State’s Lee, Rioux get All-SEC honors
For the second year in a row, Mississippi State women’s tennis has landed two players on the All-Southeastern Conference team, the league announced Thursday.
Thursday’s release marks only the third time in program history that MSU has had two players chosen All-SEC in the same season and the fifth consecutive season State has placed someone on the all-league squad.
Leading State’s honorees is senior Jasmine Lee, who earned All-SEC first team laurels for a school-record, third-consecutive year. Joining her on the squad is freshman Lisa Marie Rioux who landed on the All-SEC Freshman Team, marking her first career All-SEC honor and the first MSU player ever to earn the rookie honor, which was initiated in 2008.
Overall this year, the All-American Lee is 23-6 and 19-3 in dual match play (10-2 SEC), with all of her dual matches coming at the No. 1 position. Thirteen of Lee’s wins in 201617 have come against ranked foes, with the most recent in the top 10. The Kaohsiung, Taiwan, native has been a mainstay in the ITA National Rankings, reclaiming the country’s No. 8 spot this week and No. 3 in doubles, where she is 24-5 partnering with Rioux. Lee is set to earn her third-straight selection to the NCAA Singles Championship and first to the NCAA Doubles Championship when selections are announced next Wednesday.
Rioux earned her All-SEC honor thanks to a very successful freshman campaign. In her first season with the Bulldogs, Rioux has posted a singles record of 16-11, 12-7 in dual match play (5-7 SEC), splitting time between the No. 2 and No. 3 positions. Rioux has defeated two ranked opponents on the season, including a thrilling three-set to clinch MSU’s win at rival Ole Miss to end the regular season. The Okinawa, Japan, product leads the team with a remarkable 27-7 doubles record and forms the nation’s third-ranked tandem with Lee, with whom she is set to earn a selection for the 2017 NCAA Doubles Championship.
“These are big honors in a year when the Southeastern Conference dominated Division I Women’s Tennis,” State head coach Daryl Greenan said. “They are also well deserved awards for Jasmine and Lisa. Jasmine has had a tremendous spring season. She has established herself as one of the top players in the SEC and in the nation. She has done an excellent job her senior year leading our team to record heights. In her first year, Lisa has established herself as an impact player on our team. She is a hard worker and competes extremely well. She is going to play a major role in the future success of our team.”
MSU’s two All-SEC honorees and the remainder of the 18th-ranked Bulldog women’s tennis squad now wait to hear their 2017 NCAA Team Championship destination. The NCAA Women’s Tennis Selection Show will air next Tuesday, May 2, at 4:30 p.m. on NCAA.com. The NCAA first and second rounds will be held May 12-14, with the finals being held in Athens, Ga,, May 18-23. The NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships will follow in Athens May 24-29.