who is 3-2 at the #1 position and by Anze Cevka who has a 4-2 mark playing at the #2 spot. The Panthers are led by first-year head coach Jarod Camerota.
Saturday's meeting will only be the second in the history of the two schools. MSU won the previous match which was played in 1977. Following Saturday's match, State will open up SEC play Feb. 29 at Georgia.