MSU Opens SEC Play With Road Tests At #3 Georgia, #14 Tennessee
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Coming off a three-match win streak, the Mississippi State men's tennis team will open Southeastern Conference play Friday, as they travel to Athens, Ga. to face the third-ranked Georgia Bulldogs. Friday's match is set for a 1:30 p.m. CT start at UGA's Dan Magill Tennis Complex.
MSU enters conference play with a 4-2 overall record this season. Most recently, State defeated Georgia State 6-1 in Starkville. Junior Ryan Farlow and freshman Antonio Lastre are currently leading State in dual match wins as both have won four straight. State is also led by a pair of seniors in 42nd-ranked Philippe Frayssinoux and 45th-ranked Ivan Bjelica. The pair is also ranked 59th in doubles.
Georgia comes into Friday's matchup with an 8-1 overall record. The defending NCAA Division I National Champions, UGA returns seven letterwinners from last year's undefeated squad. Georgia has four players ranked in the nation's top 75 including third-ranked Travis Helgeson and eighth-ranked Nate Schnugg. Helgeson is 15-4 this season while Schnugg is 27-6. Schnugg and sophomore Jamie Hunt are ranked 32nd in the doubles rankings.
Following Friday's matchup, MSU will travel to Knoxville, Tenn., to take on 14th-ranked Tennessee. The Vols enter the conference-opening weekend with a perfect 10-0 record this season. UT is led by senior Kaden Hensel along with freshmen Boris Conkic and J.P. Smith. Match time at UT's Varsity Tennis Courts will be at 1 p.m. CT.
"There is not a tougher way to start conference play than how we will this weekend," said MSU head coach Per Nilsson. "We will be facing two of the best teams in the country on the road. We just have to stay focused and play the best tennis we can possibly play to have a chance. While it will be a big challenge for us, we are ready for the opportunity."
After this weekend's road action, MSU will open its home conference schedule Friday, March 7 against Alabama, followed by a meeting with Auburn in Starkville on Sunday, March 9.