TOPEKA, Kan. -- After spending time in Topeka No. 11 Washburn returns to the road going north to face No. 17 Augustana on Saturday at 4:45 p.m.
First Serve
- No. 11 Washburn women's tennis heads on the road to face No. 17 Augustana.
- The Ichabods will take on the Vikings at 4:45 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22 in Sioux Falls, S.D.
- Last time out the Ichabods improved to 3-1 overall on the year with a 7-0 win over Texas A&M - Kingsville.
- Augustana is 4-1 on the season after defeating Northwest Missouri State 4-1 at home on Thursday.
BODS AND BITS
- Washburn's 2024-25 roster features five returners from a season ago with four new additions to round out the roster.
- The Ichabods remain ranked No. 11 in the latest ITA rankings.
- Washburn was picked to finish first in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll.
- This season the Ichabods are 1-1 inside of Topeka, 2-0 in road matches and have not played a neutral court dual.
- Washburn is coming off a 20-6 season where they went 6-2 in the MIAA and advanced to the NCAA Round of 16.
- Saturday's contest will be the ninth meeting between the Ichabods and Augustana.
AROUND THE RANKINGS
SINGLES SETUP
- On the year Washburn has gone 74-26 (74.0%) in singles duals overall with a 19-5 record in duals.
- Jasel Bailey leads the team with 11 victories going 11-1 overall and winning her last eight duals. She is 2-0 from No. 5 and 3-0 in duals.
- Saajida Razick is 8-3 on the year, she is 2-1 in duals between No. 3 and No. 4.
- Isabella Martensson has posted a 8-3 record overall and is 1-1 from No. 6.
- Daniela Tijaro has gone 9-3 during her freshman season going 3-1 in duals and 3-0 at No. 3.
- Leo Floeth is 8-4 in her first season with Washburn, going 2-1 from No. 1.
- Renske Ubachs is 6-4 on the year and 3-1 in duals playing at the top two spots.
- After missing the fall Peyton Koper returned in the spring and is 3-0 playing at No. 4 and No. 5.
- Maddie shelley has gone 9-1 on the year all coming in the fall.
- Isabella Pensavalle went 6-2 in the fall with wins in her last three duals.
DOUBLES DOWNLOAD
- The Ichabods have gone 45-14 (76.3%) across their doubles matches this season overall and are 10-1 in duals.
- Daniela Tijaro and Renske Ubachs are 14-2 together this season with a 4-0 record in duals from No. 1.
- In the spring Floeth and Peyton Koper are 3-1 together all coming at No. 2.
- Isabella Martensson and Saajida Razick are 5-0 together this season and have gone 2-0 together at No. 3.
- Issabella Pensavalle and Jasel Bailey went 7-2 together in doubles action during the fall.
- Leo Floeth and Isabella Martensson compiled a 7-4 mark playing together this season.
- Daniela Tijaro has the most doubles victories of any individual going 15-3 so far.
- Ubachs is second on the team with 13 total victories, she is 13-2 in doubles overall.
Last Time Out
Washburn 7, Texas A&M - Kingsville (February 15, 2025)
TOPEKA, Kan. -- No. 11 Washburn women's tennis bounced back from its first loss of the season with a 7-0 sweep of Texas A&M University – Kingsville at home on Saturday afternoon. The Ichabods will next head on the road to face Augustana on Saturday, Feb. 22.
Doubles play was a clean sweep for Washburn (3-1) beginning on court three with Isabella Martensson and Saajida Razick winning 6-0. Peyton Koper and Leo Floeth followed with a 6-0 win of their own at No. 2. Renske Ubachs and Daniela Tijaro continued the streak of not dropping a game with a 6-0 win on the top court over the Javelinas (1-2).
Leo Floeth started singles play with a 7-5 win in the first set at No. 1. She fell 6-1 in the second but bounced back with a 6-0 win in the third to put a second point on the board. Playing from No. 3, Daniela Tijaro fell in a hole early, losing 6-1 in the first, but turned the dual around winning 7-5 in the second and 6-2 in the third set. Renske Ubachs split her first two sets from No. 2, one going each way both by 6-4 scores. She provided the clinching point with a 6-3 win in the third set.
