MSU Lady Netters Set To Clash With Fourth-Ranked Gators
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State's 57th-ranked women's tennis team (9-5, 1-3 SEC) returns to Southeastern Conference action this weekend, when it plays host to the No.4 Florida Gators (14-2, 4-0 SEC) Friday at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre. First serve is slated for 2 p.m. CT.
The Lady Bulldogs come into Friday's contest after splitting a pair of non-conference matches last week. MSU defeated Florida Gulf Coast, 6-1, last Wednesday before falling to 41st-ranked Florida International in a tight 4-3 affair on Saturday.
Sophomore Natalia Mayuk has led State most of the season, boasting a team-high 8-6 record in singles. Teaming with fellow sophomore Olesya Tsigvintseva, Mayuk has also recorded eleven doubles victories at the top position. Meanwhile, senior Valeriya Makarycheva has come on as of late. She has picked up two consecutive singles victories to add to her 7-6 record.
Florida enters Friday's affair with one of the most talented teams the Lady Bulldogs will see all season. UF features four ranked singles players and an equal amount of ranked doubles tandems. The Gators are led at the No.1 position by Allie Will, who comes in as the No. 9 singles player in the country.
The Lady Bulldogs are 7-1 at home this season, including wins over SEC foe Kentucky and 57th-ranked Georgia State.
Following Friday's match, Mississippi State travels to Columbia, SC., to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks Sunday at Noon CT.