TOPEKA, Kan. -- Conference play for Ichabod women's tennis finally gets underway on Friday morning taking on Newman at 9:30 a.m. before facing Central Oklahoma at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 28 in Edmond, Okla.
 

FIRST SERVE

• No. 12 Washburn women's tennis opens MIAA play taking on Newman on the road. 
• The Ichabods will face the Jets at 9:30 a.m. indoors on Friday, March 27 in Wichita, Kan. 
• Washburn defeated Southern Arkansas 4-0 last time out on March 20 for a fifth straight win moving to 9-2 overall on the year. 

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 fell to No. 12 in the latest ITA rankings after going 2-0 last week. 
• 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 3-0 when playing at home 3-1 on the road and 3-1 in neutral court matches.
• The Ichabods are 3-2 against ranked opponents this season.

AROUND THE RANKINGS

• Washburn has two players ranked in the ITA singles rankings. 
• Renske Ubachs leads the team with a No. 15 ranking. Riko Konno is slotted at No. 47.
• On the doubles side Renske Ubachs and Daniela Tijaro are ranked No. 12 in the nation. 

SINGLES SETUP

• So far on the season Washburn has gone 98-30 (76.6%) in singles matches.
• After winning the ITA Central Region Championship, Renske Ubachs leads the team with a 18-4 singles record and is 6-2 playing at No. 1. 
• Riko Konno has gone 17-3 on the year to begin her freshman season. She is 8-2 in duals and is 7-1 at No. 2 with a 2-1 record against ranked opponents.
• Daniela Tijaro has compiled a 13-7 record in singles play to begin the year and has gone 6-3 playing at No. 3.  
• Saajida Razick has a 12-3 mark in singles play overall while going 5-2 in duals. She is 3-1 playing at No. 5.
• Jasel Bailey is 14-3 overall in singles with a 8-2 mark in duals. She has gone 5-2 playing at No. 4 and 3-0 on court five.
• Charlotte Bair is 11-4 on the year in singles play and has gone 4-1 at the six spot in singles. 
• Maddie Shelley has a 7-1 record in singles play and has gone 2-1 in duals.
• Peyton Koper is 3-4 on the singles side to open the season.
• Mariana Silva Balsa is 2-1 on the year in singles play all in duals.

DOUBLES DOWNLOAD

• The Ichabods have gone 42-17 (71.2%) 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 11-4 to begin the season and 3-2 at No. 1. 
• Jasel Bailey and Saajida Razick have gone 6-3 together this season, all in duals. They are 3-2 together at No. 2. 
• Peyton Koper and Maddie Shelley are 4-1 playing together with a 2-1 mark at No. 3. 
• Jasel Bailey has a team-high 14 doubles victories. Daniela Tijaro is second on the squad with 13.

LAST TIME OUT

Washburn 4, Southern Arkansas 0 (March 20, 2026)

MAGNOLIA, Ark. -- No. 10 Washburn claimed a fifth straight victory and second sweep of the season defeating Southern Arkansas 4-0 on Friday afternoon. The Ichabods will begin conference play taking on Newman next Friday, March 27 in Wichita, Kan.  

Daniela Tijaro and Saajida Razick led off the match winning a quick 6-1 dual at No. 3 doubles to give Washburn (9-2) the early advantage. Jasel Bailey and Mariana Silva Balsa followed just behind, winning 6-2 on court two to clinch the first point of the match. Renske Ubachs and Riko Konno led 5-4 on the top court over No. 48 ranked Taylor Konway and Roksana Kokocha of the Muleriders when the point was decided.  

No. 47 Riko Konno worked a 6-3 victory on court two to begin her dual and led 3-1 in the second when her opponent retired, making it a 2-0 match. Daniela Tijaro cruised to a 6-1 win in her opening set before battling for a 6-4 win in the second set at No. 3 to bring up match point. No. 14 Renske Ubachs came back from an early deficit to win her first set 7-5 on the top court. She closed out the match with a 6-1 win in the second.  

Saajida Razick trailed in her second set on court four while Mariana Silva Balsa was just three games into her match at No. 5 when the point was decided.  

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 195-67 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 NEWMAN JETS

• Newman is 0-1 on the year after opening the spring losing 7-0 to Central Oklahoma on March 24. 
• Last season the Jets went 7-15 overall and 3-6 inside the MIAA, missing out on the MIAA Tournament. 
• This year they are 0-1 playing at home and have not played a road or neutral court match.

JETS COACHING STAFF

• Darren Snyder is in his first season as the director of men's and women's tennis at Newman. 
• Graduate assistant Jazmin Zamorano rounds out the coaching staff. 

HISTORY WITH NEWMAN

• Washburn leads the all-time series over Newman 12-2 including winning the last eight matches. 
• The Ichabods are 3-2 against the Jets on the road. 
• The series began on April 21, 2008 with a 9-0 win for Washburn at home. 
• The Ichabods won the last meeting between the two teams last season winning 5-2 at home on April 22.

ABOUT THE CENTRAL OKLAHOMA BRONCHOS

• Central Oklahoma improved to 9-2 overall and 1-0 inside the MIAA after defeating Newman 7-0 last time out on March 24.
• Last season the Bronchos went 13-7 overall and 6-3 in the MIAA, winning the MIAA Tournament and falling in the first round of the NCAA Central regional.
• This year they are 4-1 on the year playing in Edmond, 4-1 on the road and are 1-0 in neutral court matches.
• Mei Hasegawa is ranked No. 30 in the nation in singles while Pete Komada is slotted at No. 56 by the ITA.
• Central Oklahoma has gone 46-14 (76.7%) in singles play in duals. 
• Pete Komada is 10-1 in duals on the year going 9-1 playing at No. 2. 
• In doubles competition Mei Hasegawa and Pete Komada are ranked No. 18 in the nation while Pete Komada and Ayaka Koga are ranked No. 25.
• The Bronchos have gone 23-8 (74.2%) in doubles competition.
• Ayaka Koga and Anika Ouwejan are 9-1 together in doubles, all at No. 2. 

BRONCHOS COACHING STAFF

• Joe Vann is in his 5th season as the head coach at Central Oklahoma. 
• Vann came to UCO from UT Tyler, where he spent four years as the assistant coach for both men's and women's programs
• Vann is a 2009 graduate of UT Tyler. He earned All-ASC honors both on the court and in the classroom there before moving into coaching.
• Graduate assistant Ana Naranjo Martinez completes the coaching staff. 

HISTORY WITH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA

• Central Oklahoma leads the all-time series between the two teams 15-7. Washburn has won the last three meetings. 
• The Ichabods are 1-8 against the Bronchos in Edmond, Okla.
• The series began on April 12, 1998 with a 9-0 win for Central Oklahoma on the road. 
• The last meeting came on March 29 last season and was a 4-3 win for Washburn at home. 

MILESTONE MARKERS

• Maddie Shelley is two career singles victories away from reaching 40.
• Jasel Bailey is just behind her needing three victories in singles for 40 in her career.

SCHEDULE SPRING FORWARD

• The Ichabods return home next Wednesday, April 1 to take on Fort Hays State at 2 p.m.
• 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.