TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn men's tennis goes on the road for its final non-ITA tournament of the fall at the Midwestern State Invitational beginning Friday, Oct. 6 in Wichita Falls, Texas. 
 

First Serve

• Washburn women's  tennis goes on the road for the first time this season heading to the Midwestern State Invitational.
• The Ichabods will take the court in Wichita Falls, Texas on Friday, Oct. 9 and conclude on Saturday.
• 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 MIDWESTERN STATE INVITATIONAL

• The tournament field is made up of Washburn, Midwestern State, Cameron and St. Mary's University.
• All matches will take place at the MSU Tennis Center and the Weeks Park Tennis Center.
• Matches played at the MSU Tennis Center will be livestreamed on PlaySight.
• Both sites will begin play at 8:00 a.m. each day.

SINGLES SITUATION

• Washburn is 17-11 (60.7%) on the year in singles action after two tournaments.
• Jasel Bailey leads the team with five victories this season as she is 5-1 to begin the season in singles action.
• Daniela Tijaro has posted a 4-2 record in singles action to begin the season.
• Ruriha Miyawaki and Riko Konno are both 3-3 in singles action to begin the season.
• Saajida Razick has a 2-2 record in singles play through two tournaments.

DOUBLES DOWNLOAD

• Through one weekend the Ichabods have posted a 12-6 (66.7%) doubles record. 
• Jasel Bailey and Saajida Razick picked up where they left off last season and are 4-2 together through two tournaments.
• Daniela Tijaro and Ruriha Miyawaki also have started the season with a 2-1 mark in doubles action.
• Riko Konno and Mariana Silva Balsa posted a 2-1 record in the opening weekend of play.
• Mariana Silva Balsa and Daniela Tijaro are 2-1 together this season as well.
• Ruriha Miyawaki and Riko Konno have gone 2-1 as a duo this season in one tournament.

LAST TIME OUT 

WASHBURN INVITATIONAL - OCTOBER 3, 2026

TOPEKA, Kan. -- Home competition for the fall concluded for Washburn on Saturday in the final day of the Washburn Invite in Topeka. The Ichabods will next hit the road for the Midwestern State Invitational beginning on October 9 in Wichita Falls, Texas.  

On the doubles side of action Riko Konno and Ruriha Miyawaki fell in a blue flight semifinals battle against Central Oklahoma, 7-5. Playing in the red flight, Jasel Bailey and Saajida Razick swept their way into the finals defeating a duo from Southwest Baptist. In the championship round they narrowly fell, 6-4, to a Missouri State pair.  

Four Ichabods wrapped up singles play in the tournament with consolation matches with Daniela Tijaro, Jasel Bailey and Ruriha Miyawaki claiming victories on the final day.  

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 four doubles victories away from reaching 50 in her career.
• Daniela Tijaro needs seven singles victories to reach 50 career wins.

FALLING FORWARD

• Washburn will turn to ITA play next time out as they head to the ITA Central Region Tournament in Edmond, Okla. beginning Friday, Oct. 23 at Edmond Center Court. 
• The ITA DII Singles and Doubles Championships take place in Tuscaloosa, Ala. on Nov. 4-8.