MSU Men?s Tennis Caps 2015 Season At No. 23 In Final ITA Poll
STARKVILLE, Miss. – For the fifth-straight season, the Mississippi State men’s tennis program closes out the spring season in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Top 25, finishing 23rd, the ITA announced Tuesday.
The No. 23 final ranking also marks the fifth-straight release of the poll that the Bulldogs have been in the ITA Top 25.
Under first-year head coach Matt Roberts, the Bulldogs continued their winning ways, securing their fifth-consecutive winning season en route to their fifth-straight and 24th overall NCAA Championship appearance.
State went 20-8 for the year, which stands tied for sixth on the school’s single-season wins list. MSU also finished third in the powerful SEC with an impressive 9-3 league record and reached the semifinals of the 2015 SEC Championship, the best finish since 2012. Of the Bulldogs’ 20 wins, 12 came against ranked opponents, highlighted by a 4-2 upset of sixth-ranked Georgia in Starkville on April 3. That win was a part of a five-match winning streak in the heart of conference play.
Individually, MSU saw two Bulldogs earn ITA All-American status, as Julian Cash and Florian Lakat became State’s 22nd and 23rd players in school history to reach the elite status.
State also placed four players on All-SEC lists, tying a school record. Florian Lakat landed on the All-SEC First Team, while Rishab Agarwal, Mate Cutura and Juan Cruz Estevarena earned All-SEC Second Team bids. The four All-SEC First and Second Team honorees tied SEC co-champions Texas A&M and Georgia for most this season. Senior Tassilo Schmid rounded off the on-court achievements by being named the ITA Southern Region’s Most Improved Senior.
“This was a great season for this program and I am really proud of our guys for continuing our winning tradition here at Mississippi State,” Roberts said. “We faced a lot of curveballs in my first year as a coach, but stuck together and accomplished some great things. Now we’re focused on getting even better next season.”
The University of Virginia capped the year at No. 1 in the nation after capturing the 2015 NCAA Team Championship. Six SEC schools, including MSU, finished in the ITA Top 25.
For more information on Mississippi State men’s tennis and updates, fans can follow the Bulldogs on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at HailStateMT.