Wayne State University Athletics

Women's Tennis 3/19/2024 2:30:00 PM Matthew Jurek, Sports Information Graduate Assistant

Women's Tennis Returns Home to Face Tiffin on Wednesday

The Warriors will play their sixth match of the season against a fellow Midwest Region program.

DETROIT -- Following its annual Florida trip for Spring Break, the third-ranked Wayne State University women's tennis team returns home to face a Midwest Region opponent in Tiffin University on Wednesday, March 20, at noon inside the Duchene Athletic Facility.

The contest against the Dragons will be WSU's sixth match of the campaign against teams from the Midwest Region. The Green and Gold are 4-1 in the previous five affairs, with the lone defeat coming at Indianapolis on February 11.

Wayne State enters the match-up with an overall record of 8-4. The four losses have all been to other nationally-ranked squads (#15-Washburn, #12-UIndy, #2-Nova Southeastern, #21-Flagler). The team will also look to continue its perfect home record to begin the year. WSU is 4-0 inside the Duchene Athletic Facility this season.

ITA RANKINGS UPDATE
The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) released another round of rankings last week on Wednesday, March 13. Included were the fifth round of National Rankings and the second rounds of National Singles and Doubles Rankings for the current campaign. Within the country, the Warriors remained third, which is the same spot they claimed in the previous list revealed on March 6. WSU is behind perennial championship favorites in Barry and Nova Southeastern for Division II.

Wayne State was also well represented for singles and doubles, with four student-athletes each within the top 75 and top 50, respectively. Among those nationally ranked in singles are Anais Ruyssen (Nantes, France) in 11th, Malak Arafat (Alexandria, Egypt) in 45th, Marta Komar (Inowroclaw, Poland) in 55th, and Martyna Szpakowska (Gdansk, Poland) in 69th. Ruyssen and Komar sit third in the country for doubles, while Arafat and Szpakowska are 36th.

The next round of computerized rankings will be revealed by the ITA tomorrow (Wednesday, March 20). There will be six more rounds of rankings prior to postseason play, which will begin on April 26 for WSU.

The new rankings provided by the ITA can be found HERE.

LAST TIME OUT
Wayne State went 2-1 on its three-match trip across Florida as part of its annual Spring Break swing. The Warriors downed NAIA member Florida National and fellow Division II foe Palm Beach Atlantic - both by scores of 7-0 - but fell 5-2 to #21-Flagler at the neutral site USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla.

The match against the Saints was the only one played last week (March 12). Szpakowska and Dea Gorgidze (Tbilisi, Georgia) won their singles matches to provide the Green and Gold with their two points for the day.

WAYNE STATE
With 10 matches remaining in the regular season, several Warriors have notched impressive spring totals through this point in the campaign. Ruyssen, Komar, and Szpakowska all have 11 doubles wins in 2024, with Komar and Ruyssen achieving those together - all at the first flight. Arafat is 10-2 in doubles.

Szpakowska leads the way with 11 victories in singles, and she has yet to be defeated in the category this season. All 11 of the sophomore's wins have been at the No. 4 position. Gorgidze played in singles for the first time this season in Florida at Palm Beach Atlantic, and the redshirt sophomore has helped the squad's cause with back-to-back triumphs. Ruyssen has secured a 9-4 record (one unfinished match) against every team's top-flight players, as the Warrior has competed in all 14 matches at the No. 1 singles spot.

VS. TIFFIN (3/20)
Tiffin has posted a stellar 13-1 start to its season, with the only loss being a 4-2 setback at Embry-Riddle on March 2 in Daytona Beach, Fla. The Dragons have won six straight matches since then, with three coming against GLIAC programs in Lake Superior State (4-3), Saginaw Valley State (6-1), and Ferris State (5-2). TU was ranked 24th nationally in the most recent ITA National Rankings.

WSU is 20-2 against its former GLIAC rivals since March 8, 2005, with 11 of those being conference matches. Wayne State has won the last two meetings, including a 4-1 win on May 6, 2022 during the NCAA Midwest Regional in Indianapolis, Ind. The Green and Gold is 9-0 at home vs. TU since 2005, which includes a 7-0 triumph in the last match-up between the two programs on April 6, 2023.

The Dragons are coached by Phil Conley in his 15th season. He is assisted by Abbie-Jade Riley in her third campaign, and Shea Foster in her first season on the Tiffin Coaching Staff.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Malak Arafat: 5' 11"; Sophomore

Dea Gorgidze: 5' 7"; Redshirt Sophomore

Marta Komar: 5' 9"; Redshirt Junior

Anais Ruyssen: 5' 9"; Redshirt Junior

Martyna Szpakowska: 5' 8"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Malak Arafat
: 5' 11"; Sophomore

Dea Gorgidze
: 5' 7"; Redshirt Sophomore

Marta Komar
: 5' 9"; Redshirt Junior

Anais Ruyssen
: 5' 9"; Redshirt Junior

Martyna Szpakowska
: 5' 8"; Sophomore