TOPEKA, Kan. -- For the first time in more than a month No. 12 Washburn women's tennis returns home to face Fort Hays State on Wednesday, April 1 at 2 p.m. at the Castillo Family Tennis Complex

 

FIRST SERVE

• No. 12 Washburn women's tennis returns home for the first time in more than a month to take on Fort Hays State. 
• The Ichabods will face the Tigers at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1 at the Castillo Family Tennis Complex. 
• Washburn fell to 10-3 on the year and 1-1 inside the MIAA after falling 3-4 on the road to Central Oklahoma last time out on March 28.

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 are ranked No. 12 in the latest ITA poll.
• 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 4-2 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 107-33 (76.4%) in singles matches.
• After winning the ITA Central Region Championship, Renske Ubachs leads the team with a 19-5 singles record and is 7-3 playing at No. 1. 
• Riko Konno has gone 18-4 on the year to begin her freshman season. She is 9-3 in duals and is 8-2 at No. 2 with a 2-2 record against ranked opponents.
• Daniela Tijaro has compiled a 15-7 record in singles play to begin the year and has gone 8-3 playing at No. 3.  
• Saajida Razick has a 14-3 mark in singles play overall while going 7-2 in duals. She is 3-1 playing at No. 5.
• Jasel Bailey is 15-3 overall in singles with a 9-2 mark in duals. She has gone 5-2 playing at No. 4 and 4-0 on court five while winning her last six times out.
• Charlotte Bair is 12-4 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.
• Mariana Silva Balsa is 2-2 on the year in singles play all in duals.
• Peyton Koper is 3-4 on the singles side to open the season.

DOUBLES DOWNLOAD

• The Ichabods have gone 45-20 (69.2%) 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 6-4 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. 
• Renske Ubachs and Riko Konno are 2-2 together this season playing at No. 1.
• Jasel Bailey and Daniela Tijaro are tied for a team-high 14 doubles victories. Saajida Razick and Renske Ubachs both have 13.

LAST TIME OUT

Central Oklahoma 4, Washburn 3 (March 28, 2026)

EDMOND, Okla. -- No. 12 Washburn fell 4-3 to Central Oklahoma in the finale of a ten-match road trip on Saturday afternoon in Oklahoma. The Ichabods return home next to face Fort Hays State on Wednesday, April 1 at 2 p.m.  

The Bronchos (11-2, 3-0 MIAA) took an early edge in doubles play winning 6-1 at No. 3 over Daniela Tijaro and Mariana Silva Balsa. On the top court Renske Ubachs and Riko Konno took a 6-3 loss to No. 18 Mei Hasegawa and Pete Komada to win the doubles point. Saajida Razick and Jasel Bailey fell 6-4 at No. 2 as Central Oklahoma swept doubles.  

Jasel Bailey bounced back in singles, working 6-3 and 6-0 sets from No. 5 to tie the match up at one and put the Ichabods (10-3, 1-1 MIAA) on the board. The Bronchos went back in front as No. 56 Pete Komada defeated No. 47 Riko Konno in two sets, 6-4 and 6-3 on court two. No. 15 Renske Ubachs also fell in two sets on the top court, losing 4-6 and 2-6 sets to No. 30 Mei Hasegawa.  

Daniela Tijaro fell 4-6 in her first set at No. 3 but battled back to win 6-3 in the second and 6-2 in the third to continue the match. Mariana Silva Balsa cruised to a 6-1 win in her opening set at No. 6 but dropped the next two sets, 6-1 and 6-2 as the match was decided. Saajida Razick prevailed in her court four dual, coming back from losing 3-6 in the first set to win 7-5 in the second and 14-12 in a 10-point third set.  

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 197-68 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 FORT HAYS STATE TIGERS

• Fort Hays State is 8-3 on the year and 0-1 in the MIAA after falling 0-7 to Northwest Missouri last time out on March 27.
• Last season the Tigers went 13-9 overall and 2-7 inside the MIAA, missing out on the MIAA Tournament.
• This year they are 4-2 playing at home in Hays, 4-0 on the road and 0-1 in neutral court meetings.
• Fort Hays State is 64-32 (66.7%) in singles competition as a team.
• Ines Latorre leads the team with a 13-3 record and is 9-2 in duals. She is 5-1 at No. 3 singles. 
• The Tigers have gone 23-14 (62.2%) in doubles competition. 
• Ines Latorre and Yon Perelro are 4-1 together in doubles play, all at No. 2. 

TIGERS COACHING STAFF

• Brian Flax is in his 30th season as the head tennis coach at Fort Hays State.
• Flax ranks as the all-time leader in coaching victories at FHSU with 241.
• Flax taught at Thomas More Prep-Marian High School in Hays for two years before guiding the FHSU tennis program.
• Assistant coach Vova Zakharov and student assistant Irina Alfonso round out the coaching staff.

HISTORY WITH FORT HAYS STATE

• Washburn leads the all-time series over Fort Hays State 28-9 including winning each of the last 26 matches.
• The Ichabods are 15-4 against the Tigers in Topeka. 
• The series began on October 24, 1974 with a 5-4 win for Fort Hays State in Topeka.
• Last season Washburn won 7-0 in the only match between the two teams on April 2. The last four matches have all been 7-0 decisions.

MILESTONE MARKERS

• Maddie Shelley is two career singles victories away from reaching 40.
• Jasel Bailey also needs a pair of singles wins to get to 40 career victories.
• Saajida Razick is five doubles victories away from winning 40 in her career.

SCHEDULE SPRING FORWARD

• The Ichabods stay at home to face Nebraska Kearney at 2 p.m. on April 4 at the Castillo Family Tennis Complex.
• 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.