Women’s Tennis Concludes Home Schedule with Visit from Mississippi Schools
Columbia, S.C. – No. 18 South Carolina women’s tennis will play its final regular-season home matches this weekend with No. 30 Ole Miss and Mississippi State joining the Gamecocks in Columbia.
The Gamecocks and Rebels will face on Friday, March 29 at 5:00 p.m. at the Carolina Tennis Center. Live stats for the match will be available here.
On Sunday, the Gamecocks will recognize their seniors in the final home match against the Bulldogs. The senior recognition will take place ten minutes before first serve at 11:00 a.m. Live stats for the match will be available here.
Both matches will be aired on ESPN+ as part of the SEC’s CrossCourt Cast. Live streams for both matches will be available here.
Gamecock Notables
- South Carolina is currently ranked No. 18 by the ITA. The team has been ranked as high as No. 14 this season.
- The Gamecocks are 12-5 overall and 4-4 in conference play. On their home courts, they are 9-1 with their lone loss coming at the hands of then-No. 10 Georgia.
- In the ITA Singles Rankings graduate Ayana Akli comes in at No. 7 with junior Sarah Hamner at No. 9.
- Akli is 21-8 on the season with an 8-4 mark in dual play, all from the top of the lineup.
- Hamner has a team-leading 25-6 singles record with a 12-1 mark in dual play. She has won 12 of her last 13 completed matches.
- In the doubles rankings, Akli and Hamner are ranked No. 30 together while Akli is also ranked at No. 45 with Olympe Lancelot.
- Akli and Hamner are 7-8 overall this season and 4-4 in dual matches. They hold ranked wins over then Nos. 8, 17, and 53 this season.
- Akli and Lancelot are 7-2 overall this season and posted a 4-2 mark from the top of the doubles lineup. The duo has not played together since Feb. 17 against Wake Forest.
Scouting Ole Miss
- The Rebels are 10-5 this season and ranked No. 30 in the ITA Team Rankings. They are 4-3 in SEC play and 3-3 when playing on the road.
- There are no Rebels in the ITA Singles Rankings, however Ava Hrastar and Briana Crowley are ranked No. 64 in the doubles rankings. The duo is 10-8 overall and 5-6 in dual matches. They have a 3-3 record in conference play.
- Hrastar has played at the top of the singles lineup for Ole Miss this season where she is 4-4. She has an overall record of 12-11 and holds one ranked win this season.
Scouting Mississippi State
- Mississippi State is 10-10 this season and 0-7 in conference play. They are 1-5 when playing on the road.
- There are no Bulldogs present in the ITA Singles or Doubles Rankings.
- Maria Rizzolo has played the majority of the season at the top of the singles lineup. She is 13-11 overall and 7-7 in dual play.
- Alexandra Mikhalluk and Athina Pitta have been holding down the top spot in the doubles lineup this season. They are 9-11 overall and 2-5 in dual matches.
Series History versus Ole Miss
- South Carolina leads the all-time series against Ole Miss 25-15. The series tied at 15-15 in 2013 but the Gamecocks have won each of the last ten meetings.
- The two teams first met on February 16, 1986 with Ole Miss taking the match 6-3
- Under head coach Kevin Epley, South Carolina is 11-1 against the Rebels.
Series History versus Mississippi State
- South Carolina leads the all-time series against Mississippi State 33-2. The Bulldogs only two wins of the series came during the very first meeting between the two teams in 1989 and in 2015 in a five-hour marathon match during the SEC Tournament in Columbia.
- Under Epley, South Carolina is 10-1 against Mississippi State.
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