The Mississippi State women’s tennis team looks for its first Southeastern Conference win of the season this weekend when they face No. 70 Arkansas at 3 p.m. today and return home to host 25th-ranked Louisiana State on Sunday.
The Lady Bulldogs, ranked 69th nationally, are marred in a seven match losing streak and have been swept 7-0 in four of those matches. However, head coach Tracy Lane is confident her team can finish the season in strong fashion.
“We’ve had a couple of really tough matches,” Lane said, “but we just haven’t been stepping up when we’ve had opportunities. We’ve just got to be a little more determined and come together a little more as a team. We’ve got some opportunities coming up and we’ve just got to rise to the occasion.”
On Friday, the Lady Bulldogs will close out their SEC road season by traveling to Fayetteville to face Arkansas in a match scheduled for 3:00 p.m. at the UA Varsity Courts. The Lady ‘Backs, losers of six of their last seven matches, will also vie for their first conference win of the year.
“We beat Arkansas last year,” Lane said, adding, “but we’ve got to play more consistent tennis than we’re playing right now.”
State welcomes LSU to the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre on Sunday for a match scheduled for 1 p.m. The Lady Tigers bring a 9-6 overall record and 1-5 SEC mark into play. Of their six losses, three come from teams ranked in the nation’s Top 10.
“LSU had two big wins against Kentucky and Texas A&M, both Top 20 teams,” Lane said. “They’re on a big high right now. So, this match is going to be really big, but we’re focusing on Arkansas right now.”
Sunday’s match begins a four-match homestand for the Lady Bulldogs that will conclude State’s regular season.