March 27, 2008
Match Notes: Vanderbilt at Ole Miss
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 11 Vanderbilt women’s tennis team hits the road for the final time in the regular season this weekend as it faces Ole Miss on Friday and No. 63 Mississippi State on Sunday.
“We’re looking forward to our last regular season road trip this weekend,” Vanderbilt women’s tennis head coach Geoff Macdonald said. “We’re going to be facing a pair of competitive teams and we’re looking forward to the challenge of going on the road and trying to pick up a pair of victories.”
The Commodores enter the weekend with a 13-3 overall record and a 3-3 mark in Southeastern Conference matches. Vanderbilt is currently on a five-match winning streak, including three consecutive SEC wins. Vanderbilt swept a pair of conference matches last weekend, defeating No. 30 Auburn 5-2 at the Currey Tennis Center before beating Alabama 4-3 in Tuscaloosa last Sunday.
Ole Miss enters Friday’s match with a 4-12 overall record and a 0-6 mark in conference matches. The Lady Rebels are tied with Mississippi State for last place in the SEC Western Division.
The Rebels are led by freshman Karen Nijssen, who has a 10-6 dual match record. Nijssen moved to the No. 1 singles position last weekend and finished the weekend with a 1-1 mark. She teams with senior Nika Koukhartchouk for a 5-1 doubles mark in SEC matches.
Mississippi State, currently ranked 63rd by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, enters the weekend with a 7-7 overall mark and 0-6 record in conference. The Lady Bulldogs will welcome Kentucky to Starkville on Friday, before hosting the Commodores on Sunday. Mississippi State is led by Elna de Villiers, who has posted a 10-3 dual match record in singles. In doubles, the tandem of Radka Ferancova and Renee Joseph led the Lady Bulldogs with a 9-4 record.