STARKVILLE, Miss. ? Two teams in search of a much-needed win meet Saturday when the 51st-ranked Mississippi State women’s tennis team (10-8, 1-8 SEC) travels to Oxford to meet No. 25 Ole Miss (11-8, 4-6 SEC). Match time is slated for Noon CT.
Coming down to the end of the 2009 season, the match will be pivotal for both the Lady Bulldogs and Ole Miss. Both teams are trying to build momentum on their way to next week’s SEC Tournament in Fayetteville, Ark., and are also vying for a spot in the 2009 NCAA Championship.
Mississippi State is playing arguably its best tennis of the season after its remarkable upset victory over No. 16 LSU last Sunday. On Senior Day at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre, the Lady Bulldogs found themselves down 3-1 after four singles matches, before storming back to take a 4-3 win.
For their efforts against the Tigers, several MSU players received recognition both in the conference and around the nation. Lady Bulldog freshman Olesya Tsigvintseva was named the SEC’s Freshman of the Week, while the senior duo of Martina Banikova and Elna de Villiers moved up to No. 49 in the ITA doubles rankings. All three individuals were pivotal in State’s triumph over LSU.
Ole Miss comes into Saturday’s match after falling to 14th-ranked Arkansas 5-2 on Sunday. On Friday, the Rebels ousted LSU 5-2. UM is led by two players in the national singles rankings in Kristi Boxx (32nd) and Karen Nijssen (71st). Those two also pair to form the country 35th-ranked doubles tandem.
Following Saturday’s contest against Ole Miss, Mississippi State will travel to Fayetteville, Ark., to compete in the SEC Tournament. The tournament is scheduled to start next Thursday, April 23.
