NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt men’s tennis returns home for ranked matchup against No. 16 Mississippi State on Thursday.
The Dores dropped their fourth straight on Sunday, falling to Pepperdine 5-1. Fifth year Henry Ruger notched the lone win for Vanderbilt at No. 5 singles and brings a three-match win streak into tomorrow’s conference clash. No. 28-ranked junior Nathan Cox and senior Michael Ross will look to grab momentum early in doubles play, as Mississippi State is 12-1 when claiming a win at No. 1 doubles. The Commodores also went on a four-match losing streak last season before generating their first ranked victory of the year over No. 21 Auburn at home.
Mississippi State comes to Nashville after picking up its second ranked win of the season, a 5-2 defeat of No. 16 Oklahoma on Saturday. The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 46-14 over the Commodores, including a 5-2 victory in last season’s meeting. Road matches have not been favorable, however: Mississippi State is 1-2 in away contests. Benito Sanchez Martinez tops the Bulldogs in the ITA singles rankings at No. 72. Michal Novansky is on an 11-match win streak for Mississippi State, with an 8-0 dual match singles record playing primarily at the No. 4 and No. 5 positions. The Bulldogs own two top-30 doubles pairings, including the No. 4-ranked duo of Peter Javonich and Sanchez Martinez; the two are 21-4 together this season.
No. 48 Vanderbilt (8-7, 1-4 SEC) takes on No. 16 Mississippi State (13-3, 3-2 SEC) tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. Live streaming will be available online, and live stats are accessible here at the start of the match. For more information, updates and exclusive game day content, follow the Vanderbilt men’s tennis team, @VandyMTennis, on Instagram and X.
