TOPEKA, Kan. -- No. 11 Washburn women's tennis is set to host a third straight home match to open the spring season facing No. 8 Midwestern State inside the Genesis Tennis Center at 12 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 22.
 

FIRST SERVE

• No. 11 Washburn returns after two weeks off to face No. 8 Midwestern State in the first ranked battle of the season. 
• The Ichabods will face the Mustangs inside Genesis Tennis Center in Topeka, Kan. at 12 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 22.
• Washburn moved to 2-0 on the year defeating Augustana 4-1 at home last time out. 
• Midwestern State defeated Northwest Missouri 6-1 to begin its spring and move to 1-0 on the year last time out.

BODS AND BITS 

• Washburn's 2025-26 roster features six returners from a season ago with three new incoming freshmen to round out the roster.  
• The Ichabods moved up to No. 11 in the latest ITA rankings.
• Washburn was picked to finish first in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll. 
• The Ichabods are is coming off a 17-4 season where they went 8-1 in the MIAA to win a share of the MIAA Regular Season Championship. They qualified for the NCAA Tournament for a 21st time in program history.
• So far on the year Washburn is 2-0 when playing at home and they have not played a dual match on the road or in a neutral court meeting.
• Last season the Ichabods went 4-4 against ITA ranked opponents. They are set to face four opponents ranked in the ITA preseason top-25 in the spring. 

AROUND THE RANKINGS

• Washburn has three players ranked in the ITA singles rankings. 
• Renske Ubachs leads the team with a No. 14 ranking, Riko Konno is ranked No. 40 and Daniela Tijaro was slotted at No. 48.
• On the doubles side Renske Ubachs and Daniela Tijaro are ranked No. 4 in the nation. 

SINGLES SETUP

• So far on the season Washburn has gone 66-14 (82.5%) in singles matches.
• After winning the ITA Central Region Championship, Renske Ubachs leads the team with a 14-2 singles record and is 2-0 playing at No. 1. 
• Riko Konno has gone 11-1 on the year to begin her freshman season and is 2-0 at No. 2.She is 1-0 against ranked opponents.
• Daniela Tijaro has compiled a 9-3 record in singles play to begin the year and has gone 2-0 playing at No. 3.  
• Saajida Razick is off to a 8-1 start in singles competition and is 1-0 at No. 5.
• Jasel Bailey picked up where she left off to begin the season 8-1 overall and 2-0 playing at No. 4. 
• Charlotte Bair is 8-2 on the year in singles play and has gone 1-0 at the six spot in singles. 
• Maddie Shelley has began the season 5-0 playing in tournaments. 
• Peyton Koper is 3-4 on the singles side to open the season.

DOUBLES DOWNLOAD

• The Ichabods have gone 28-7 (80.0%) on the year in doubles matches this season. 
• Renske Ubachs and Daniela Tijaro have the most victories of any doubles duo on the team going 10-2 to begin the season and 2-0 at No. 1. 
• Saajida Razick and Riko Konno have teamed up to go 6-1 together. 
• Riko Konno Peyton Koper are 1-1 playing together in duals at No. 2 and No. 3.
• Jasel Bailey and Saajida Razick have gone 1-1 together this season on courts two and three. 
• Ubachs and Tijaro are tied for the team lead with ten doubles victories.

LAST TIME OUT

Washburn 4, Augustana 1 (February 7, 2026)

TOPEKA, Kan. -- No.13 Washburn responded quickly to a slow start on Saturday afternoon, winning four straight in singles to defeat Augustana 4-1. The Ichabods get a long break before returning to action against Midwestern State on Sunday, Feb. 22 at 12 p.m.  

No. 4 Renske Ubachs and Daniela Tijaro led off doubles play cruising to a 6-2 win at No. 1 over No. 20 ranked Maria Fiacan and Fernanda Sandoval of the Vikings (2-1). Augustana evened up the event as Saajida Razick and Jasel Bailey fell 6-1 on court two. Riko Konno and Peyton Koper bounced back from an early deficit to force a tiebreaker. They came up short in the extra game, falling 7-6(5) as the visitors took the first point of the match.  

