Mississippi State’s season came to an end Wednesday in the first round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament as No. 12 seed Kentucky defeated the No. 13 seed Bulldogs 4-1 in Athens, Ga.
Freshman Jayna Clemens, at No. 6 singles, gave MSU (11-16) its only point of the day with a 6-2, 6-2 victory at No. 6 singles. Sophomore Dharani Niroshan and junior Maria Rizzolo earned a 6-3 win at No. 3 doubles, but it was not enough for the Bulldogs to take the opening point. Freshman Athina Pitta, Rizzolo and senior Chloé Cirotte all dropped their singles matches in straight sets.
Niroshan and fifth-year Alexandra Mikhailuk each pushed their matches to a third set but play was halted after the Wildcats (9-14) clinched the overall victory.
The loss ended Mikhailuk and Cirotte’s MSU careers, but the Bulldogs have most of their roster returning as head coach Chris Hooshyar continues to rebuild the program.
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