TOPEKA, Kan. -- No. 19 Washburn Ichabod women's tennis finishes its home schedule with three straight days of matches against conference opponents to end the week. Washburn takes on Missouri Western State at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, hosts Emporia State at 1 p.m. on Thursday and faces the Jets of Newman for senior day beginning at 1 p.m. on Friday.
Ichabod Breakdown
- Washburn plays its final home matches of the season beginning with Missouri Western State on Wednesday, Emporia State on Thursday and hosts Newman on Friday for senior day
- The Ichabods are 8-5 on the season following a 4-3 loss to No. 27 Bearcats Saturday
- Washburn is ranked 19th nationally in the latest ITA Collegiate Tennis Rankings.
- Friday's match against Newman is senior day for Casie Curry and Sonia Smagina who both joined the program prior to the 2022-23 season.
Washburn who's who
- Washburn is 8-5 on the season but have lost the last three times taking the court. At home they are 2-1 and 0-1 outdoors
- Washburn has played six straight ranked opponents
- The Ichabods are ranked No. 19 in the ITA poll for the second straight week
- Sonia Smagina was ranked the No. 1 overall singles player in the latest rankings
- It is the first No. 1 overall ranking for the Ichabods since Alexis Czapinski and Logan Morrissey captured the top spot during the 2018-19 season
- Maja Jung jumped up to the No. 19 spot
- Smagina and Lara Schmid are the No. 13 ranked doubles pairing
- Smagina and Jung are ranked No. 21 in doubles as well
- Smagina leads the Ichabods with an 19-2 singles record and is 10-1 at No. 1
- Jung is 15-5 on the season with a 10-3 duals record and is 7-2 from the No. 2 position
- Isabella Martensson is 7-6 on the year in singles and is a perfect 4-0 from No. 5
- Washburn has won 58.6% of its singles matches going 68-48 on the year
- The Ichabods are a combined 29-10 from the No. 1 - No. 3 spots this season
- Smagina also leads the Ichabods with a 15-4 doubles record and is 9-2 in duals, all from No. 1
- Jung is 14-3 in doubles play, her and Smagina have an 8-2 record together, all at No. 1
- Casie Curry and Marta Torres are 5-3 together and are both 12-5 on the season
- Isabella Martensson is 11-4 in doubles, going 5-2 from No. 3
- Issabella Pensavalle is 10-5 in doubles , going 7-4 from No. 3
- Lara Schmid is 9-2 in doubles play, primarily in the fall and has missed most of the spring
- Washburn has won 74.1% of its doubles matches, going 43-15 overall on the year
Milestone markers
Head coach Kirby Ronning
- Ronning is in his third year as head coach of the Ichabod men's and women's tennis teams
- He has led both teams to the NCAA tournament in both seasons at the helm
- Ronning has a combined record of 78-36 in his two plus seasons at Washburn
- Prior to joining the Ichabods, Ronning spent four seasons as the assistant coach at Azusa Pacific from 2016-2022
- Ronning played for Bethel University (Minn.) for four seasons and was honored with the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Sportsmanship award twice
- Graduate assistant Miller Zeiders and volunteer assistant coach Kurt Reid round out the coaching staff
Last time on the court
- Washburn lost 4-3 at home to No. 27 Northwest Missouri State University
- It was the Ichabods first home loss of the season as well as the first MIAA loss
- Washburn lost the doubles point, with only Sonia Smagia and Maja Jung winning 6-1 from No. 1
- Smagina had a 2-0 day, winning in two sets at No. 1 in singles as well
- Marta Torres and Casie Curry each picked up singles victories. Torres won both sets 6-4 while curry won each by a 6-2 count
Opponent Quick Scout
Match #14 - vs Missouri Western State
Guide on the Griffons
- Missouri Western State is 10-3 on the season and 3-1 in the MIAA
- They have won five of the last six matches and are 3-2 on the road
- Izza Macgibbon is No. 46 overall in the ITA singles rankings
- Anya Chavez is ranked No. 60 in the ITA singles rankings
- Chavez leads the Griffons with an 8-0 singles record, she has gone 6-0 at No. 2
- Lucia Casas Blasis 7-1 in singles action on the season with a 4-0 record at No. 6
- Anais Peralta Criado is 6-1 overall with a 5-0 mark from No. 5
- Missouri Western has won 77% of its singles matches going 47-14
- Chavez and Anais Peralta Criado lead the Griffons with a 4-1 doubles record, going 2-0 at No. 2
- Ariella Curci and Casas Blas are 3-0 together at No. 3
- MWSU has won 60% of its doubles matches going 18-12
Missouri Western State Staff
- The Griffons are led by Alejandro de la Torre in his second season in St. Joseph
- In his first season MWSU reached its first ever MIAA Championship match
- De la Torre comes to the Griffons after two seasons at NCAA Division II St. Mary's University in Texas where he served as a graduate assistant in 2020 before being elevated to an assistant coach.
