Wildcats Earn First SEC Victory With Win Over Mississippi State

LEXINGTON, Ky- The Kentucky women’s tennis team (7-6, 1-3 SEC) came out victorious in their first Southeastern Conference match, defeating the Mississippi State Bulldogs (9-7, 0-4 SEC) on Friday evening at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex, 4-2. 

Kentucky has now won its last three matches against State. 

The Wildcats started out strong in doubles play, as the senior pair of Makayla Mills and Elizabeth Stevens jaunted to a quick 6-3 win at first singles.  Zoe Hammond and Ellie Eades provided a major spark for the Cats, coming back from a 1-4 deficit to win the second court in a seven point tie-break, 7-6 (8-6). 

In the singles session, Hammond and Eades would both bring the momentum from the doubles point to their courts, as Eades made quick work of State’s Athina Pitta, winning 6-2,6-4 to put Kentucky up two-Nil. Soon thereafter, Hammond put the Wildcats within one of clinching the match with her win at third singles where she beat Chloe Cirotte 6-3,6-4. 

The Bulldogs’ only points for the day would come on the first two courts, each in three-set battles. Freshman Julia Zhu would clinch for the Wildcats, taking 6-2, 6-2 straight set victories on Court 6 against Mississippi State’s Dharani Niroshan, marking her second straight singles win in SEC play. 

Kentucky will close out their Mississippi home swing on Sunday, where they will take on No. 34 Ole Miss in Lexington. Action will commence at 1 p.m. EST. Admission is free to the public. Fans can follow along with live stats and streaming available from ukathletics.com.

RESULTS

Kentucky vs. Mississippi State

Doubles

Mills/Stevens (UK) def. Mikhailuk/Pitta (MSU) 6-3

Eades/Hammond (UK) def. Cirotte/Clemens (MSU) 7-6 (9-6)

Gonzalez/Zhu (UK) def. Nirohshan/Tagliente (MSU) 5-5 uf

Singles

Alexandra Mikhailuk (MSU) def. Elizabeth Stevens (UK) 6-7(2-7), 6-3,6-2

Maria Rizzola (MSU) def. Lidia Gonzalez (UK) 7-6(7-3), 3-6, 6-3

Zoe Hammonds (UK) def. Chloe Cirotte (MSU) 6-3, 6-4

Ellie Eades (UK) def. Athina Pitta (MSU) 6-2,6-4

Julia Zhu (UK) def. Dharani Niroshan (MSU) 6-2, 6-2

Ellie Myers (UK) vs. Alessia Tagliente (MSU) 7-5, 0-1 uf

Order of Finish:

Doubles—1, 2,3

Singles—4, 3, 2, 1, 5

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