The RoundHouse | 4/16/2026 7:07:00 PM

By Paul Suellentrop
 
Five seniors from five countries and a tennis story that starts with a familiar journey.
 
"You come here with one suitcase and you know nobody," said Wichita State senior Anne Knuettel. "The first thing you do is a huge Target trip and buy everything you need."
 
Those five members of Wichita State's women's tennis are near the end and closing in on their goal to lift the program to the top of the American Conference and into NCAA play. The Shockers (19-3) are No. 28 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's national rankings and the top seed in the American Conference Championship.
 
Wichita State opens play at 10 a.m., Friday in the quarterfinals vs. eighth-seeded UAB in Houston. While there is no regular-season title in women's tennis, the Shockers went 6-0 vs. conference competition. They are the highest ranked team by the ITA with No. 30 Charlotte (21-3) and No. 51 Rice (14-6) seeded second and third.
 
The Shockers, who take a 17-match win streak into the tournament, need three wins to secure the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. At No. 28, they are in strong shape to earn an at-large spot – at-large bids often extend into the low 40's. WSU last played in the NCAA's in 2018.
 
Wichita State's journey back to this level started after injuries derailed the 2022 spring season. The Shockers, short-handed in most matches, went 8-13. Over the next two years, former coach Colin Foster brought in Knuettel, Kristina Kudryavtseva, Theodora Chantava, Giorgia Roselli and Xin Tong Wang. Tatyana Nikolenko joined the team in 2024 as a transfer from Miami (Fla.). Vichitraporn Vimuktananda arrived last fall after three seasons at Central Arkansas.
 
Knuettel, from Germany, Kudryavtseva, from Russia, Chantava, from Greece, Nikolenko, from Kazakhstan, and Vimuktananda, from Thailand, are the five Shockers in their final season of college tennis. That group drove the team's determination and chemistry to make this season memorable.
 
"I think we've seen the importance of fighting," Chantava said. "When I first got here, that wasn't in me. I didn't know how to fight and be really gritty. That grew through the years. That also spread through the team."
 
 
They bonded through team dinners, dance competition, road trips, trips to Target, workouts and difficult matches. They played the card game UNO (Roselli wins often), learned English and explored Wichita.
 
"I think this experience helps us to understand each other," Knuettel said. "If we're getting homesick, we're there for each other. That's a huge thing, having the structure of a team that helps us. It's like having a second family."
 
That fight has defined this season from Wang at No. 1 singles with her 11-3 record to Vimuktananda's 13-1 record at No. 4 and No. 5 and her knack for closing out close matches. Chantava is the highest ranked Shocker at No. 92 in singles and is 12-2 at No. 3. Roselli is 12-1 at No. 2 singles and teams win Wang at No. 1 doubles, where they are ranked No. 34.
 
"We have a special chemistry from being here for four years," Kudryavtseva said. "We're seeing how the team developed, step by step, better and better every year."
 
 

Big hugs for another doubles dub 🤗#FearTheWheat🌾 https://t.co/KKTXFsZAT0 pic.twitter.com/utEUX6nkfX

— Wichita State Women's Tennis (@GoShockersWTEN) April 11, 2026

 
 
The Shockers demonstrated that fight early in the spring. Winning tight matches proved all the work paid off. That momentum raised their ceiling for the season.
 
In January, a 4-1 loss at then-No. 6 Oklahoma showed provided the first evidence the goal of climbing the rankings was realistic.
 
"Even though it didn't go our way, I felt like it proved to the girls that they could play at a really, really high level," coach Jacob Eddins said.
 
Wins over Iowa State and Iowa started the current win streak. Iowa won the first five singles matches before the Shockers came back to win at No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5.
 
In early February, WSU defeated Kansas 4-3 with Vimuktananda rallying from a 3-0 deficit in the third set to win 7-5 and take No. 5 singles.
 
"Beating KU was a really big moment for us," Chantava said. "In previous years, we never beat them. It was like 'OK, now we're established. We're strong. We can do this.' That was a big win and showed we could do it."
 
Coach Jacob Eddins points to Chantava's progress with her forehand as one of the key factors. She is 14-2 this spring and 13-4 at No. 2 doubles with Kudryavtseva.
 
"Theodora has made a really noticeable improvement," Eddins said. "She's definitely put the work in. The jump she's made has been an anchor for our program and helping us through some of these close and competitive matches."
 
Chantava, as all the seniors do, point to an expectation of focusing on good practices and good workouts and then adding to those sessions in their free time. Diligence in recovery time and injury maintenance also helps them get the most out of practice.  An increased emphasis on conditioning and mental strength started under Foster in the fall of 2024 and ramped up in Eddins' first year at WSU.
 
Knuettel remembers a hot day during fall practices when Foster told them to put away their rackets at the Coleman Tennis Complex. They ran 40 minutes of sprints before their two-hour practice.
 
"He was saying 'This is the way we're going to be,'" Knuettel said.
 
The Shockers took that base of conditioning and focus and put it to good use this year under Eddins. Their experience also helped close out tight matches.
  
"The fitness component is something that's in our control," he said. "I never want to lose a match because I don't feel like we're in good enough shape to sustain our level for a long three-set singles match."
 
Five seniors started last fall with a goal to push Wichita State's level back into NCAA play. This weekend, they can complete that task.
 
 

Sent the 'Stangs packing 👋 #FearTheWheat🌾 pic.twitter.com/51b31gm6kA

— Wichita State Women's Tennis (@GoShockersWTEN) January 19, 2026

 
Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.
 
Season tickets are on sale now, and season ticket renewals are available as well. To purchase, visit GoShockers.com/Tickets, dial 316-978-FANS (3267) or stop by the Shocker Ticket Office, located inside Charles Koch Arena, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.