Wichita Country Club
WICHITA, Kan. - The women's tennis team hosts its home opener on Thursday at noon against conference opponent Missouri State at the Wichita Country Club. This will be the Shockers' first dual of the 2016-17 season.
A win tomorrow will mark the program's 80th consecutive win over a Missouri Valley Conference opponent.
So far through the fall season and the prestigious National Collegiate Tennis Classic on Jan. 13-15, the Shockers have a combined singles record of 48-32 (.600) and a doubles record of 19-11 (.633). Last year, the Shockers defeated the Bears 6-1 in Springfield, Mo.
Head coach
Colin Foster is entering his eighth season at the helm as the team seeks their eighth-straight Valley title.
The team is led by 2016 MVC Player of the Year
Gabriela Porubin and
Giulia Guidetti, an all-Valley selection last year who is also currently ranked No. 93 in the Oracle/ITA singles rankings. Porubin opened the fall with a No. 74 ranking, but dropped out after going 9-5 in singles play.
Tanaporn Thongsing, who won the top flight in the MVC Individual Championships in the fall, will look to hold down the third singles slot. Freshmen
Ting-Ya Hsu and
Marija Mastilovic gained valuable experience last semester, and the team also added depth in the form of freshmen
Marta Bellucco and
Fatima Bizhukova, who joined the team this month.
Last year's team reached as high as No. 13 in the Oracle/ITA national rankings and finished 27-4 on their way to an NCAA Tournament appearance.
