STARKVILLE, Miss. — Mississippi State’s women’s tennis team lost to No. 16 Vanderbilt on Friday afternoon at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre. The Bulldogs took an early lead by winning the doubles point but couldn’t hold on in singles play.
Mississippi State started well, with Athina Pitta and Gianna Oboniye earning their second ranked doubles win of the season, defeating Valeria Ray and Bridget Stammel 6-1. The duo of Chiara Di Genova and Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz clinched the doubles point with a 6-2 victory over Sophia Webster and Trinetra Vijayakumar.
In singles, freshman Thessy Ntondele Zinga recorded her first SEC singles win of the season, defeating Vijayakumar 7-5, 3-6, 7-5. Despite the Bulldogs’ efforts, Vanderbilt responded by winning five of the six singles courts, securing the match.
Mississippi State will return home to face Missouri on March 15 at 11 a.m. The match will feature Kids Day activities, including inflatables, face painting, and appearances from team mascots Bully and Belle.
Complete match results show Vanderbilt won five singles matches to Mississippi State’s one, with the Bulldogs taking the doubles point but unable to sustain the lead in singles.
