Undefeated Lady Netters Return Home; Take On Memphis Thursday Afternoon
STARKVILLE, Miss. ? At 6-0 for just the fourth time in school history, the Mississippi State women's tennis team puts its undefeated record on the line Thursday when the squad plays host to the Memphis Tigers (5-3). The matchup is slated for a 2 p.m. CT start at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.
MSU comes into the match with the Tigers after an impressive road swing this past week. The Lady Bulldogs powered past Tulane 6-1 last Saturday, before ousting 56th-ranked South Alabama in Mobile, Ala.,on Sunday.
In Sunday's contest with the Jaguars, the two teams battled back and forth. The Lady Bulldogs found themselves in a tight 2-2 affair midway through the contest, before they fought back to take the victory. Junior Radka Ferancova and senior Martina Banikova both delivered in consecutive matches to finally give State the 4-3 triumph.
State is led in singles victories by Ferancova. The junior has yet to lose a match this year, winning each contest in straight sets. Her 6-0 record is followed closely by senior Elna de Villiers' 4-2 record in singles play this year. The Namibia native also has a couple of doubles victories on the season. The senior duo of Banikova ans de Villiers are on a four- match winning streak coming into Thursday's affair.
Memphis comes into the match with MSU off to its best start since the 2002-03 season. UM is 5-3 on the year, and is coming off a 6-1 victory over Stephen F. Austin on Sunday.
The Lady Bulldogs and Tigers have met 22 times in school with State holding a 15-7 advantage in the series. State won the last meeting between the two schools in a 4-1 victory in 2003.
Following Thursday's match with the Tigers, the Lady Bulldogs will have a week off before returning to the courts to play East Tennessee State next Saturday, Feb. 28 at 11 a.m.CT at the Pitts Tennis Centre.