MSU Lady Netters Defeat No. 70 Lady Backs
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- The Mississippi State University women's tennis team won their first SEC match of the season against No. 70 Arkansas in a 4-3 decision at the UA Varsity Courts on Friday. State now leads the series with the Lady Razorbacks, 7-6.
State won the doubles point to open the match, winning at No. 1 and No. 2. MSU's duo of Anastasia Kugakolova and Magdi Rekasi defeated Anna Dybicz and Megan Ferreira in an 8-5 decision at No. 1. Hayley Rudman and Tarryn Rudman were victorious at the second position over Arkansas' Whitney Morton and Melissa Cornett, 8-2. Marcelle Hirt and Justyna Switala fall at No. 3 to Simona Arghire and Iliana Pacheco, 8-5.
Up a point to start singles play, the Lady Bulldogs were able to win three singles matches to clinch the team win. At No. 2, Kugakolova defeated Ferreira, 6-0, 6-2. Tarryn Rudman won her match at No. 4 over Arkansas' Morton after a hard-fought first set, 7-6, 6-1. Hayley Rudman secured the final point the team needed, defeating Pacheco at No. 5, 6-4, 7-5.
Hirt fell 6-2, 7-5 at the first spot to Dybicz. Playing the only three setter of the day, Rekasi dropped her match to Cornett in a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 decision. At No. 6, Yumi Ueda fell 6-2, 6-4 to Arghire.
Next, State returns home after a five-match road trip to host the No. 25 LSU Lady Tigers. The match is set to begin at 1 p.m., at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.
Mississippi State 4, Arkansas 3
Doubles
1. Kugakolova/Rekasi (MSU) def. Dybicz/Ferreira (ARK) 8-5
2. Rudman/Rudman (MSU) def. Morton/Cornett (ARK) 8-2
3. Arghire/Pacheco (ARK) def. Hirt/Switala (MSU) 8-5
Singles
1. Anna Dybicz (ARK) def. Marcelle Hirt (MSU) 6-2, 7-5
2. Anastasia Kugakolova (MSU) def. Megan Ferreira (ARK) 6-0, 6-2
3. Melissa Cornett (ARK) def. Magdi Rekasi (MSU) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
4. Tarryn Rudman (MSU) def. Whitney Morton (ARK) 7-6, 6-1
5. Hayley Rudman (MSU) def. Iliana Pacheco (ARK) 6-4, 7-5
6. Simona Arghire (ARK) def. Yumi Ueda (MSU) 6-2, 6-4