TOPEKA, Kan. -- No. 14 Washburn women's tennis, the No. 2 seed in the Central Region, will host the No. 3 seed and No. 22 ranked Nebraska Kearney Lopers on Tuesday at noon from the Washburn Tennis Complex for a spot in the NCAA National Championships. 

First Serve

• No. 14 Washburn women's tennis begins NCAA play as the No. 2 seed in the Central Region and will face the No. 3 seed Nebraska Kearney for a spot in the NCAA National Championships. 
• The Ichabods will take on the No. 22 nationally ranked Lopers on Tuesday, May 13 at the Washburn Tennis Complex beginning at noon.
• Last time out the Ichabods fell to 17-3 on the year with a 4-3 loss to No. 43 Northwest Missouri State in the MIAA Semifinals. 
• Nebraska Kearney improved to 19-5 on the year with a 5-1 win over Central Oklahoma on Monday afternoon in the first round of the Central Region Tournament. 

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. 14 in the lates ITA computerized rankings.
• Washburn was picked to finish first in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll.
• This season the Ichabods are 6-1 inside of Topeka, 9-1 in road matches and 2-1 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.
• The Ichabods are 4-3 against ITA ranked opponents this season.

TOURNAMENT TIME

• Washburn is making a 21st appearance in the NCAA Tournament. 
• The Ichabods are the second seed in the NCAA Central Region and are hosting a regional finals match for a third straight season. 

AROUND THE RANKINGS

• On the doubles side of the ITA rankings Renske Ubachs and Daniela Tijaro move to a No. 6 national ranking. 
• Isabella Martensson and Leo Floeth have not played together in the spring but are slotted at No. 33. 
• In singles, Renske Ubachs is ranked No. 19 nationally. 

SINGLES SETUP

• On the year Washburn has gone 136-55 (71.2%) in singles duals overall with a 81-34 record in duals. 
• Jasel Bailey leads the team with 23 victories going 23-3 overall and is 15-2 in duals from No. 4 to No. 6. She has won her last four matches. 
• Renske Ubachs is 18-8 on the year and 15-5 in duals playing at the top two positions. She is 11-4 at No. 1 and 4-5 against ranked opponents. 
• Daniela Tijaro is 17-10 during her freshman season. She is 11-8 in duals and 5-1 playing at No. 3. 
• Leo Floeth is 17-11 in her first season with Washburn, going 5-1 from No. 3 and 11-8 in duals overall. 
• Peyton Koper has a 8-4 record on the year, all coming in duals between No. 4 and No. 6. 
• Saajida Razick is 16-8 on the year, she is 10-6 in duals between No. 3 and No. 5 with a 5-2 mark at No. 4. 
• Maddie Shelley has gone 15-1 on the year with a 6-0 record in duals and a 4-0 mark at No. 6. 
• Isabella Martensson has posted a 8-3 record overall and is 1-1 from No. 6. 
• Isabella Pensavalle has posted a 8-2 record on the year going 1-0 in duals. 

DOUBLES DOWNLOAD

• The Ichabods have gone 79-25 (76.0%) across their doubles matches this season overall and are 44-12 in duals. 
• Daniela Tijaro and Renske Ubachs are 24-6 together this season with a 15-4 record in duals from No. 1. They are 2-4 against ranked opponents. 
• In the spring Leo Floeth and Peyton Koper are 11-4 together and 10-4 at No. 2. 
• Isabella Martensson and Saajida Razick are 15-4 together this season and have gone 12-2 together at No. 3.
• Maddie Shelley and Saajida Razick have gone 6-1 together this season and are 1-0 in duals. 
• Leo Floeth and Maddie Shelley are 2-0 together playing at No. 2 in the most recent two matches. 
• Daniela Tijaro has the most doubles victories of any individual going 26-6 so far. 
• Renske Ubachs is second on the team with 25 victories followed by Isabella Martensson with 23. 

Last Time Out

Northwest Missouri 4, Washburn 3 (May 3, 2025) 

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- No. 14 Washburn women's tennis fell 4-3 to No. 43 Northwest Missouri State in a marathon semifinal match on Saturday afternoon to end the Ichabods tournament run. Seeding for the NCAA Central Region Tournament will be announced on Monday, May 5 at 8:30 p.m. EST.  

The Bearcats (15-7) jumped out to a quick advantage in doubles, defeating Daniela Tijaro and Renske Ubachs 6-0 on the top court. At No. 2, Isabella Martensson and Saajida Razick led early but would fall 6-4 after a late run, putting Washburn (17-3) behind 1-0. Maddie Shelley and Leo Fleoth were up 5-3 and led in the current game at No. 3 when the point was decided.  

Singles play was led off at No. 6 as Maddie Shelley put the Ichabods on the board and evened the match with 6-3 and 6-1 victories. Jasel Bailey followed just behind, winning a pair of 6-2 sets on court four to put Washburn in front. Daniela Tijaro battled but fell 6-4 in the first set before dropping the second 6-2 to No. 59 Alva Norberg, tying the match at two. 

Playing at No. 5, Saajida Razick lost 6-1 in the first set but rebounded for a 6-2 win in the second. She went back and forth before coming up short in a 6-4 third set. Leo Floeth played an extra game in her first set at No. 3 but came away with a 7-5 victory. She followed by winning 6-3 in the second to even the match once again. Renske Ubachs fell 6-4 in the first set after a late run by No. 33 Marielena Muench. In the second she came back from trailing 5-3 to win each of the final four games and force a third set. In the third she fell into a 4-0 hole before battling back to make it 5-4. Muench came away with the final game of the match to clinch the semifinal victory.  

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 173-58 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 19-5 on the year with a 5-1 win over No. 6 seeded Central Oklahoma in the first round of the NCAA Central Regional on Monday afternoon. 
• They are ranked No. 22 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 7-2 playing at the Ernest Grundy Tennis Center with a 8-1 road record and are 4-2 in neutral court matches. 
• This season Nebraska Kearney is 103-37 (73.6%) in singles play duals. 
• Fabiana Gamboa is ranked No. 13 nationally in singles with Narindra Ranaivo slotted at No. 35. 
• Alexis Bernthal leads the team with a 19-4 record in duals at three spots while going 10-2 from No. 4. 
• Fabiana Gamboa has a 15-8 record overall while going 14-8 at No. 1. She is 4-3 against ranked opponents. 
• In doubles competition, the Lopers are 51-18 (73.9%) on the year. 
• Tanyaradzwa Midzi and Narindra Ranaivo are ranked No. 17 in the nation in doubles. They are 18-5 together at No. 1. 
• Alexis Bernthal and Masha Hatouka are 17-5 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 19-8 in the all-time series. 
• The Ichabods are 13-4 against the Lopers in Topeka. 
• The series began on March 7, 1997 with a 5-4 win for Washburn in Topeka. 
• After losing both matches last season, the Ichabods won a 4-3 road match over the Lopers on April 5 of this season. 

MILESTONE MARKERS

• Renske Ubachs is one doubles victory away from reaching 50 in her career. In singles she is two away from 40. 
• Maddie Shelley is four doubles wins away from 40 career victories in doubles. 
• Isabella Martensson needs three more victories in doubles for 80 career wins. 

SCHEDULE SPRING FORWARD

• With a win Washburn will advance to a fourth straight NCAA National Championships in Altamonte Springs, Fla. between May 21 and May 25.