STARKVILLE – Mississippi State women’s tennis (6-0) posted a 7-0 shutout over UAB (0-3) on Saturday afternoon indoors at the Rula Tennis Pavilion. The shutout marks the fourth in 2021 for MSU and have limited their opponents to two points all season, claiming its other two wins in 6-1 fashion.

The Bulldogs have claimed 18 consecutive meetings with the Blazers and now lead the all-time series 28-3.

With the victory, State improved to 6-0 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 44 straight such matches during that span.

“We were solid today,” head coach Daryl Greenan said. “There are definitely some things we can do better but, overall, we are competing well. I think we are going to continue to play a higher level in the upcoming weeks. As long as we keep competing as hard as we have been in every position, we are going to be tough for anyone to beat.”

In doubles to start the day, State posted two quick victories on courts 2 and 3 to earn the doubles point for the sixth time this season. Bulldogs Magda Adaloglou and Marta Falceto paired up for the first time ever and claimed a 6-1 decision over Blazers Sydney Clarke and Annalisa Smith. Emma Antonaki and Alexandra Mikhailuk followed suit, cruising past Megan Bertrands and Jana Hecking by the same 6-1 margin to extend their team-leading win streak to nine matches.

Chloé Cirotte and Tamara Racine completed the doubles sweep by putting together a 6-4 victory at the top position over UAB’s tandem of Dominika Hrabalova and Adela Wasserbauerova.

In singles action, all six Bulldogs recorded straight-set victories including three players that did not give up more than four games. The true freshman Cirotte earned the first point with ease, defeating Clarke by an impressive 6-2, 6-1 margin on court five. She remained perfect (5-0) in singles dual matches in her initial campaign as a Bulldog.

State’s 69th-ranked Antonaki and Falceto joined Cirotte in the win column soon after. At the No. 2 position, Antonaki took the first set over UAB’s Wasserbauerova smoothly 6-1, and then fought in the second for a 6-1, 7-5 win, extending her team-leading singles win streak to 13 matches. Falceto then clinched the match at the No. 6 spot, where she ousted Smith 6-2, 6-2 to go 3-0 this spring.

Mikahailuk extended the Bulldogs’ lead to 5-0 by handing the Blazers’ Hrabalova a 6-1, 6-3 defeat on court 4. The Burlington, Ontario, native has now claimed 10 of her last 11 singles outings.

With their doubles and singles wins Saturday, Antonaki and Mikhailuk remained perfect in 2021, both now owning 16-0 overall ledgers (8-0 doubles, 8-0 singles) this spring.

Racine and Adaloglou grabbed the final two points to complete the shutout for the Bulldogs. Racine battled against UAB’s Hecking at the top spot in the lineup to claim the first set in tiebreaker fashion 7-6(3), before taking the second set 6-3. Racine is now 4-1 in dual matches and has won three straight. The State’s Adaloglou brought the score to its final 7-0 margin with a victory over Bertrands 6-4, 7-5 at the No. 3 position. Adaloglou has come out victorious in 13 of her last 15 singles affairs dating back to last spring.

Next up

The Bulldogs are back in action Sunday as they host North Alabama at the Rula Tennis Pavilion. The match is slated to begin at 12 p.m. CT.

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

Mississippi State 7, UAB 0
February 6, 2021
Starkville, Miss. – Rula Tennis Pavilion

Doubles
1. Chloé Cirotte/Tamara Racine (MSU) def. DomiWnika Hrabalova/Adela Wasserbauerova (UAB) 6-4

2. Emma Antonaki/Alexandra Mikhailuk (MSU) def. Megan Bertrands/Jana Hecking (UAB) 6-1
3. Magda Adaloglou/Marta Falceto (MSU) def. Sydney Clarke/Annalisa Smith (UAB) 6-1
   Order of finish: 3,2,1

Singles
1. Tamara Racine (MSU) def. Jana Hecking (UAB) 7-6(3), 6-3

2. #69 Emma Antonaki (MSU) def. Adela Wasserbauerova (UAB) 6-1, 7-5
3. Magda Adaloglou (MSU) def. Megan Bertrands (UAB) 6-4, 7-5
4. Alexandra Mikhailuk (MSU) def. Dominika Hrabalova (UAB) 6-1, 6-3
5. Chloé Cirotte (MSU) def. Sydney Clarke (UAB) 6-2, 6-1
6. Marta Falceto (MSU) def. Annalisa Smith (UAB) 6-2, 6-2
   Order of finish: 5,2,6,4,1,3