TOPEKA, Kan. -- No. 18 Washburn rounds out the regular season looking for at least a share of a second straight MIAA Regular Season title facing Arkansas-Fort Smith and Northeastern State in a pair of road matches on Friday and Saturday respectively. 
 

FIRST SERVE

• No. 18 Washburn women's tennis finishes the regular season with a pair of MIAA contests against Arkansas-Fort Smith and Northeastern State.
• The Ichabods will face the Lions at 1 p.m. on Friday, April 24 in Fort Smith, Ark. They wrap up the regular season on Saturday against the RiverHawks beginning at 1:30 p.m. in Broken Arrow, Okla.
• Washburn improved to 15-3 overall and 6-1 in MIAA play after defeating No. 42 Northwest Missouri State 4-3 on senior day April 18 at home.

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. 18 in the latest ITA poll.
• They are ranked in the top spot of the NCAA Central Region rankings released April 22.
• 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 7-0 when playing at home 5-2 on the road and 3-1 in neutral court matches.
• The Ichabods are 5-2 against ranked opponents this season.
• Washburn controls its own destiny with a chance to win at least a share of the MIAA Regular Season Championship with a 2-0 week.

AROUND THE RANKINGS

• Washburn has two players ranked in the ITA singles rankings. 
• Renske Ubachs leads the team with a No. 28 ranking. Riko Konno is slotted at No. 57.
• On the doubles side Renske Ubachs and Daniela Tijaro are ranked No. 13 in the nation. 

SINGLES SETUP

• So far on the season Washburn has gone 131-39 (77.1%) in singles matches.
• After winning the ITA Central Region Championship, Renske Ubachs leads the team with a 24-5 singles record and is 12-3 playing at No. 1. 
• Riko Konno has gone 19-6 on the year to begin her freshman season. She is 10-5 in duals and is 9-4 at No. 2 with a 2-2 record against ranked opponents.
• Daniela Tijaro has compiled a 17-10 record in singles play. She is 10-7 in duals overall and 9-5 playing at No. 3.
• Saajida Razick has a 18-4 mark in singles play overall while going 11-3 in duals. She has played between No. 2 and No. 5 with a 3-0 mark at No. 3.
• Jasel Bailey is 20-3 overall in singles with a 12-2 mark in duals. She has gone 7-2 playing at No. 4 and 5-0 on court five while winning her last 11 times out.
• Charlotte Bair is 14-4 on the year in singles play and has gone 6-1 at the six spot in singles. 
• Mariana Silva Balsa is 7-2 on the year in singles play all in duals. She is 4-1 at No. 6.
• 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.

DOUBLES DOWNLOAD

• The Ichabods have gone 60-20 (75.0%) on the year in doubles matches this season. 
• Jasel Bailey and Saajida Razick are tied for the most doubles victories of any duo going 11-4 together this season, all in duals. They have a 6-1 record at No. 1 and are 1-1 against ranked opponents.
• Daneila Tijaro and Mariana Silva Balsa are 7-3 together, all in duals, and are 6-1 playing at No. 2.
• Renske Ubachs and Riko Konno are 5-2 together this season playing at all three spots. They are 2-0 at No. 3.
• Jasel Bailey and Daniela Tijaro are tied for a team-high 19 doubles victories. Saajida Razick and Renske Ubachs both have 18.

LAST TIME OUT

Washburn 4, Northwest Missouri 3 (April 18, 2026)

TOPEKA, Kan. -- No. 18 Washburn worked a second straight ranked victory Saturday afternoon defeating No. 42 Northwest Missouri 4-3 on senior day to keep pace in the MIAA Regular Season Championship race. The Ichabods hit the road next facing Arkansas-Fort Smith at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, April 24.  

Prior to the match Washburn (15-3, 6-1 MIAA)celebrated its two seniors, Renske Ubachs and Maddie Shelley, on the court. One of the seniors, Ubachs, and Riko Konno led off the match in doubles delivering a swift 6-1 win on court three. Daniela Tijaro and Mariana Silva Balsa followed with a 6-1 victory of their own at No. 2 to clinch doubles over the Bearcats (14-4, 5-2 MIAA). Jasel Bailey and Saajida Razick made it a sweep with a 6-2 win on the top court of doubles.  

Mariana Silva Balsa worked quickly in singles as well, winning a pair of 6-2 sets at No. 6 to make it a 2-0 match. No. 26 Renske Ubachs battled off a slow start to win 6-4 in her opening set at No. 1. She settled into a 6-3 victory in the second set to bring up match point. Northwest Missouri got on the board as Saajida Razick narrowly fell in a 7-5 first set before losing 6-3 in the second on court four.  

