Mississippi State University women’s tennis team is eager to continue victory on the court in the upcoming 2019 SEC season.
The team has enjoyed great success the past several years, but refuses to take anything for granted. Their goal is to not only continue their four-year streak of making it to the NCAA playoffs, but make it even further than they have before.
Anastasia Rentouli, a senior from Athens, Greece, said the players have their sights set on the Sweet 16.
“The bar is set high because the last three years were super successful for us. We made NCAA all three years I’ve been here and the year before I came here,” Rentouli said. “Even though I don’t want to have measurable goals, I definitely want to take it to the next level and make it to the Sweet 16.”
The team won their first two matches against Samford University and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, providing a great start and a positive outlook for the upcoming SEC season. Rentouli said the preseason helps them gain momentum and confidence going into the SEC season.
“The goal of these preseason matches is for us to get some confidence and some wins under our belts, get prepared and work on our game plan in order to succeed in the bigger challenges,” Rentouli said.
Janina Braun, a senior from Berlin, Germany, said the biggest test for the team will be continued endurance throughout the season.
“The coaches always remind us, ‘Hey, it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon,’” Braun said. “SEC championships is three months from now. Right now, we are in the second week of the season when everybody is of course pumped and still on schedule with classes, but when exams hit and when long road trips hit… at the end of the season, it gets rougher and rougher.”
Rentouli agreed and said success would come from perseverance, even when the tennis team does not feel their best.
“In the beginning, it always seems easier because everyone is pumped, everyone is taking care of the little stuff, everyone is healthy; but as the season goes on and the matches get tougher, people are not going to be feeling 100 percent, and it’s challenging for us to prepare ourselves to, ‘Hey, I’m not going to be feeling great today, but I’m going to give everything I have,'” Rentouli said.
Associate head coach Sachin Kirtane said the coaches were very excited for the season because of the great attitude and work ethic they have seen so far out of the players.
“I think we’ve just got to continue getting better,” Kirtane said. “It’s a long season and this is just the start, but both Daryl (head coach Greenan) and me are very encouraged by what we’ve seen so far as the team chemistry and work ethic of the girls. Everybody is on board, and I think we’re going to enjoy this season.”
Kirtane also pointed out how the players are remarkably invested in getting better and working hard, more so than many of the teams he and Greenan have coached before.
“We’ve both been doing this a long time and we’ve had teams before that are not as invested as this team is,”  Kirtane said. “They do the things you ask them to do, they understand why we’re making them do certain things. As coaches, we’re very proud of that. It’s a group we would go to battle with against anyone.”
Kirtane said this year’s players show lots of potential. Braun and Rentouli are excellent examples to the younger girls of team spirit and giving your all, something the two seniors want to leave as their legacy.
The team wants to win as many matches as they can. Braun and Rentouli said they have their sights set on taking down the top five SEC teams, specifically Vanderbilt, who they upset last year and want to defend their win against this year.
“We’ll definitely try to beat teams that we haven’t in the past, and keep beating those who we’ve beat before,” Rentouli said.
Kirtane emphasized his goal for the players is for them to take nothing for granted and always give their all.
“The main thing is the team needs to focus on not taking anything for granted and just going out there and no matter what, playing their hearts out and representing Mississippi State with pride,” Kirtane said.
MSU lost to both North Carolina State University and UC Santa Barbra this opening weekend, and will be at home this Saturday hosting Alcorn State University.