Women's Tennis Welcomes Mississippi State and Mississippi this Weekend
3/1/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
March 1, 2012
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The 25th-ranked women's tennis team (5-2) will begin SEC play this weekend when it hosts Mississippi State (4-3) and No. 21 Mississippi (7-4). Friday's match against the Lady Bulldogs is slated to start at 3 p.m. CT, and Sunday's duel with the Rebels will begin at 1 p.m. CT.
"We're looking forward to opening SEC play at home this weekend," said Alabama head coach Jenny Mainz. "We have our work cut out for us with two rival SEC West opponents. I feel that we've played a firm non-conference schedule to prepare us well for SEC play. The league is stout this year, and we will need to bring our best from March through May."
In Alabama's last outing, it advanced to the finals of the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic but fell to No. 6 Virginia, 4-3. The Tide enters this weekend with two ranked singles players in sophomore Mary Anne Macfarlane (No. 21) and junior Alexa Guarachi (No. 61). In doubles, Guarachi and Macfarlane rank 26th, while Guarachi and senior Courtney McLane come in at No. 30.
Last weekend, the Lady Bulldogs swept Southern Mississippi in Starkville to improve to 4-3. All of Mississippi State's dual matches to date have been played at home. The Lady Bulldogs have one ranked singles player and a ranked doubles pair. Alexandra Perper enters the national singles rankings at No. 91, and Perper and Olesya Tsigvintseva are the No. 44 doubles pair in the nation.
Alabama is 31-11 all-time against the Bulldogs with the last meeting April 10, 2011 when the Tide swept Mississippi State in Starkville, 7-0.
Mississippi took down No. 19 Tulsa, 5-2, in its last match, bringing their record to 7-4 on the season. The Rebels have two ranked singles players and one ranked doubles pair. Caroline Rohde-Moe enters the national rankings at No. 63, and Kristi Boxx comes in at No. 22, while Abby Guthrie and Boxx form the No. 7 doubles tandem in the nation.
Mississippi holds a 29-13 edge in the series against the Crimson Tide. The teams last met April 8, 2011, when Alabama won 4-3 in Oxford.