History with the Griffons
- Washburn and Missouri Western State have played 33 times in program history with the Ichabods leading the series 30-3
- Washburn is 10-1 against the Griffons in Topeka
- Last season two two teams played twice, with the Ichabods winning in St. Joseph in the regular season and the Griffons winning 4-3 in the MIAA semifinals
Match #15 - vs Emporia State
Examining Emporia
- Emporia State enters the week 3-9 overall and 1-2 in the MIAA
- The Hornets are 1-4 on the road
- They defeated Fort Hays State 7-0 to snap a six match skid
- Angelina Gnezdilova, Karen Santiago and Paige Stranghoner all have five singles victories to lead Empoira State
- Gnezdilova is 3-3 at No. 1, Santiago is 2-1 from the No. 2 spot
- Alexia Desmet is 4-4 on the year at No. 1 and No. 2
- ESU is 11-21 in the back half of singles play this season
- The Hornets have won 42.2% of singles matches going 27-37
- Three players lead Emporia State with four doubles victories
- Karen Santiago and Caroline Henry are 4-6 together, going 2-2 at No. 2
- Desmet is 4-5 in doubles going 3-5 at No. 1
- Desmet and Santiago are 2-1 together in doubles
- The Hornets have won 40% of doubles matches going 12-18
Emporia State Staff
- Emporia State is led by interm head coach Cyrielle Peyroche who is leading both the men's and women's programs
- She spent the 2021-22 season as a graduate assistant coach
- Peyroche finished a three-year playing career with the Hornets in the 2020-21 season
- Assistant coach Emily Huston rounds out the staff
History with the Hornets
- Washburn and Emporia State have played 58 times in program history with the Ichabods leading the series 37-21
- Washburn is 17-10 against the Hornets in Topeka
- The Ichabods have won the last seven matches
- Washburn went 2-0 against Empoira State last season including a 4-0 win in the MIAA Tournament quarterfinals
- The first match between the two teams came on Oct. 2, 1975 and was a 5-4 win for the Hornets in Topeka.
Match #16 vs Newman
View of the Jets
- Newman is 8-5 on the season and 1-2 in MIAA play after a 6-1 win over Fort Hays State
- The Jets are 4-3 away from home
- Dana Issabayeva is ranked No. 62 for the Jets in the ITA singles rankings
- Emily Young has a 15-7 singles record to lead Newman, she is 11-6 at No. 6
- Vlada Litvinova is 14-6 on the year including 8-3 at No. 1
- Isabela Bifano is 12-11 with a 2-1 mark at No. 2
- The Jets have won 52.9% of singles matches going 72-64
- Lisa Gerasimova and Litvinova are 14-7 together, going 11-7 at No. 1
- Young and Bifano are 13-10 together in doubles, going 11-8 at No. 2
- Bifano is 15-11 overall on the year while Young is 14-11
- Newman has won 56.4% of doubles matches with a 44-34 record
Newman Staff
- Shella Augspurger is in her 19th season with Newman and is in her 17th full season after becoming Director of Tennis in 2007-08
- Has led the men's and women's programs to a combined 21 Heartland Conference Tournaments in 23 chances
- She has been teaching tennis over 20 years including experience with clubs in the St. Louis area and at Maize High School
History with the Jets
- Washburn and Newman have played 11 times in program history with the Ichabods leading 9-2 in the all-time series
- The Ichabods are 7-1 at home against the Jets
- Washburn has won the last five matches including a 6-1 win on April 14, 2022 last season
- The first match between the two was a 9-0 Washburn win on April 21, 2008 in Topeka.
Schedule spring forward
- Washburn has two remaining MIAA matches this season, all of which will come on the road.
- The match on March 31 against Newman will be senior day for the Ichabods.
- Washburn wraps up the regular season with two matches in Arkansas, the final regular season game comes on April 15 against Southern Arkansas University
- The Women's MIAA Tournament will take place from April 21-23.
- NCAA Regionals are scheduled to begin May 6 and run through May 9.
