STARKVILLE — If there was a time when the Mississippi State men’s tennis was most prepared to take on a draw like this one, now is it.
Days after coming a few points short of a Southeastern Conference championship, MSU learned Tuesday it will travel to Oklahoma to face third-seeded SMU in the first round of the NCAA tournament on May 12. A victory would set up a second-round match against No. 14 national seed and top-seeded Oklahoma (15-10) or fourth-seeded Bryant (12-13) on May 13.
“Just being part of the
tournament is great. It’s time to celebrate your team and what you’ve put together as a unit,” said MSU coach Matt Roberts, whose team earned its seventh-consecutive trip to the tournament. “We’re happy to be in it, and we’re happy to be pushed and have a challenge in it.”
Roberts said MSU is playing its best tennis of the year after beating Vanderbilt, South Carolina, and Texas A&M and losing to Georgia in the championship match of the SEC tournament. Georgia received the No. 13 seed in the bracket, which seeds the top 16 teams as host sites before filling in the remainder of the 64-team bracket.
“Our doubles is probably the best we’re feeling as a team,” Roberts said. “The spirit’s really high. We’ve been doing a lot of things well off the court, too. We feel really confident in our group.”
None are displaying that confidence more than freshman Giovanni Oradini, who went 3-1 in the SEC tournament. In the quarterfinals against South Carolina, Oradini beat Alex Fennell 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 to give MSU (20-8) the fourth and final point it needed. He did the same in the semifinals, beating Texas A&M’s Hady Habib 7-5, 6-7 (2), 6-4.
The confidence Oradini gave the Bulldogs came after he revitalized his mental game. Roberts said Oradini struggled at the end of the SEC season, but a change of focus in his practicing restored his psyche.
“I feel really good here. It’s like my second home,” Oradini said. “When you feel really good off the court, when you have good relations with your teammates and your coach, and you trust them, you’re going to feel good.”
MSU was ranked No. 18 last week by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). SMU (13-11), which was a Sweet 16 team last year, is ranked No. 37, while Oklahoma, the national runner-up last season, is No. 15.
The Bulldogs’ first-round matchup could be a preview of more to come. Roberts said he has a relationship with the SMU coaching staff and has been working on scheduling a regular-season series between the schools for 2019 and 2020.
MSU was one of eight SEC men’s teams to earn bids to the NCAA tournament. Ole Miss (16-9) earned the No. 2 seed in the UCLA regional and will face UC Santa Barbara in the first round on May 12 in Los Angeles. UCLA, the No. 5 seed overall, is hosting the first and second rounds. It will face Army in the first round.
The winners will meet May 13 for a berth in the NCAA Sweet 16 in Athens, Georgia.
Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Ole Miss, South Carolina, and Texas A&M also earned NCAA tournament bids.
MSU’s women going to Atlanta
The MSU women’s tennis team will join the men in the NCAA tournament on the road.
No. 18 MSU (15-8) will travel to host Georgia Tech for a first-round match against No. 37 Northwestern at 10 a.m. May 13 at the Ken Byers Tennis Complex.
No. 8 (and No. 8 national seed) Georgia Tech (25-4) will battle Alabama State (13-8) at 1 p.m. May 13. The winners will face each other in the second round at noon May 14 for the right to move on to the NCAA Round of 16 on May 19 in Athens, Georgia.
“Tough draw,” MSU coach Daryl Greenan said. “Northwestern’s one of the tougher three seeds, but we’re battle tested after getting through the SEC season. We look forward to that challenge.”
Despite the difficult draw, Greenan sees benefits in the host site of Atlanta. Beyond the relative proximity, MSU beat Georgia State 6-1 in Atlanta on Feb. 25.
MSU also has Atlanta-area native Caroline Kelly on the roster, which Greenan hopes will boost MSU’s fan support.
The selection marks MSU women’s tennis’ seventh appearance in the NCAA Championship. It is the first time MSU has made three-straight appearances since the 1999-2001 seasons. In its previous six appearances, MSU has advanced to the second round five times.
MSU is one of 12 SEC women’s teams to receive NCAA tournament bids. Ole Miss earned the No. 2 seed in the North Carolina Regional and will face William & Mary in the first round on May 13 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. North Carolina earned the No. 2 seed and will meet Furman in the first round.
Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt also earned bids.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brett Hudson on Twitter @Brett_Hudson
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