MSU Returns To SEC Play With Sunday Match At No. 7 Florida
"Florida is one of the premier teams in the country and we're excited about the chance to play them," said head coach Per Nilsson.
This will be the 43rd meeting between the Bulldogs and the Gators, with Florida holding a 28-14 advantage. State has currently dropped eight-straight to UF, with its last win coming in a 5-2 victory at home in 2001. Last season's meeting between the Dogs and the Gators resulted in a 6-1 setback for MSU.
State is led by 52nd-ranked Louis Cant who is enduring a current three-match losing skid. Cant is tied for the team lead in dual match victories with nine. Joining Cant with nine dual match wins is junior Antonio Lastre who sports a 64.3 winning percentage, while riding a current two-match win streak.
Bulldog sophomore George Coupland stands 101st nationally has been a winner in two of his previous three outings. Fellow classmate Artem Ilyushin of MSU got back on the winning track this past week against South Florida and has posted an 8-5 ledger this season in dual match play.
In doubles, MSU is paced by newly ranked tandem Coupland and Ilyushin, who are ranked No. 67 nationally and are 7-5 from the No. 1 position. MSU's duo of Cant and senior Chris Doerr are an impressive 9-3 from the No. 3 spot.
The seventh-ranked Gators enter Sunday's match having won seven-straight matches. Florida is also led by former MSU head man Andy Jackson, who led the Bulldogs from 1989-2001, while racking up 220 victories for the Maroon and White. State is 0-8 when facing its former head man.
UF junior Alex Lacroix stands at sixth nationally and has compiled 11 wins this season and merely two losses. Senior Antoine Benneteau of the Gators also boasts an 11-2 dual match record, while sophomore Nassim Silam has also reached the 11-win mark. Gator freshman Sekou Bangoura, Jr. boasts a team-best 12 dual match victories.
In doubles, the Gators are paced by the No. 10 nationally ranked tandem of Lacroix and Benneteau who are 11-2 this season. No. 38 ranked Bangoura and Joey Burkhardt of UF are 8-4 in dual match play.
The Bulldogs will serve up against the Gators at 12 p.m. CT, with live stats being available at www.mstateathletics.com.