STARKVILLE, Miss. – The Samford women's tennis team opened the spring portion of its season with a 6-1 loss at Mississippi State Saturday afternoon at the Rula Tennis Pavilion. 

Mississippi State secured the doubles point with two wins, jumping out to an early advantage. Samford's top doubles team of Lea Erenda and Sara Erenda was locked in a tightly contested match before play was halted.

In singles action, Samford earned its lone point of the match when Sara Erenda delivered a strong performance with a straight-set victory over Carolina Troiano, 6-1, 6-3. The win marked the Bulldogs' first individual victory of the spring campaign.

Several singles matches featured competitive moments despite the final score. Eleni Liakonis battled through a three-set match and Cathy Cardona-Carballosa pushed her opponent to three sets. 

Samford will look to build on the positives from the opener as the Bulldogs continue early-season play and gain valuable experience against strong non-conference competition.

The Bulldogs will return to action on January 24th in Montgomery, Ala. against Alabama State. 

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