TOPEKA, Kan. -- No. 7 Washburn women's tennis heads on the road to face No. 15 Nebraska Kearney on Saturday, April 3 at 10 a.m.
First Serve
- No. 7 continues its road swing as they face No. 15 Nebraska Kearney.
- The Ichabods will face the lone other ranked team in the MIAA on Saturday, April 5 at 10 a.m. in Kearney, Neb.
- Last time out the Ichabods improved to 11-1 on the year and 2-0 in the MIAA with a 7-0 sweep over Fort Hays State.
- Nebraska Kearney improved to 12-3 overall and 2-0 in the MIAA after defeating Missouri Western 4-3 on March 30 last time out. They take on Emporia State on Friday before facing the Ichabods.
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 moved to No. 11 in the lates ITA computerized rankings.
- Washburn was picked to finish first in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll.
- This season the Ichabods are 2-1 inside of Topeka, 7-0 in road matches and 2-0 in neutral court matches.
- Washburn is coming off a 20-6 season where they went 6-2 in the MIAA and advanced to the NCAA Round of 16.
AROUND THE RANKINGS
SINGLES SETUP
- On the year Washburn has gone 104-39 (72.7%) in singles duals overall with a 49-18 record in duals.
- Jasel Bailey is tied for the team lead with 16 victories going 16-2 overall and is 8-1 in duals from No. 4 to No. 6.
- Renske Ubachs is 13-5 on the year and 10-2 in duals playing at the top two positions. She is 6-1 at No. 1.
- Daniela Tijaro is 13-7 during her freshman season. She is 7-5 in duals and 4-1 playing at No. 3.
- Leo Floeth is 12-8 in her first season with Washburn, going 4-1 from No. 1 and 6-5 in duals.
- Peyton Koper has a 8-0 record on the year, all coming in duals between No. 4 and No. 6.
- Saajida Razick is 11-6 on the year, she is 5-4 in duals between No. 3 and No. 4.
- Isabella Martensson has posted a 8-3 record overall and is 1-1 from No. 6.
- Maddie Shelley has gone 10-1 on the year with a 1-0 record in duals.
- Isabella Pensavalle has posted a 7-2 record on the year going 1-0 in duals.
DOUBLES DOWNLOAD
Last Time Out
Washburn 7, Fort Hays State 0 (April 2, 2025)
HAYS, Kan. -- No. 11 Washburn worked its fourth sweep of the season with a 7-0 win over Fort Hays State on Wednesday afternoon. The Ichabods stay on the road, taking on No. 15 Nebraska Kearney at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
Doubles play began at No. 3 with Saajida Razick and Isabella Martensson working a 6-0 sweep in under 20 minutes of action. Daniela Tijaro and Renske Ubachs secured the first point of the match with a 6-1 win over the Tigers (11-3, 1-2 MIAA) top duo. Leo Floeth and Peyton Koper completed the sweep of doubles for Washburn (11-1, 2-0 MIAA), winning 6-3 at No. 2.
Jasel Bailey led off singles play, breezing to a 6-1 win in the first set and sweeping her second set at No. 4, 6-0. Issabella Pensavalle made her spring debut working a 6-2 win in the first set and sweeping the second as well from No. 6. Maddie Shelley also entered the lineup for the first time in the spring, winning in two sets, 6-1, 6-2 to clinch the match.
Daniela Tijaro added another point, winning 6-4 in the first set and pulling away late to win 6-2 at No. 3. Playing on the top court Renske Ubachs won a pair of 6-2 sets to go up 6-0. Leo Floeth completed the sweep, winning 6-0 in the first set before falling 6-4 in the second and winning the third set super tiebreaker 10-4.
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 158-56 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 NEBRASKA KEARNEY LOPERS
- Nebraska Kearney improved to 12-3 overall and 2-0 inside the MIAA after defeating Missouri Western 4-3 on March 30. They take on Emporia State on Friday before facing the Ichabods.
- They are ranked No. 15 in the latest ITA rankings.
- Last season the Lopers went 21-6 overall and 7-1 in conference play, falling in the MIAA Tournament Championship and advancing to the NCAA National Quarterfinals.
- This season they are 4-1 playing at the Ernest Grundy Tennis Center with a 5-1 road record and are 3-1 in neutral court matches.
- This season Nebraska Kearney is 64-24 (72.7%) in singles play duals.
- Fabiana Gamboa is ranked No. 9 nationally in singles with Narindra Ranaivo slotted at No. 26.
- Alexis Bernthal leads the team with a 12-3 record in duals going 9-2 from No. 4.
- Fabiana Gamboa has a 11-4 record overall while going 10-4 at No. 1.
- In doubles competition, the Lopers are 32-11 (74.4%) in doubles .
- Tanyaradzwa Midzi and Narindra Ranaivo are ranked No. 10 in the nation in doubles. They are 10-4 together at No. 1.
- Alexis Bernthal and Masha Hatouka are 12-3 together in doubles all at No. 2.
HEAD COACH SCOTT SHAFER
- Scott Shafer joined the UNK tennis program in the summer of 2013. He served as the top assistant to head coach Jake Saulsbury for six years before being elevated to head coach in the summer of 2019.
- A two-time MIAA Women's Coach of the Year and the 2024 ITA Central Region Women's Coach of the Year, Shafer enters the 2024-25 season with a women's dual record of 60-42 (18-14 conference) and men's mark of 13-11.
- Shafer, a USPTA teaching pro, also spent time in Madison, Wisc., where he worked at Cherokee Country Club, Hawks Landing G.C. and served as Tennis Director at Shorewood.
HISTORY WITH NEBRASKA KEARNEY
- Washburn leads Nebraska Kearney 18-8 in the all-time series.
- The Ichabods are 4-3 against the Lopers on the road.
- The series began on March 7, 1997 with a 5-4 win for Washburn in Topeka.
- Last season Nebraska Kearney won both meetings, one in Topeka and in Edmond, Okla. at the MIAA Tournament.
MILESTONE MARKERS
- Isabella Martensson is seven singles victories away form reaching 50 in her career.
- Renske Ubachs is seven doubles victories away from reaching 50 in her career.
- Maddie Shelley is four singles wins away from reaching 30 career victories.
SCHEDULE SPRING FORWARD
- Washburn returns home next week to host Emporia State at 2 p.m. on Thursday, April 10.
- 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.
