MSU'S Antonaki, Rentouli receive recognition
A pair of Mississippi State women's tennis players have earn regional awards from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, the governing body of college tennis announced Saturday.
True freshman Emma Antonaki was selected the ITA Southern Region's Rookie of the Year while senior Anastasia Rentouli was chosen the region's winner of the Cissy Leary Sportsmanship Award for the second-straight year. Both players will be considered for the national award in their categories, which will be announced today at the NCAA Championships in Orlando, Florida.
“These are well deserved awards for Emma and Ana”, MSU head coach Daryl Greenan said. “The two of them were strong pillars of our success this season. They worked hard and have been a pleasure to coach.”
The Athens, Greece, product Antonaki is currently the highest-ranked freshman in the ITA Southern Region. Ranked as high as 55th nationally in her freshman campaign, she is currently No. 59. After being picked the No. 1 alternate to the 2019 NCAA Singles Championship, the rookie learned this past week she had officially been entered into the 64-player field. She becomes only the third freshman in program history to earn a bid to the NCAA Individual Championships and only the second ever in singles. She will begin play in the tournament on Monday at the USTA National Campus in Orlando.
Selected 2019 All-southeastern Conference second team, Antonaki was also chosen to the 2019 ALL-SEC Freshman squad. She was picked SEC Freshman of the Week (3/6/19) after straight-set road wins over ranked foes at South Carolina and Florida, the latter helping MSU to its first-ever win over the Gators. She has notched eight ranked wins this year, three in the top 25, and leads MSU in overall wins (45) this season – 25-12 in singles and 20-13 in doubles.
Rentouli's honor adds to the fouryear veteran's ever-growing list of accomplishments. MSU'S team captain in 2018-19, she was the 2019 SEC Women's Tennis Scholar-athlete of the Year. A member of M-club, State's student-athlete community service-based organization; she served as its president in 2018-19. She has also served MSU and the community through countless hours of service as a three-time member of the SEC Community Service Team
A 2018 and 2019 COSIDA Academic All-district Team selection, Rentouli holds a 3.97 GPA in a double major of finance and marketing. She is also a threetime ITA Scholar-athlete honoree and received a 2019 Spirit of State award, which formally honors MSU students who have excelled in campus involvement, service to the university, and have made an impact on their peers and the broader campus community.
Ranked 125th nationally in singles in latest ITA poll, and as high as No. 36 nationally during her career, Rentouli was an ALL-SEC selection for the second year in a row this season. Also of Athens, Greece, she saved her best season for her last, going a team-best, 24-6 in singles in 2018-19 and led State with a 6-1 record in SEC play.
While playing a major role in producing one of the most successful stretches of MSU women's tennis history, Rentouli stands fourth all-time at State in overall career victories (150), second in singles wins (87) and tied for third in doubles wins (63). More impressively, she finished in the top five all-time at State for winning percentage in all three of those categories, including No. 1 all-time in singles (87-32, 73.1%).
“I am grateful for their efforts both on the court and in the classroom,” Greenan continued. “Their many accomplishments speak for themselves. They both performed at a high level and represented the Bulldogs with class and integrity.”