DALLAS (SMU) – The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) held its annual ITA Kickoff Weekend draft on Thursday, with SMU Women's Tennis named a two-seed in the Baton Rouge region. The weekend will take place Jan. 22-24, 2027, at the LSU Tennis Complex.   
 
The No. 24 Mustangs will face No. 57 Mississippi State in their first matchup, while host, No. 10 LSU, and No. 69 Denver will battle in the other match. The winners will meet for a spot in the 2027 ITA Women's National Indoor Championship, which will be hosted by Michigan and Ohio State from Feb. 12-16.   
 
The event guarantees teams two matches, with the losers of the first two matches meeting in the consolation bracket.  

SMU holds a 5-2 record against Mississippi State, with the last matchup being a 5-2 win in 2022.   
 
Coming off a 16-8 record last season and advancing to the NCAA Tournament Round of 32, head coach Kelcy McKenna will return seven players from the 2026 team, including ITA Texas Region Rookie of the Year and ACC Freshman of the Year Amelie Van Impe.