STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State women’s tennis team doesn’t intend to be intimidated next week when it plays in the NCAA tournament.
On Tuesday, No. 31 MSU (15-10) learned it will play William & Mary at 9 a.m. on Friday, May 11, in the first round of the NCAA tournament at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. If MSU wins, it will face Morgan State or No. 2 seed North Carolina in the second round.
“I feel the seed doesn’t matter,” MSU junior Anastasia Rentouli said. “We have proved multiple times this season that it doesn’t matter. We beat (Vanderbilt) and they were No. 2 in the nation. UNC is No. 2, so we know we can beat the No. 2 in the nation. I think we’re approaching the tournament with confidence.”
Said senior and No. 1 player Madison Harrison, “They’re ranked No. 2, and that’s just an opportunity for us, and we’re really excited.”
The MSU players said they wanted to go somewhere other than Georgia Tech, where they went last year for the tournament. MSU lost to Northwestern 4-1 in the first round in 2017.
This season, MSU will make a program-record fourth-straight appearance — and eighth overall — in the NCAA tournament.
Rentouli has won seven of her last eight completed matches she’s finished. She is the hottest player on a team that has lost five of its last six matches, including a 4-3 loss to LSU on April 19 in the second round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament in Knoxville, Tennessee.
“Toward the end of the season we always have more match play, which helps. We’re more relaxed, more confident in our play,” Harrison said.
Said Rentouli added, “It’s more the confidence in ourselves and our teammates. We’re more selfless than we have been in past seasons; no matter the rankings or the records, we go in there knowing everyone can win at their positions.”
MSU coach Daryl Greenan wasn’t with the team at Tuesday’s announcement, as he was dealing with the recent death of his father. He is expected to return to the team and coach in the NCAA tournament.
While MSU will go on the road, Ole Miss earned a No. 5 overall seed and will play host to the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament on May 11-12 at Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center.
The Rebels, who earned their 10th-consecutive bid, also played host to the event in 1999 and 2012.
Ole Miss will face Missouri State at 4 p.m. Friday, May 11, while
Syracuse and Wichita State will kick off the weekend at noon Friday. The winners will meet at 2 p.m. May 12 for a spot in the Sweet 16 in Winston Salem, North Carolina.
“We are extremely excited to host,” Ole Miss coach Mark Beyers said. “We have two players graduating, and for them to be able to be here for that as well and for us to be able to sleep in our beds and not have to go on the road again is fantastic. We are looking forward to getting a big crowd with graduation and baseball here that weekend and hopefully win two matches to advance.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brett Hudson on Twitter @Brett_Hudson
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 38 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.