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WICHITA, Kan. - Wichita State (7-2) begins a three-match road stretch this weekend when they travel to Lincoln, Neb. The Shockers are set to take on the Cowgirls of Wyoming and Nebraska. WSU will face Wyoming in a neutral match Saturday, Feb. 17 at 11 a.m. followed by a dual with the Cornhuskers on Sunday beginning at 11 a.m. Both matches will be played at the Dillon Tennis Center.

LAST TIME OUT
WSU extended its win streak to four with a pair of wins last weekend over Arkansas and Old Dominion. The Shockers went on the road to knock of the Razorbacks for just the second time in school history (2-21) After losing the doubles point to the Razorbacks, who were receiving votes in the Feb. 7 team rankings, the Shockers rallied and won four straight points in singles action to win the match. Red-hot Old Dominion came to town Sunday, sporting an 8-2 record. After clinching the doubles point, WSU held off a late rally from the Monarchs to win 4-2 and improve to 7-2 on the season.
 
SHOCKER SUMMARY
Wichita State is 7-2 to start the 2018 campaign, with losses to No. 8 Texas Tech (4-0) and NC State (4-3). The Shockers have picked up victories over Stephen F. Austin (7-0), SMU (5-2), FIU (4-2), UT-Arlington (4-0), and UMKC (4-0), (RV)Arkansas (4-1) and Old Dominion (4-2).  Two Shockers are undefeated in singles play, sophomore Marta Bellucco (4-0, 5th flight, 10-3 overall) and junior Sandra Honigova (7-0, 2nd/ 3rd/4th flight). Senior Gabriela Porubin is 4-2 in dual action in both third and fourth flights. Senior Giulia Guidetti, is 5-3 in singles. (3-2 in second flight, 1-0 in first, 1-1 in third). Guidetti and sophomore Ting-Ya Hsu are 3-0 in doubles action in the third flight.
 
AMERICAN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Wichita State's Fatima Bizhukova was named the American Conference Player of the Week for the week Jan. 22-28. The award was the first ever for the Shockers in the American conference (women's tennis). A week later, Sandra Honigova was named Player of the Week Jan. 29-Feb. 4.
 
ONE THREE PUNCH
Two Shockers are ranked in the latest ITA/Oracle Singles Rankings. Bizhukova, who is 4-1 in the first flight (11-6 overall) ranks No. 73 for the Shockers. Junior Sandra Honigova joins her at No. 104 after starting the season 7-0, in the 2nd/3rd/4th  flight. Honigova knocked off No. 61 Claudia Wiktorin of NC State in the Wichita State's home opener Feb. 2 and No. 67 Ana Oparenovic Feb. 10.
 
NEW CONFERENCE, SAME GOALS
The Shockers join the American Athletic Conference after a successful tenure in the Missouri Valley Conference. Conference opponents are played during the season, however; they do not count as conference matches. The conference action begins at the SMU Tennis Complex, Apr. 18-21 at The American Championship in Dallas. Ninth-year head coach Colin Foster has the same goals in The American as he did in the Missouri Valley, where he never lost a conference match in eight seasons (78-0) including conference tournaments.
 
QUOTABLE
 Head Coach Colin Foster on the move from Missouri Valley to American Athletic Conference and playing in American Championship:
"Our goal is to win every match. That goal doesn't change from the Missouri Valley to the American. We know that the competition is tougher and the challenge is going to be bigger. That doesn't change our goals. If we would have lost a match in the Missouri Valley, then so be it. If we lose a match in the American Tournament….that's part of sports. We're certainly excited and confident that we can go in there and play with any team in this league. "
 
UPSET ALERT
Sophomore Fatima Bizhukova knocked off No. 3 Andrea Lazaro of FIU in straight sets (6-1, 6-2) leading the Shockers past FIU in the opening round of ITA Kick-Off Weekend in Lubbock , Jan. 26. The sophomore from Russia had No. 5 Gabriela Talaba of Texas Tech on the ropes the following day, leading 6-2, 5-2 before the match went unfinished.

ON THE COWGIRLS
Wyoming has only played three matches so far in 2018, with a 2-1 overall record. The Cowgirls have taken down Central Oklahoma (4-2) and Northern Colorado (6-1). Its lone loss came by way of Oklahoma State (4-0). Wyoming is led by first team all-conference juniors Elisa Koonik and Tessa van Der Ploeg. The duo is 2-1 in doubles action, which includes a win over No. 20 Babic/Blanco of Oklahoma State. Magdalena Stencel is 2-1 in singles for the Cowgirls, all in the first flight. Van der Ploeg is 1-0 with two unfinished matches.  Head coach Dean Clower leads the Cowgirls, who finished 18-4 (5-0 MW) a season ago. Wyoming and WSU met up in the fall season at the SMU Red and Blue Challenge in Dallas, Texas. The Shockers went 4-3 against the Cowgirls. Gabriela Porubin/Fatima Bizhukova, who ranked No. 16 in the fall, knocked off No. 48 Koonik and Van der Ploeg (6-1). The Shockers hold a 4-2 advantage all-time against Wyoming, and are 1-1 under Foster. Nebraska holds a narrow lead over the Shockers all-time (20-16). Last season, WSU lost a nail biter on the road to Nebraska (4-3).

ON THE CORNHUSKERS
The Cornhuskers come into the weekend with a 5-2 record, with wins over Colorado State, Eastern Michigan, South Dakota, SIUE and North Dakota. All five of their wins have came via sweep. No. 3 Vanderbilt and Virginia have handed them losses. Nebraska is led by Scott Jacobson, who is the winningest coach in Nebraska history and in his 26th season with the tennis program. In 2016-17, the team finished 19-8 (5-6 Big Ten) and amassed a 16-2 home record at the state of the art Sid and Hazel Dillon Tennis Center, which finished construction in 2015.

FALL BALL
Bizhukova, who ranked No. 102 in Preseason Rankings, led all singles players in the fall, compiling a 7-5 record in tournament play.  Bizhukova had two top-100 victories to her name.  Bizhukova felt that she had areas to improve from her fall season - "My fall season was not very good, I was thinking too much about the ranking. I was trying to win all my matches. But now, I feel that you have to win, but if you enjoy it you will win for sure."

Sophomore Marta Bellucco went 6-3 in the fall season, and and Sarvinoz Saidhujaeva finished 5-3.
In doubles, Senior Gabriela Porubin and Bizhukova, who ranked No. 16 in Fall Rankings, went 7-3 with wins over two top-50 tandems.
 
RETURNERS
Seniors Giulia Guidetti and Gabriela Porubin lead a group of five returners from a season ago.  The senior tandem is in the top-20 for singles wins in school history. (Guidetti, 79. Porubin, 77). Along with Bizhukova, sophomores Bellucco and Ting-Ya Hsu are among the returners. Junior Sandra Honigova returns to the court after sitting out last season. (transferred from FIU in 2015-16).
 
NEW FACES
The Shockers welcomed two newcomers to the 2017-18 squad. Sophomore Sarvinoz Saidhujaeva comes to WSU from Uzbekistan, where she began play for the Shockers in the fall. Saidhujaeva went 5-3 in fall play, and is 4-4 in dual play, with matches in third, fifth and sixth flight.  Freshman Alexandra Lazarova joined the Shockers in the fall, and compiled a 6-6 record in tournament action. Lazarova, from Slovakia, is 2-1 in dual matches all in the sixth flight.
 
NEXT STOP:
The Shockers continue their three-game road stretch when they travel to Missouri on Friday, Feb. 23. WSU will take on the Tigers at 3 p.m. at the Mizzou Tennis Complex in Columbia, Mo.