Historic Campaign Ends in Athens for No. 6 Mississippi State

Thursday, May 14

Athens, Ga.

6 p.m.

Mississippi State

Virginia

Historic Campaign Ends in Athens for No. 6 Mississippi State

May 14, 2026 | Men's Tennis

Box Score

By: Tad Couch, Athletic Communications Student Intern

ATHENS, Ga. – No. 6 Mississippi State's season came to a close Thursday evening as the Bulldogs fell to No. 5 Virginia in the NCAA Quarterfinals at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Ga.

Mississippi State reached the Elite Eight for the second consecutive season, but Virginia once again proved to be a difficult matchup after defeating the Bulldogs earlier this year at ITA Indoors.

Virginia grabbed early momentum by securing the doubles point with wins on courts one and two before carrying that energy into singles play.

The Cavaliers picked up straight-set victories from Dylan Dietrich over Benito Sanchez Martinez, Keegan Rice over Petar Jovanovic, and Andres Santamarta over Mario Martinez Serrano to clinch the match.

Mississippi State's lone completed singles victory came from Raphael Vaksmann, who earned a point for the Bulldogs with a win over Stiles Brockett.

The Bulldogs capped another historic campaign under head coach Matt Roberts. Mississippi State advanced through the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament with consecutive sweeps before defeating Georgia in the Super Regional to return to the national quarterfinals.

The program once again established itself among the nation's elite, finishing the season with back-to-back Elite Eight appearances while tying the all-time win record.

This season marks the end of an era for a veteran group that spent years building Mississippi State into a national contender. Benito Sanchez Martinez, Petar Jovanovic, Mario Martinez Serrano and Michal Novansky helped elevate the program throughout their careers in Starkville, leaving behind one of the most successful stretches in school history.

Records
No. 6 Mississippi State (25-6, 11-3 SEC)
No. 5 Virginia (26-4, 12-1 ACC)

Match Notes
• Raphael Vaksmann ends the season with the highest dual singles win total with 21.
• Raphael Vaksmann recorded his seventh singles victory in a row.
• State moves to 40-31 all-time in NCAA Tournament.

Doubles
1. Mans Dahlberg and Dylan Dietrich (UVA) def. Michal Novansky and Benito Sanchez Martinez (MSU) – 6-3
2. Jangjun Kim and And Santamarta Roig (UVA) def. Niccolo Baroni and Mario Martinez Serrano (MSU) – 6-2
3. Stiles Brockett and Keegan Rice (UVA) vs. Bryan Hernandez Cortes and Petar Jovanovic (MSU) – 5-5, unf.
Virginia won the Doubles Point
Order of Finish: 2, 1

Singles
1. Dylan Dietrich (UVA) def. Benito Sanchez Martinez (MSU) – 6-4, 6-3
2. Keegan Rice (UVA) def. Petar Jovanovic (MSU) – 6-3, 6-2
3. Jangjun Kim (UVA) vs. Niccolo Baroni (MSU) – 6-3, 3-6, 3-4, unf.
4. Andres Santamarta Roig (UVA) def. Mario Martinez Serrano (MSU) – 6-2, 7-6(8)*
5. Raphael Vaksmann (MSU) def. Stiles Brockett (UVA) – 6-1, 6-2
6. Mans Dahlberg (UVA) vs. Bryan Hernandez Cortes (MSU) – 6-4, 2-6, 5-4, unf.
Order of Finish: 5, 1, 2, 4*
*Clincher

For more Information on the Bulldog Men's Tennis program, visit Hailstate.com or search for "HailstateMT" on X, Instagram and Facebook.
– HailState.com –