Lady Bulldog Tennis Continues Homestand Against Tulane Thursday
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Looking for its fifth win of the season, Mississippi State's 69th-ranked women's tennis team (4-1) plays host to Tulane (4-2) Thursday at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Center. First serve is slated for 2 p.m. CT.
The Lady Bulldogs are looking to stay undefeated at home this season. MSU has won three-consecutive home contests since dropping a match at seventh-ranked Miami earlier in the year.
Mississippi State comes into Thursday's affair fresh off a tight 4-3 win over Louisiana-Monroe Sunday. After building up a 3-0 lead, it was sophomore Olesya Tsigvintseva who delivered the match-clinching three-set victory at the No. 1 position after the Warhawks tied it up at 3-3.
Senior Rakda Ferancova and sophomore Natalia Mayuk lead the team in singles victories, each with a 4-1 record. Ferancova has been consistent at the No. 2 court, while Mayuk has been able to play at the three, four and five courts.
Meanwhile, Tulane comes into Thursday's match against State after a close 4-3 win over Northwestern State last Saturday. The Green Wave is led Mariam Kurdaze who plays at the top position in both singles and doubles.
Following Thursday's affair, Mississippi State hosts a pair of weekend matches this Saturday and Sunday, as it welcomes Louisiana-Lafayette and Southern Miss to the A.J. Pitts Tennis Center. Both contests are slated for a 1 p.m. CT start with free admission to the public.