Head coach Chris Hooshyar’s second season at Mississippi State came to an end Wednesday night as the Bulldogs lost 4-2 to South Carolina in the first round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament at Auburn.
No. 16 seed MSU dropped the doubles point despite a 6-4 victory at No. 2 from senior Alessia Tagliente and freshman Emma Cohen. Freshman Gianna Oboniye and sophomore Athina Pitta lost 6-4 at No. 1, and sophomores Jayna Clemens and Chiara Di Genova fell in a tiebreak at No. 3.
In singles, the No. 9 seed Gamecocks quickly extended their lead as freshman Carolina Troiano at No. 2 and Di Genova at No. 5 both lost 6-1, 6-1. Cohen gave the Bulldogs their first point at No. 6, winning her match 6-4, 6-3, and her freshman classmate Oboniye pulled out a 7-5, 6-3 win at No. 1. That was as close as MSU would get as Tagliente lost 6-3, 7-5 at the No. 4 spot, clinching the match for South Carolina.
Oboniye’s win came against Sarah Hamner, the 13th-ranked singles player in the country. Cohen’s victory was the first dual match singles win of her college career.
Clemens, at No. 3, had split the first two sets in her match and was just getting underway in the third when the Gamecocks secured the decisive point.
MSU finished unbeaten in non-conference play but ended its season with a final record of 10-16, without a win in the SEC. Tagliente and Maria Rizzolo were the Bulldogs’ only seniors.
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