The Mississippi State women’s tennis team will open postseason play against Alabama in the first round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament, according to an April 13 announcement. The match is scheduled for Wednesday, April 15 at 6 p.m. Central Time at the Headington Family Tennis Center in Norman, Oklahoma.
This matchup marks the second meeting between Mississippi State and Alabama this season. The two teams previously played on February 22 in Starkville, where Alabama secured a 4-1 victory. The winner of Wednesday’s contest will advance to face Texas, the fifth seed, on Thursday evening.
Mississippi State enters the tournament as the thirteenth seed with a record of 16-10, while Alabama holds the twelfth seed with a record of 12-11. In recent rankings released by ITA on April 7, Mississippi State is ranked fifty-fifth as a team. Several doubles pairs from Mississippi State are also ranked: Chiara Di Genova and Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz at number eleven; Gianna Oboniye and Kempenaers-Pocz at thirty-one; and Athina Pitta with Oboniye at thirty-seven.
Recent highlights for Mississippi State include Di Genova and Kempenaers-Pocz winning nine out of their last ten completed matches from the top doubles position. Di Genova has clinched three out of four Southeastern Conference wins for her team this season. The Bulldogs last achieved four conference wins in one season in 2019 and have recorded two victories over ranked conference opponents this year—the most since 2022.
Alabama leads the all-time series against Mississippi State by thirty-nine wins to nineteen and has won four consecutive meetings since March 2022 when Mississippi State last defeated them.
Admission to tournament matches is free for fans attending in Norman. Event organizers note that food, beverage, and retail purchases will be cashless transactions only. A clear-bag policy remains in effect with specific size requirements detailed by officials.
