Zalina Khairudinova hits a volley during a match against Jackson State Feb. 1. Photo: Ignacio Murillo, The Daily Mississippian.
The Ole Miss women’s tennis team will begin Southeastern Conference play in Alabama this weekend against two top-25 opponents.
Today, the Rebels will face the No. 23-ranked Auburn Tigers, followed by No. 10 Alabama on Sunday.
“It’s going to be a tough match, 4-3 either way, we know to expect that,” head coach Mark Beyers said. “It’s probably going to come down to somebody winning a tiebreaker or somebody coming back from a set down. As long as we’re prepared to put in the work, we’ve got the talent level to get four points against those teams. It’s just a matter of executing and winning the close sets.”
Ole Miss enters the weekend matches fresh off two victories last weekend against Lipscomb and Memphis. The Memphis result was also head coach Mark Beyers’ 200th coaching victory.
The Rebels enter league play led by senior and No. 87-ranked singles player Caroline Rohde-Moe. Rohde-Moe hasn’t lost a singles match since Jan. 20 against Michigan, and not in doubles since Jan. 25 against Oklahoma. Both Rohde-Moe and sophomore Mai El Kamash are undefeated at 4-0 in dual action this season. Rohde-Moe’s doubles partner, sophomore Marija Milutinovic, hasn’t lost in singles since playing Michigan as well.
The Tigers are 10-2 on the season after finishing third at the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic last weekend. Pleun Burgmans, who is currently ranked No. 29 in singles, leads the Tigers with a 13-8 record.
The Crimson Tide are 8-2 and won the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic last weekend. Senior Mary Anne Daines was named the SEC Player of the Week.
Today’s match against Auburn is set to start at 2 p.m., while Sunday’s match against Alabama is slated for a 1 p.m. start.
For continuing coverage of Ole Miss women’s tennis, follow @Nick_Eley and @thedm_sports on Twitter.
— Nick Eley
njeley@go.olemiss.edu