No. 40 Riko Konno got the point back quickly to start singles action. She knocked off No. 24 ranked Fiacan in two sets, 6-2 and 6-3 to even the match for Washburn (2-0) from court two. Playing on the top court No. 14 Renske Ubachs also won in two sets, 6-3 and 6-2. No. 48 Daniela Tijaro worked a 6-3 first set win at No. 3 before breezing to a 6-1 win in the second, bringing up match point.  

Jasel Bailey delivered the clinching point in the match, grinding out a pair of 6-4 wins on court four. Saajida Razick led in set two after falling in the first set at No. 5 and Charlotte Bair was one game away from adding another point to the Ichabod tally at No. 6.  

HEAD COACH KIRBY RONNING

• Ronning is in year six 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 181-62 combined record with Washburn.
• Has been named the ITA Central Region Coach of the Year four times and the MIAA Coach of the Year twice. 
• 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 seven 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. 
• Graduate assistant Santiago Renton is entering his 2nd season as part of the Washburn coaching staff.  
• He moved 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. 
• Maja Jung also is entering year two on the coaching staff as a graduate assistant for the women's program. 
• Jung was an All-American in both singles and doubles and is 2nd in program history in career victories. 

OPPONENT QUICK SCOUT 

ABOUT THE MIDWESTERN STATE MUSTANGS

• Midwestern State began its spring with a 6-1 win over Northwest Missouri on Feb. 6 to move to 1-0. They will face Nebraska Kearney and Rockhurst in matches this weekend before facing the Ichabods. 
• Last season the Mustangs went 23-4 overall and 9-1 inside the LSC. They advanced to the NCAA National Semifinals.
• They rank No. 8 in the latest ITA national rankings.
• This year they are 1-0 when playing neutral court matches and have not yet played at home or a true road match. 
• Two players are ranked by the ITA in singles play with Selin Sepken ranked No. 10 and Emilia Gyorgy slotted at No. 42. 
• Midwestern State is 5-1 (83.3%) in singles competition. 
• In doubles Emilia Gyorgy and Camila Garcia Morales are ranked No. 10 in the nation.
• The Mustangs are a perfect 3-0 (100.0%) in doubles duals.

MUSTANGS COACHING STAFF

• Luis Diaz is in his first season as the head coach at Midwestern State leading both the men's and women's programs.
• Diaz is a 2024 graduate of MSU and one of the most decorated players in recent program history
• He has helped develop junior talent at the Midlothian Tennis Association, Tompkins Tennis Academy in San Francisco, and the Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy in Spain.
• Graduate assistant coaches Edu Couto and Anda Ghinga round out the coaching staff. 

HISTORY WITH MIDWESTERN STATE

• Midwestern State leads the all-time series between the two teams 12-3.
• The Ichabods are 1-5 against the Mustangs in Topeka. 
• The series began on March 23, 2001 with a 5-4 win for Midwestern State in Wichita Falls, Texas.
• The Mustangs have won the last nine meetings including a 4-3 win last season on Feb. 8 in Topeka. The last four matches have all been decided 4-3.

MILESTONE MARKERS

• Maddie Shelley is one doubles victory away from reaching 40 career doubles wins. 
• Peyton Koper needs two more wins in doubles to reach 40 in her career.
• Saajida Razick needs one more doubles win to reach 30 for her career.

SCHEDULE SPRING FORWARD

• Washburn will play against Pratt CC in a home exhibition before heading to Florida for four matches.
• MIAA play for the Ichabods begins with a March 27 match against Newman in Wichita. 
• Senior day for Washburn takes plan on April 18 with a 2:30 p.m. match against Northwest Missouri. 
• The MIAA Championship Tournament takes place in Springfield, Mo. at the Cooper Tennis Complex from May 1-3.