Stropp Tabbed SEC Freshman Of The Week For Third Time This Season
This marks the third time this season that Stropp has received the honor by the conference and it is the first time an MSU tennis player has received the weekly honor from the conference three times in a season (the award started in 2000). The three weekly conference honors Stropp has received is also the most in a career by any Bulldog tennis player.
"Malte (Stropp) was one of the best freshmen in the country coming into this season," Coach Per Nilsson said. "And now he's showing that on the court. We're excited about his progress and looking forward to the rest of the season."
Stropp is coming off a stellar weekend while MSU not only earned a pair of SEC road wins but the freshman went 2-0 in singles as well as 1-1 in doubles. Stropp's only setback from the weekend was to the No. 17 nationally ranked LSU duo at No. 1 doubles.
Stropp was the match-clinching point for MSU at Arkansas by battling in a tight third-set to clinch the win, 7-5. Also at Arkansas, alongside doubles partner Louis Cant, Stropp and Cant clinched the doubles point for MSU, making it the first time State had won the doubles point in five matches.
Stropp was the first of five Bulldogs to win in singles on Sunday at LSU. Stropp defeated Mark Bowtell of the Tigers at the No. 4 position in an identical-set victory, 6-4, 6-4.
Along with Stropp's help MSU was able to achieve a pair of consecutive SEC road wins for the first time since 2005, extend its current win streak over the Razorbacks to three and snap a five-match skid to the LSU Tigers.
Stropp improved to 15-5 on the season, 7-2 in dual match action and 2-1 in SEC play with this past weekend's performance.
The MSU men's tennis team will continue its trek on the road as they travel to Columbia, S.C. this weekend to face the South Carolina Gamecocks on Saturday, Mar. 19.