STARKVILLE, Miss. — Mississippi State’s women’s tennis team defeated No. 50 Arkansas 4-0 on Saturday to earn its first ranked win of the season and its third Southeastern Conference victory, according to school officials.
The Bulldogs opened the match strong, securing the doubles point with wins on courts two and one. Athina Pitta and Gianna Oboniye defeated Jimena Gomez Alonso and Brooke Schafer 6-1, while Chiara Di Genova and Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz clinched the point with a 6-3 victory over Arkansas’s No. 39-ranked duo.
In singles, Mississippi State carried the momentum, with five players earning first-set wins. Carolina Troiano secured her third SEC win of the season with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Arina Babenko. Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz recorded her first SEC singles victory, beating Anet Koskel 7-5, 6-2. Chiara Di Genova sealed the match with a come-from-behind win, 1-6, 6-1, 6-3, over Alexandra Panagiotidou.
The Bulldogs continued their winning streak later Saturday with a 4-0 sweep of Southern Miss. MSU secured the doubles point before dominating in singles, winning on courts six, five, and two.
According to the team, this was Mississippi State’s first ITA-ranked victory since beating Kentucky in 2022, and its first over an SEC opponent since Alabama in 2022. It also marked the first ranked win under head coach Chris Hooshyar. The last time MSU secured three SEC wins in a season was in 2019, with four victories.
The team will travel to Auburn on March 26 for a four-match road stretch, the next scheduled contest, according to school officials.
For more information on the Mississippi State women’s tennis program, visit Hailstate.com or follow the team on X, Instagram, and Facebook under the handle “HailstateWT.”
