BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Ichino Horikawa played a pivotal role in Ole Miss’s thwarting of No. 4 LSU this past weekend and was selected as the SEC Freshman of the Week on Wednesday afternoon.
It is Horikawa’s first individual collegiate honor and the first conference weekly award for the Rebels this season.
Horikawa showed out in Ole Miss’s 5-2 win against No. 4 LSU on Sunday, Feb. 22. In doubles, Horikawa, alongside her partner, Brooklyn Olson, held off LSU’s No. 51 pairing of Kenna Erickson and Ella McDonald to an unfinished match, which the Rebel duo was trailing, 3-5. However, it was in singles play that Horikawa came up huge for the Rebels.
With the Rebels on the verge of a top-five upset as they led the match, 3-1, Horikawa was the one to clinch the match after defeating Florentine Dekkers in three sets. After dropping the first set, 1-6, the second set turned into a marathon, for Horikawa won a 7-6 (11-9), tiebreaker to secure the second set, which in turn set her up to cruise in the third set against Dekkers, 6-1.
Horikawa’s clinching court win helped secure first-year head coach Grant Roberts first ranked win and SEC win.
The Rebels improved their record to 6-1 overall this season after their stellar win to begin SEC play. Ole Miss continues conference play this week, competing at No. 1 Georgia at 4 p.m. CT on Thursday and at No. 17 South Carolina at 12 p.m. CT on Saturday.