#15 State Netmen Travel To #7 Georgia, #21 Tennessee This Weekend
MSU, 9-3 overall, has won seven of its last eight contests, including a 4-0 start in Southeastern Conference play. The Bulldogs are currently tied for the SEC lead with Georgia, Tennessee, Florida and Mississippi.
Bulldogs will meet Bulldogs on Friday at 5 p.m. ET in Athens, as State meets Georgia at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex. Georgia is 12-2 overall this season, its only losses coming to Illinois and Duke, both currently in the top 10, at the ITA National Indoor Championships in February. UGA has won 21 consecutive home matches. State and Georgia met twice last season with the Athens-based Bulldogs taking both affairs, a 5-2 win in Starkville and a 4-1 win in the SEC Championship quarterfinals. MSU claimed its first-ever win in Athens in its last trip there two years ago, winning 5-2.
On Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, State will square off with Tennessee at UT's Varsity Courts in Knoxville. The Volunteers are 9-2, 4-0 in the SEC, with their only setbacks also having come to current top 10 teams, Duke and Virginia. State and Tennessee also met twice last year. The Vols edged MSU 4-3 in Starkville, but State reversed that score to upset UT in the first round of the SEC Championship. The Bulldogs also claimed the last meeting between the teams in Knoxville, a 6-1 decision in 2003.
"We have two very difficult tasks coming up this weekend," MSU head coach Sylvain Guichard said. "Georgia and Tennessee are obviously both outstanding teams. We will have to play our best tennis if we are to win either match."
Following this weekend's action, State closes out its current five-match road swing at No. 71 Arkansas next Friday, April 1. MSU then returns home April 3 to welcome No. 16 LSU to start a four-match homestand that will end the regular season slate. During that homestand, State will also host No. 8 Florida (Apr. 8), No. 41 South Carolina (Apr. 10) and No. 6 Mississippi (Apr. 16). The Florida and South Carolina affairs are during Super Bulldog Weekend.