LIVE STATS vs. ARKANSAS | LIVE STATS vs. OLD DOMINION
 
WICHITA, Kan.- Wichita State (5-2) begins a two-game away and home weekend when they travel to Arkansas Saturday for an 11 a.m matchup with the Razorbacks (2-3) at the Billingsley Tennis Center. The Shockers play host to Old Dominion Sunday, Feb. 11 at the Wichita Country Club. Match time is set for 10 a.m.
 
SHOCKER SUMMARY
Wichita State is 5-2 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).  Two Shockers are undefeated in singles play, sophomore Marta Bellucco (4-0, 5th flight) and junior Sandra Honigova (5-0, 3rd/4th flight). Senior Gabriela Porubin is 3-1 in dual action in both third and fourth flights. Senior Giulia Guidetti, is 4-2 in singles. (3-2 in second flight, 1-0 in first). Guidetti and sophomore Ting-Ya Hsu are 2-0 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 3-1 in the first flight (10-6 overall) ranks No. 73 for the Shockers. Junior Sandra Honigova joins her at No. 104 after starting the season 5-0, in the 3rd/4th flight. Honigova knocked off No. 61 Claudia Wiktorin of NC State in the Wichita State's home opener Feb. 2.
 
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 games. 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 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 RAZORBACKS
Arkansas is off to a 2-3 start to the 2018 season. Their victories came over Tulsa and Oklahoma, with losses to Wake Forest (21), Kansas(RV) and Oklahoma State (18).  The Razorbacks and Shockers have met 22 times on the court, with Arkansas holding a 21-1 advantage. Under head coach Colin Foster, the Shockers are 1-5, with the last meeting coming last season at the NCAA Regionals in Stillwater, Okla. No. 19 Arkansas won the match, 4-2. Fatima Bizhukova and Giulia Guidetti came away with singles wins in the one and two spots over two top-75 opponents. Guidetti knocked off No. 45 Shannon Hudson (6-1, 6-1) while Bizhukova took down No. 64 Ana Oparenovic (6-4, 6-1), who returns this season.

RAZORBACK RANKINGS
Three doubles tandems and two singles players are ranked for Arkansas, who is receiving votes in latest ITA Team Rankings. In singles, junior Ana Oparenovic ranks No. 67 and senior Leolia JeanJean comes in at No. 113. In doubles, Arkansas natives Tatum Rice and Jackie Carr come in at No. 32, followed by JeanJean and Giulia Pairone at No. 35. Mia Jurasic and Oparenovic come in one spot later at No. 36.

ON THE MONARCHS
Old Dominion (8-1) is off to a flaming start in 2018.  Six of their eight wins have come via sweep, with their lone loss to Tennessee who is receiving votes in ITA Team Rankings. The Monarchs wins came against Florida Atlantic, Morgan State, Virginia, Richmond, Navy, VCU, Charlotte and Appalachian State.  Old Dominion is led by returning C-USA Freshman of the Year Holly Hutchinson, who is 6-2 this season at the No. 1 slot for the Monarchs.
 
The match Sunday will be the first between the two programs.
 
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 2-4 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:
WSU will head to Lincoln, Neb. Feb. 17-18 where they will take on Wyoming and Nebraska. The Wyoming match will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, and Nebraska at 11 a.m. Sunday. Both matches will be played at the Dillon Tennis Center.