In the second wave of doubles, Payton Koper led off, winning 6-1 and 6-2 at No. 4 in just over an hour of action. Jasel Bailey worked quickly as well, winning 6-3 in the first set from No. 6 and did not drop a game in a 6-0 second set win. Isabella Martensson closed out the match from No. 5, winning 6-1 in the first set and 6-4 in the second to complete the sweep.
Head Coach Kirby Ronning
- Ronning is in year five as the head coach of the men's and women's tennis teams at Washburn
- Has led both teams to the NCAA Tournament in every season at the helm with a 144-54 combined record with Washburn.
- Has been named the ITA Central Region Coach of the Year three times. He earned the award on both the men's and women's side in the 2022-23 season and repeated as the men's winner after 2023-24.
- Prior to joining the Ichabods Ronning spent four seasons as the assistant coach at Azusa Pacific from 2016-2022
- As a player, he played for four years at Bethel University (Minn.). Ronning received his bachelor's degree in Business from Bethel in 2014 and earned his master's degree in Physical Education at Azusa Pacific in May 2020.
The Assistants
- Graduate assistants Maja Jung and Santiago Rendon begin their first season on the Ichabod coaching staff while Kurt Reid enters his sixth season with both programs as a volunteer assistant.
- Reid started his collegiate tennis career at Tulsa (1977-78) before transferring to Washburn for the 1978-79 season.
- A Topeka-native, Reid played tennis at Topeka West High School and was elected to the Topeka West Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.
- Maja Jung joins the coaching staff after finishing her four-year playing career at Washburn with the second most total victories of any player in women's program history.
- Santiago Rendon also moves from playing to the sidelines after wrapping up three seasons with the Ichabods headlined by an ITA Cup Doubles National Championship in fall of 2023.
- Former Ichabod All-American Logan Morrissey joins the staff during the spring season as a volunteer assistant on the women's side.
- After finishing her career she spent the 2021-22 season as a graduate assistant with the team.
OPPONENT QUICK SCOUT
ABOUT THE AUGUSTANA VIKINGS
- Augustana is 4-1 on the year after defeating Northwest Missouri State 4-1 at home on Thursday.
- Last season the Vikings went 18-5 overall and 9-0 inside the NSIC. They won the conference tournament before falling 4-1 to Northwest Missouri in the Central Region Semifinals.
- In singles play Augustana has posted a 17-6 (73.9%) record.
- Fernanda Sandoval has a 5-0 mark on the year coming from No. 2 and No. 3.
- Nicole Catherine Dufour and Fernanda Sandoval are ranked No. 24 in the nation in doubles for the Vikings.
HEAD COACH MARC KURTZ
- Is in his 21st season as the Augustana head coach for the men's and women's tennis programs.
- In addition to coaching at Augustana, Kurtz is the tennis director at GreatLife Fitness Center in Sioux Falls, where he is a certified tennis professional with the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA).
- He earned his BA at Montana State with majors in business management and marketing.
HISTORY WITH AUGUSTANA
- Washburn leads the all-time series over Augustana 6-2.
- The Ichabods are 2-0 against the Vikings in Sioux Falls, S.D.
- The series began on April 5, 2014 with a 7-2 win for Augustana in Topeka.
- Last season Washburn defeated Augustana 5-1 at the Genesis Tennis Complex on March 27, 2024.
MILESTONE MARKERS
- Isabella Martensson is seven singles victories away form reaching 50 in her career.
- Renske Ubachs is three doubles victories away from 40 victories in her career.
- Maddie Shelley is five singles wins away from reaching 30 career victories.
SCHEDULE SPRING FORWARD
- Washburn returns to Topeka for its final exhibition of the year taking on Pratt Community College on Feb. 28 at 1 p.m.
- MIAA play will begin on March 27 when the Ichabods host Newman at the Washburn Tennis Complex.
- The regular season concludes with senior day for Washburn hosting Arkansas-Fort Smith on April 26 at 1 p.m.
- The MIAA Tournament will be held in Springfield, Mo. from May 2-4.
