Women’s season preview

2022-23 WASHBURN ICHABODS

WASHBURN WOMEN’S TENNIS

The 2021-22 season for Washburn women’s tennis was a tale of two seasons. After going 17-3 in the shortened 2020-21 season prior the Ichabods began the following season with a 4-8 record. The season ended with the team making its second ever appearance in the NCAA National Championships round of 16.

The team’s final record ended at 16-12 in head coach Kirby Ronning’s second season. The Ichabods return six of nine players from last season’s roster while welcoming two transfers and one freshman into the mix.

Of the returners five earned all-MIAA honors last season. Lara Schmid landed on the first team at No. 5 singles in her freshman season with a 7-0 record in the spot. She also earned honorable mention honors at No. 1 doubles with a 16-6 season record. Junior Cadence Lynn will redshirt for the 2022-23 season after posting an 11-10 record in singles, earning a second team selection at No. 6. Oklahoma where she was the singles state runner-up after going 22-1 her senior year and finishing third in state as a freshman.

After going 1-1 in the fall season Washburn will begin the spring Jan. 28 against William Woods in an exhibition. The official season and home opener will be Feb. 4 against William Jewell College. The first conference match will be on the road against Fort Hays State on Mar. 9 which will be shortly followed by three matches in Florida.

After returning from the Sunshine State the Ichabods will have their longest and final homestand of the year with five matches and four against MIAA opponents. March 31 against Newman will be senior day. The final five matches of the regular season will come on the road. The final two will be non-conference matchups in Arkansas, with the regular season finale coming against Southern Arkansas on April. 15.

Junior Marta Torres returns after being named to the second team for both No. 1 singles and No. 3 doubles. She posted a 15-13 record in singles matches and went 21-5 in doubles. Maja Jung was an honorable mention for both No. 2 singles and doubles. In singles play she went 21-9 overall and 8-3 from No. 2 while going 14-8 in doubles matches. She enters the spring season ranked No. 43 in singles.

Isabella Martensson was also an honorable mention at No. 1 doubles and No. 4 singles as a freshman. She went 18-7 in doubles play and 17-6 in the No. 1 spot. Rounding out the returners is sophomore Issabella Pensavalle who has a combined career record of 11-6.

Svea Crohn and Kinsey Fields both earned all-conference honors in their senior seasons. Crohn was named to the second team for No. 3 doubles with Torres and was an honorable mention at No. 3 singles. Fields was an honorable mention at No. 2 doubles with Jung.

After the tournament run Washburn was ranked No. 39 overall in the final Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings. Assistant coach Kurt Reid was also named the Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year in his third year with both tennis teams.

Joining the team in 2022-23 will be senior transfers Sonia Smagina and Casie Curry, along with freshman Maddie Shelley.

Smagina comes from the University of Kansas where she earned All-Big 12 Freshman team honors in 2019, and was first team allconference in singles the same year. Smagina made an immediate impact in the fall, winning the ITA Central Regional singles tournament and advancing all the way to the finals in the ITA Cup. She will enter the spring ranked No. 2 in singles and No. 9 in doubles with Lara Schmid.

Curry has experience playing against the Ichabods, coming from Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. In four seasons with the Mustangs she earned Lone Star Conference freshman of the year in 2019, and was named the senior of the year in 2022. She earned all-conference honors in singles once and doubles three times with a career record of 110-34 combined. Shelley comes from Bartlesville High School in Bartlesville, The location of the MIAA tournament is still to be determined, however the tournament will run from April 21 to 23.

Marta Torres was named to the All MIAA second-team for both No. 1 singles and No. 3 doubles after the 2021-22 season. She posted a 15-12 overall singles record and 21-4 mark in doubles play.