SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- No. 17 Washburn will play for a second MIAA Tournament Championship in four seasons when they take on No. 33 Central Oklahoma in the final match of the tournament on Sunday, May 3 beginning at 10 a.m. 
  

FIRST SERVE 

• No. 17 Washburn women's tennis will face the defending MIAA Tournament Champions in No. 33 Central Oklahoma.  

• The Ichabods take on the Bronchos at the Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield, Mo. Beginning at 10 a.m. on Sunday, May 2 

• Washburn won an eighth straight match to improve to 18-3 on the year with a 4-2 win over No. 40 Northwest Missouri in the semifinal round on Saturday. 

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. 17 in the latest ITA poll. 

• They are ranked No. 2 in the latest NCAA Central Region rankings released on April 29. 

• 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 7-2 on the road and 4-1 in neutral court matches. 

• The Ichabods are 6-2 against ranked opponents this season. 

TOURNAMENT TIME!  

• Washburn is playing for a third conference championship in program history and a first since the 2022-23 season. 

AROUND THE RANKINGS 

• Washburn has two players ranked in the ITA singles rankings.  

• Renske Ubachs leads the team with a No. 31 ranking. Riko Konno is slotted at No. 59. 

• On the doubles side Renske Ubachs and Daniela Tijaro are ranked No. 17 in the nation. Saajida Razick and Jasel Bailey enter the rankings at No. 40 in the nation. 

SINGLES SETUP 

• So far on the season Washburn has gone 146-41 (78.1%) in singles matches. 

• After winning the ITA Central Region Championship, Renske Ubachs leads the team with a 27-5 singles record and is 15-3 playing at No. 1.  

• Riko Konno has gone 22-6 on the year to begin her freshman season. She is 13-5 in duals and is 12-4 at No. 2 with a 2-2 record against ranked opponents. 

• Daniela Tijaro has compiled a 20-10 record in singles play. She is 13-7 in duals overall and 12-5 playing at No. 3. 

• Saajida Razick has a 19-5 mark in singles play overall while going 12-4 in duals. She has played between No. 2 and No. 5 with a 4-2 mark at No. 5. 

• Jasel Bailey is 22-3 overall in singles with a 16-2 mark in duals. She has gone 9-2 playing at No. 4 and 7-0 on court five while winning her last 13 times out. 

• Charlotte Bair is 15-4 on the year in singles play and has gone 6-1 at the six spot in singles.  

• Mariana Silva Balsa is 8-3 on the year in singles play all in duals. She is 5-2 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 68-21 (76.4%) on the year in doubles matches this season.  

• Jasel Bailey and Saajida Razick have the most doubles victories of any duo going 13-5 together this season, all in duals. They have a 8-2 record at No. 1 and are 1-1 against ranked opponents. 

• Daneila Tijaro and Mariana Silva Balsa are 10-3 together, all in duals, and are 9-2 playing at No. 2. 

• Renske Ubachs and Riko Konno are 7-2 together this season playing at all three spots. They are 4-0 at No. 3. 

• Daniela Tijaro leads the team with 22 doubles victories this season, Jasel Bailey is just behind her with 21.  

LAST TIME OUT 

Washburn 4, Northwest Missouri 2 (May 2, 2026) 

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- No. 17 Washburn took command with a 3-0 lead early and went on to win 4-2 over No. 40 Northwest Missouri in the MIAA Semifinals on Saturday morning. The Ichabods will face No. 33 Central Oklahoma in the MIAA Championship on Sunday, May 3 beginning at 10 a.m.   

It was the Bearcats (17-5) who took the advantage early in doubles, winning 6-1 on court one over No. 40 Saajida Razick and Jasel Bailey. Riko Konno and Renske Ubachs dispatched of their opponents 6-2 at No. 3 to even doubles up. Marian Silva Balsa and Daniela Tijaro took early control to work a 6-3 win on court two and take doubles for Washburn (18-3).  

Leading off singles play Daniela Tijaro led early in her first set before coming from behind to force a 5-5 tie and winning the next two games. She carried the momentum into a 6-0 sweep in the second set to put a second point on the board. No. 31 Renske Ubachs battled to claim a 7-6 tiebreaker first set victory on the top court. She to continued the momentum into a 6-3 win in the second set that brought up match point.   

Northwest Missouri got on the board in the match as Saajida Razick fell in two sets at No. 5, 6-1 and 6-4. Mariana Silva Balsa won her opening set 6-2 on court six but fell in each of the next two sets, 3-6 and 4-6 as the match was brought within one. No. 59 Riko Konno fell behind early in her first set, losing 2-6 to begin her dual. She bounced back with a 6-3 win in the second set to force a third. In the third set jumped in front early leading 3-1 and rolled all the way to a 6-2 match-clinching victory.   

Jasel Bailey led 5-2 in her third set at No. 5 when the match 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 112-68 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 CENTRAL OKLAHOMA BRONCHOS 

• Central Oklahoma improved to 17-3 overall with a 4-2 win over No. 45 Missouri Western in the semifinals on Saturday. 

• 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 8-1 on the year playing in Edmond, 6-2 on the road and are 3-0 in neutral court matches. 

• Mei Hasegawa is ranked No. 20 in the nation in singles while Pete Komada is slotted at No. 54 by the ITA. 

• Central Oklahoma has gone 77-28 (73.3%) in singles play in duals.  

• Mei Hasegawa is 16-1 on the year in singles duals, all coming at No. 1 in the lineup. 

• In doubles competition Mei Hasegawa and Pete Komada are ranked No. 7 in the nation while Pete Komada and Ayaka Koga are ranked No. 37. 

• The Bronchos have gone 46-8 (85.2%) in doubles competition. 

• Mei Hasegawa and Pete Komada are 16-2 in doubles duals this season, all coming at No. 1.  

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 16-7. 

• The series began on April 12, 1998 with a 9-0 win for Central Oklahoma on the road.  

• The Bronchos won the only meeting between the two teams this season, a 4-3 victory at home in Edmond on March 28. 

MILESTONE MARKERS 

• Maddie Shelley is two career singles victories away from reaching 40. 

• Daniela Tijaro needs one doubles victory to reach 50 in her career. 

• Jasel Bailey needs five singles victories to reach 50 in her career.