Norman, Oklahoma — The No. 47 Mississippi State women’s tennis team lost a 4-3 decision to No. 55 Alabama in the opening round of the SEC Championships on Wednesday.
The Bulldogs started strong in doubles, winning the first point with victories on courts one and two. Athina Pitta and Gianna Oboniye, ranked No. 37, defeated Karla Bartel and Klara Milicevic 6-1. Meanwhile, Chiara Di Genova and Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz, ranked No. 12, secured a 6-2 win over No. 80 Addison Bowman and Kristina Paskauskas to give Mississippi State the doubles point.
In singles play, Kempenaers-Pocz extended the Bulldogs’ lead with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Milicevic. Oboniye added another point after Paskauskas retired on court one. Despite the early momentum, Alabama responded by winning the final three singles matches, clinching the victory.
Alabama’s Emma Cohen and Carolina Troiano defeated their opponents in the last singles matches to end the contest. The Bulldogs’ season concludes with this loss in the SEC tournament’s first round.