Daniela Tijaro opened her dual falling 6-2 but flipped the score in the second for a 6-2 win. She came up short, losing 6-4 in the third as the match moved to 3-2. No. 56 Riko Konno also fell in her opening set on court two, losing 6-1, before rallying to win 6-2 in the third. She could not pull off a late comeback as the match was tied with a 6-4 third set going to the Bearcats. Jasel Bailey went an extra game but came up just short in her first set 7-5. She cruised to a 6-1 win in the second, forcing a third set on court five. She fell behind 2-4 early before reeling off four straight games to take the set and match for the Ichabods. 

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 205-68 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 ARKANSAS-FORT SMITH LIONS

• Arkansas-Fort Smith fell to 3-14 on the year and 1-6 in conference play after losing 0-7 to Central Oklahoma last time out on April 18.
• Last season the Lions went 2-19 overall and 0-9 in the MIAA, missing out on the conference tournament.
• This year they are 1-6 playing at home, 2-7 on the road and 0-1 in neutral court matches.
• Arkansas-Fort Smith is 22-59 (27.2%) on the year in singles play in duals.
• Arianna de Bernanrdo is 8-8 on the year in singles, all at No. 1.
• The Lions are 9-31 (22.5%) on the year in doubles duals. 
• Antonietta Bocache and Gracie Pereff are 5-9 together in doubles play, playing all at No. 2. 

LIONS COACHING STAFF

• Mike Phillips is in his 2nd season as the head men's and women's tennis coach at Arkansas-Fort Smith.
• Phillips comes to UAFS after coaching at the Walton Family Whole Health and Fitness Center in Bentonville and Kingsdale Tennis Center in Bella Vista, Arkansas. 
• Phillips managed tennis programs in Los Angeles where his coaching included training active UTR and USTA youth and adult competitors for his local tennis club.

HISTORY WITH ARKANSAS-FORT SMITH

• Arkansas-Fort Smith leads the all-time series between the two teams 2-1.
• The Ichabods are 0-2 against the Lions on the road. 
• The series began with a 5-4 home win for Arkansas-Fort Smith on Feb. 24, 2012.
• The Ichabods won the only meeting between the two teams last season 7-0 at home on April 26.

ABOUT THE NORTHEASTERN STATE RIVERHAWKS

• Northeastern State is 11-7 overall on the year and 4-3 in MIAA play after defeating Newman 6-1 on the road last time out on April 18.
• Last season the RiverHawks went 6-13 overall and 4-5 inside conference play, falling in the first round of the MIAA Tournament.
• This year they are 6-1 playing at home in Tahlequah, 3-5 on the road and 2-1 in neutral court matches.
• Northeastern State is 63-41 (60.6%) on the year in singles play during duals.
• Daisy Barrow leads the team with a 14-4 singles record. She is 7-3 playing at No. 3. 
• Renata Morales and Daisy Barrow are ranked No. 30 in the nation in doubles by the ITA.
• The RiverHawks have a 27-21 (56.3%) record in doubles play duals.
• Daisy Barrow and Renata Morales are 9-4 together all at No. 1. 

RIVERHAWKS COACHING STAFF

• Tim McLane is in his fifth season as the head coach at Northeastern State and is in his 1st leading both the men's and women's programs.
• McLane came to Tahlequah in December 2020 from USC Upstate (Spartanburg, S.C.), where he was the head coach for both men's and women's tennis programs for two seasons 
• Prior to assuming the head coach position at USC Upstate, McLane was the program's top assistant for two seasons
• Graduate assistant Anais Peralta and volunteer assistant Mark Nelson round out the coaching staff.

HISTORY WITH NORTHEASTERN STATE

• Northeastern State leads the all-time series between the two teams 16-7. 
• The Ichabods are 2-6 agasint the RiverHawks in Tahlequah.
• The series began on March 3, 2000 with a 6-3 win for Northeastern State in Topeka.
• Washburn has won the last seven meetings including a 7-0 win last season in the only meeting between the two teams on April 25.

MILESTONE MARKERS

• Maddie Shelley is two career singles victories away from reaching 40.
• Daniela Tijaro needs four career doubles victories to reach 50 in her career.
• Renske Ubachs is two doubles wins away from 70 with the Ichabods.

SCHEDULE SPRING FORWARD

• The MIAA Championship Tournament takes place in Springfield, Mo. at the Cooper Tennis Complex from May 1-3.