#20 MSU Netmen To Host #3 Rival Rebels Saturday To End Regular Season
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Looking to end the regular season on a high note, Mississippi State's 20th-ranked men's tennis team will host third-ranked, arch-rival Mississippi Saturday. Match time is set for 1 p.m. at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre on the MSU campus. Admission is free.
State, 11-7 overall and 6-4 in Southeastern Conference play, will be looking to end a three-match losing skid, all three setbacks having come to current top 20 teams. The Bulldogs are presently tied for fourth place in the SEC behind the Rebels and No. 6 Florida, who are tied for the league lead at 9-1, and No. 10 Georgia, which is third at 7-3.
Mississippi is 19-2 overall this season, with its only two losses coming to Virginia (currently ranked No. 2) in the semifinals of the ITA National Indoor Championships in February, and at Georgia in late March.
In the history of the storied series that dates back to a 1907 meeting, MSU maintains a slight 46-45 edge on Mississippi. But the Rebels have claimed the last 14 consecutive contests between the teams, a streak that started during the 1999 campaign. UM took a 4-0 decision over State earlier this season in the River Hills Cup in Jackson.
"A huge challenge awaits us Saturday," MSU head coach Sylvain Guichard said. "Obviously, Ole Miss has another outstanding team this season and they will be very difficult to beat. It will be tough and will take a great effort from our team to upset them. We need all of our fans to come out and support us Saturday."
After Saturday's contest, both teams will head to the 2005 SEC Championship to be held next week, April 21-24, in Athens, Ga. The draw for the tournament will be released following this weekend's conference competition.