MSU Lady Netters Drop Match To 7th-Ranked Tennessee
The Lady Vols won the doubles point with victories on all three courts. MSU's duo of Marcelle Hirt and Magdi Rekasi fell to 35th-ranked Tammy Encina and Majen Immink in an 8-3 decision at No. 1. On court two, Elaine Fagan and Anastasia Kugakolova dropped their match to Tennessee's 52nd-ranked Crystal Cleveland and Sabita Maharaj, 8-3. Lady Bulldogs Patricia Assumpcao and Yumi Ueda, in their first match as partners, were defeated at the third position 8-2 by Breanna Kray and Melissa Schaub.
In singles action at the first position, Rekasi dropped her match to Encina, 6-1, 6-4. Kugakolova fell to Tennessee's 104th-ranked Cleveland, 6-1, 6-3, at No. 2. Hirt was defeated by Schaub, at the third position, 6-2, 6-3. On court four, Ueda fell 6-2, 6-3, to Maharaj. The match between Fagan and Ashley Robards, at the fifth position, ended 6-2 when Fagan retired due to injury. At No. 6, Assumpcao fell 6-2, 6-2, to Kray.
On Sunday, State will host No. 6 Georgia, ranked first in the SEC going into the weekend, at the Pitts Tennis Centre in a match set to begin at 1 p.m. Mississippi State has never beaten the Georgia Bulldogs in 23 meetings. In their last meeting, Georgia swept State, 7-0, in Athens, Ga., at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.
All MSU home tennis matches can be followed live on the web by visiting State's official athletic website at www.mstateathletics.com.
#7 Tennessee 7, Mississippi State 0
DOUBLES
1. #35 Tammy Encina/Majen Immink (UT) def. Marcelle Hirt/Magdi Rekasi (MSU) 8-3
2. #52 Crystal Cleveland/Sabita Maharaj (UT) def. Elaine Fagan/Anastasia Kugakolova (MSU) 8-3
3. Breanna Kray/Melissa Schaub (UT) def. Patricia Assumpcao/Yumi Ueda (MSU) 8-2
SINGLES
1. Tammy Encina (UT) def. Magdi Rekasi (MSU) 6-1, 6-4
2. #104 Crystal Cleveland (UT) def. Anastasia Kugakolova (MSU) 6-1, 6-3
3. Melissa Schaub (UT) def. Marcelle Hirt (MSU) 6-2, 6-3
4. Sabita Maharaj (UT) def. Yumi Ueda (MSU) 6-2, 6-3
5. Ashley Robards (UT) def. Elaine Fagan (MSU) 6-2, ret.
6. Breanna Kray (UT) def. Patricia Assumpcao (MSU) 6-2, 6-2