Junior Anastasia Rentouli was named SEC Player of the Week after two top 15 conference wins last weekend.
MSU Women’s Tennis’ Rentouli Named SEC Player of the Week
March 21, 2018 | Women's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. – For the first time during the 2018 dual match season, a member of the Mississippi State women's tennis team has received Southeastern Conference weekly honors.
Junior Anastasia Rentouli earned SEC Player of the Week honors for the first time during her three-year career after an incredible weekend on the court, clinching victories in league action over No. 2 Vanderbilt and No. 14 Kentucky for the Bulldogs. The win over the Commodores marked the highest ranked win in MSU Tennis history (men's or women's). As a result of those triumphs, State vaulted from unranked to No. 24 in the latest ITA National Rankings on Tuesday.
The Athens, Greece, standout came through in clutch moments all weekend for State, going 4-0 in singles and doubles against VU and UK, marking the first time in program history MSU had downed top 15 foes in back-to back outings.
"It is a true honor for me to be named SEC Player of the Week," Rentouli said. "I want to give credit to my teammates, coaches and staff because last weekend was clearly a team effort and it would not be the same without their endless support. I am so thankful for everyone who helped us to make this spring break memorable."
Rentouli stayed hot in doubles with partner Sara Lizariturry posting the only doubles win in the match against the defending SEC Champion Commodores. The tandem took down VU's Lauren Gish and Christina Rosca 6-4 on court 3.
Despite going down a set, Rentouli fought back for a three-set victory. With MSU and VU deadlocked at 3-3, Rentouli went down 6-5 and a break in the third set against 98th-ranked Commodore Amanda Meyer on court 4, but fought back to break at love and force a match-deciding tiebreak. With Rentouli leading 6-5 in the breaker and serving for the set and match, the players exchanged a 39-shot rally before Rentouli drilled a backhand winner down the line to post a marathon 5-7, 6-3, 7-6(5) match-clinching victory.
Rentouli and Lizariturry continued the hot streak two days later, upending Kentucky's Diana Tkachenko and Brianna Tulloch 6-3 to aid the Bulldogs in claiming the doubles point.
In singles vs. UK, Rentouli posted her third-straight, match-clinching, come-from-behind triumph – 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 – over Kentucky's Diana Tkachenko.
"You have to do something pretty special to receive this award in our league," head coach Daryl Greenan said. "Ana played a major role in an historic weekend for Bulldog Tennis. She is well deserving and I am very proud of hers and our whole team's efforts this past weekend."
Rentouli has won nine of her last 10 singles decisions, the same in doubles with Lizariturry. The junior veteran leads MSU in singles and doubles wins this season at 18-5 and 15-8, respectively. In dual matches, she is 10-2/11-3 as well as 4-1 in the SEC in both singles and doubles. She has clinched four MSU matches in 2018 and, with Lizariturry, has clinched four doubles points.
She has now clinched three-straight SEC matches for the Maroon & White (at #49 Alabama, vs. #2 Vanderbilt and vs. #14 Kentucky), rallying from a set down in all three affairs.
Next Up For MSU…
No. 24 MSU (12-5, 3-3 SEC) travels to Missouri (11-8, 0-5) this Friday, March 23, to begin a four-match SEC road swing.
For more information on the Mississippi State women's tennis program, follow "HailStateWT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Junior Anastasia Rentouli earned SEC Player of the Week honors for the first time during her three-year career after an incredible weekend on the court, clinching victories in league action over No. 2 Vanderbilt and No. 14 Kentucky for the Bulldogs. The win over the Commodores marked the highest ranked win in MSU Tennis history (men's or women's). As a result of those triumphs, State vaulted from unranked to No. 24 in the latest ITA National Rankings on Tuesday.
The Athens, Greece, standout came through in clutch moments all weekend for State, going 4-0 in singles and doubles against VU and UK, marking the first time in program history MSU had downed top 15 foes in back-to back outings.
"It is a true honor for me to be named SEC Player of the Week," Rentouli said. "I want to give credit to my teammates, coaches and staff because last weekend was clearly a team effort and it would not be the same without their endless support. I am so thankful for everyone who helped us to make this spring break memorable."
Rentouli stayed hot in doubles with partner Sara Lizariturry posting the only doubles win in the match against the defending SEC Champion Commodores. The tandem took down VU's Lauren Gish and Christina Rosca 6-4 on court 3.
Despite going down a set, Rentouli fought back for a three-set victory. With MSU and VU deadlocked at 3-3, Rentouli went down 6-5 and a break in the third set against 98th-ranked Commodore Amanda Meyer on court 4, but fought back to break at love and force a match-deciding tiebreak. With Rentouli leading 6-5 in the breaker and serving for the set and match, the players exchanged a 39-shot rally before Rentouli drilled a backhand winner down the line to post a marathon 5-7, 6-3, 7-6(5) match-clinching victory.
Rentouli and Lizariturry continued the hot streak two days later, upending Kentucky's Diana Tkachenko and Brianna Tulloch 6-3 to aid the Bulldogs in claiming the doubles point.
In singles vs. UK, Rentouli posted her third-straight, match-clinching, come-from-behind triumph – 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 – over Kentucky's Diana Tkachenko.
"You have to do something pretty special to receive this award in our league," head coach Daryl Greenan said. "Ana played a major role in an historic weekend for Bulldog Tennis. She is well deserving and I am very proud of hers and our whole team's efforts this past weekend."
Rentouli has won nine of her last 10 singles decisions, the same in doubles with Lizariturry. The junior veteran leads MSU in singles and doubles wins this season at 18-5 and 15-8, respectively. In dual matches, she is 10-2/11-3 as well as 4-1 in the SEC in both singles and doubles. She has clinched four MSU matches in 2018 and, with Lizariturry, has clinched four doubles points.
She has now clinched three-straight SEC matches for the Maroon & White (at #49 Alabama, vs. #2 Vanderbilt and vs. #14 Kentucky), rallying from a set down in all three affairs.
Next Up For MSU…
No. 24 MSU (12-5, 3-3 SEC) travels to Missouri (11-8, 0-5) this Friday, March 23, to begin a four-match SEC road swing.
For more information on the Mississippi State women's tennis program, follow "HailStateWT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.