TOPEKA, Kan. -- Ichabod women's tennis enters regional competition this week at the ITA Central Region Tournament in Edmond, Okla. beginning Thursday, Oct. 22. 
 

First Serve

• Washburn women's tennis heads into ITA competition at the ITA Central Region Tournament. 
• The regional competition will take place Thursday, Oct. 22 through Sunday, Oct. 25 at Edmond Center Court in Edmond, Okla. 
• The Ichabods are coming off a 20-5 season overall in 2025-26 while going 8-1 inside the MIAA, sharing a part of the MIAA Regular Season Championship. They advanced to the NCAA National Round of 16.
• Washburn's 2026-27 roster features seven players with one senior, three juniors, a pair of sophomores and a freshman.
• Six of seven Ichabods on the roster will compete in both singles and doubles in the event.

ABOUT THE ITA CENTRAL REGION TOURNAMENT

• The tournament consists of every team in the central region both singles and doubles with two draws for each competition.
• All matches will be played in Edmond, Okla. at Edmond Center Court. 
• Doubles competition will open the day at 9 a.m. on Friday with the first round of singles set to begin at 12:30 p.m. 
• In singles play Mariana Silva Balsa, Saajida Razick, Jasel Bailey, Riko Konno, Daniela Tijaro and Ruriha Miyawaki will all compete in the main flight. 
• All three Washburn duos will also participate in the main flight of doubles. 

SINGLES SITUATION

• Washburn is 22-23 (48.9%) on the year in singles action after three tournaments.
• Jasel Bailey leads the team with seven victories this season as she is 7-2 to on the year in singles play.
• Daniela Tijaro has posted a 4-5 record in singles action to begin the season.
• Ruriha Miyawaki is 4-5 on the year in singles competition.
• Saajida Razick has a 3-4 record in singles play through three tournaments.
• Riko Konno has posted a 3-6 mark in singles play this season.
• Mariana Silva Balsa has competeted in one tournament on the singles side going 1-1.

DOUBLES DOWNLOAD

• Through three tournaments the Ichabods have posted a 17-9 (65.4%) doubles record. 
• Jasel Bailey and Saajida Razick picked up where they left off last season and are 6-2 together through two tournaments.
• Ruriha Miyawaki and Riko Konno have gone 4-2 as a duo this season in one tournament.
• Mariana Silva Balsa and Daniela Tijaro are 3-3 together this season, playing in two tournaments together.
• Bailey, Konno, Miyawaki and Razick all lead the team with six doubles victories.

LAST TIME OUT 

MIDWESTERN STATE INVITATIONAL - OCTOBER 10, 2026

WICHITA FALLS, Tex. -- Washburn women's tennis finished its time at the Midwestern State Invitational earning one doubles flight champion on Saturday. Next, the Ichabods will complete in the ITA Regional Championships in Edmond, Okla. beginning on Friday, Oct. 23. 

In the blue flight of doubles play Daniela Tijaro and Mariana Silva Balsa were knocked out in the quarterfinal round, falling 6-3. The run for Riko Konno and Ruriha Miyawaki also ended in the quarterfinal round with a 6-4 loss. 

Playing in the red flight Jasel Bailey and Saajida Razick advanced directly into the semifinal round where they worked a 6-4 victory over a duo from Midwestern State. In the championship match they won 6-4 as well to take the flight title.  

Head Coach Kirby Ronning

• Ronning is in year seven 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 217-71 combined record with Washburn.
• Has been named the ITA Central Region Coach of the Year six times, MIAA Coach of the Year four times and was the ITA/Dunlop Women's Coach of the Year once in 2026. 
• 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

• Kurt Reid enters year eight as a volunteer assistant coach for the Ichabods. 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. 
• Assistant coach Santiago Rendon begins year three as a coach with the Ichabods and his first as a full-time assistant after being elevated from a graduate assistant before the 2026-27 season.
• He moved from playing to the sidelines after wrapping up a three season career with the Ichabods headlined by an ITA Cup Doubles National Championship in fall of 2023. 

MILESTONE MARKERS

• Saajida Razick is two doubles victories away from reaching 50 in her career.
• Daniela Tijaro needs seven singles victories to reach 50 career wins.

FALLING FORWARD

• Qualifiers from the ITA Cup will advance onto the ITA Division II Singles and Doubles Championships will complete on Nov. 4-8 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.