STARKVILLE – Mississippi State women’s tennis posted a pair of 7-0 victories over Southeastern Louisiana and Samford Sunday indoors at the Rula Tennis Pavilion.

With the victories, State improved to 5-0 to start a season for the first time since 2009, when the program began with an 8-0 record. The Bulldogs have not lost a non-conference match in Starkville since 2013, having won 43 straight such matches during that span.

Mississippi State 7, Southeastern Louisiana 0
In doubles in the day’s first contest, the Bulldogs swept the Lions and only surrendered four games total in all three matches. Emma Antonaki and Alexandra Mikhailuk defeated Flory Bierma and Annemart Kleijn by an impressive 6-1 margin at No. 2. Shortly after on court one, Magda Adaloglou and Chloé Cirotte – pairing up for the first time ever – ousted Putri Insani and Ximena Yanez 6-1 to clinch the doubles point for MSU. Marta Falceto and Sara Lizariturry completed the sweep by putting together a 6-2 triumph over SLU’s tandem of Katya Cornejo and Polina Sleptsova.

State then dominated in singles as all six Bulldogs recorded straight-set victories, including five courts who didn’t allow more than three games.

Cirotte and Falceto earned the first two points with ease, downing their opponents by identical 6-0, 6-0 decisions. Cirotte faced Bierma at the No. 4 spot, while Falceto followed suit against Yanez on court 5.

On court 6, the senior Lizariturry would clinch the match for the Bulldogs with an impressive 6-1, 6-1 victory over SLU’s Cornejo. At the top position, State’s 69^th-ranked Antonaki picked up State’s fifth point of the day as she convincingly defeated the Lions’ Insani 6-2, 6-1.

Adaloglou and Mikhailuk rounded out the scoring for MSU. Adaloglou posted a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Sleptsova on court 2, while Mikhailuk held off Teodora Mitrovic 6-3, 7-5 at No. 3.

State moved to 7-1 all-time against SLU with the triumph.

Mississippi State 7, Samford 0

In the nightcap, State’s performance mirrored the morning, as the Bulldogs earned a rapid doubles point to take a 1-0 lead. Adaloglou and Poling kicked things off with a quick 6-0 triumph over Samford’s Alex Koniaev and Samantha Nanere at the No. 2 position. Antonaki and Mikhailuk then clinched the doubles point in a 6-3 decision to down SU’s Ally Hayduk and Alexis Lopez at No. 3, extending their team-leading win streak to seven. State’s Cirotte and Tamara Racine were even with Rouxanne Janse Van Rensburg and Cindy Oest 4-4  when their match was suspended at the top spot in the lineup.

In singles action, State won on all six courts to seal the deal. Antonaki earned the first singles point with a 6-2, 6-2 decision over Lopez on court 2. With the win, the current SEC Player of the Week extended her team-leading win streak to 12, dating back to last season. Antonaki also remained perfect this season in all matches (now 14-0 – 7-0 in both singles and doubles).

Cirotte earned her second victory of the day, breezing past Ally Hayduk on court 6-0, 6-1. The true freshman is now 5-1 in singles in her debut semester, 4-0 in dual matches.

The veteran Adaloglou clinched the match with a 6-0, 6-3 triumph over Koniaev at the No. 3 spot, her 12th in her last 14 matches. Mikhailuk ousted Samantha Maras 6-2, 6-0 on court 4, her seventh-straight victory and ninth in her last 10 singles outings. Mikhailuk joins Antonaki with a perfect 14-0 overall record in 2021 as well.

Lilian Poling then contributed to the Bulldogs’ win column with a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Nanere at the No. 5 position. The senior transfer is now 10-2 in singles as a Bulldog, 3-0 in dual matches.

Racine finished off the perfect day for State, fighting to a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Samford’s Janse Van Rensburg at the No. 1 spot.

With the win, State remained perfect against Samford all-time with a 9-0 advantage.

 

Next up

Looking to ride the momentum from their two Sunday triumphs, the Bulldogs will next host UAB on Saturday, Feb. 6. Following the battle with the Blazers, MSU will host North Alabama in a pair of matches on Sunday, Feb. 7.

For more information on Mississippi State women’s tennis team, visit HailState.com and follow “HailStateWT” on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Mississippi State 7, Southeastern Louisiana 0
January 31, 2021
Starkville, Miss. – Rula Tennis Pavilion

Doubles
1. Magda Adaloglou/Chloe Cirotte (MSU) def. Putri Insani/Ximena Yanez (SLU) 6-1

2. Emma Antonaki/Alexandra Mikhailuk (MSU) def. Flory Bierma/Annemart Kleijn (SLU) 6-1
3. Marta Falceto/Sara Lizariturry (MSU) def. Katya Cornejo/Polina Sleptsova (SLU) 6-2
   Order of finish: 2,1,3

Singles
1. #69 Emma Antonaki (MSU) def. Putri Insani (SLU) 6-2, 6-1

2. Magda Adaloglou (MSU) def. Polina Sleptsova (SLU) 6-2, 6-1
3. Alexandra Mikhailuk (MSU) def. Teodora Mitrovic (SLU) 6-3, 7-5
4. Chloé Cirotte (MSU) def. Flory Bierma (SLU) 6-0, 6-0
5. Marta Falceto (MSU) def. Ximena Yanez (SLU) 6-0, 6-0
6. Sara Lizariturry (MSU) def. Katya Cornejo (SLU) 6-1, 6-1
   Order of finish: 4,5,6,1,2,3

 

Mississippi State 7, Samford 0
January 31, 2021
Starkville, Miss. – Rula Tennis Pavilion

Doubles
1. Chloé Cirotte/Tamara Racine (MSU) vs. Rouxanne Janse Van Rensburg/Cindy Oest (SU) 4-4, susp.

2. Magda Adaloglou/Lilian Poling (MSU) def. Alex Koniaev/Samantha Nanere (SU) 6-0
3. Emma Antonaki/Alexandra Mikhailuk (MSU) def. Ally Hayduk/Alexis Lopez (SU) 6-3
   Order of finish: 2,3

Singles
1. Tamara Racine (MSU) def. Rouxanne Janse Van Rensburg (SU) 6-4, 6-4

2. #69 Emma Antonaki (MSU) def. Alexis Lopez (SU) 6-2, 6-2
3. Magda Adaloglou (MSU) def. Alex Koniaev (SU) 6-0, 6-3
4. Alexandra Mikhailuk (MSU) def. Samantha Maras (SU) 6-2, 6-0
5. Lilian Poling (MSU) def. Samantha Nanere (SU) 6-3, 6-0
6. Chloe Cirotte (MSU) def. Ally Hayduk (SU) 6-0, 6-1
   Order of finish: 2,6,3,4,5,1