DETROIT -- The No. 32-ranked Wayne State University women's tennis team will compete against Keiser University, Flagler College, Nova Southeastern University, and Barry University over the team's Spring Break trip to Florida.

LAST TIME OUT
The Green and Gold posted a 4-3 win over Hillsdale on Saturday, February 28.

WSU lost the doubles point, falling in two-of-three matches, before nabbing singles wins in the top four positions.

SCOUTING THE SEAHAWKS
Keiser is the No. 1-ranked team in the nation in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), posting a 6-0 ledger ahead of its contest with the University of Tampa later today, March 10.

KU's Violet Apisah won the NAIA Singles Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Cup this past fall, becoming the first women's tennis player to in the event's history to win three times, having done so during the 2022 fall and 2024 fall previously.  Violet Apisah and Patricia Apisah are paired at the No.1 doubles slot, having posted a 14-1 record thus far, finishing as the Runner-Up at the ITA Cup in doubles.

Head coach Daniel Finn has guided KU to a 188-47 mark in his tenure with the Seahawks, leading the squad to nine NAIA National Tournament appearances, including seven Runner-Up finishes.  The 11th-year man has been named the Sun Conference Coach of the Year eight times on the women's side.

SCOUTING THE SAINTS
Ahead of its match with Lenoir-Rhyne, Flagler holds a 2-6 record, with three losses coming to ranked Division 2 opponents, and another at the hands of Keiser.  The Saints are ranked one spot behind the Warriors, at 33rd nationally according to the ITA.

On the singles side, Elena Ondobo is ranked 14th nationally, compiling a 17-4 ledger this season, including a 4-2 record at the No. 2 position.  In the No. 1 singles slot is Eryka Kruk, who holds a 16-6 mark (4-3 at No. 1) and is the No. 40-ranked singles player.  

Rodrigo Puebla has been at the helm since 2017, earning Peach Belt Conference Coach of the Year honors four times, an ITA Southeast Region Coach of the Year once (2025).  He has helped the Saints to a 152-63 overall record and seven NCAA Tournament berths.

SCOUTING THE SHARKS
Nova Southeastern has tallied a 7-2 mark prior to the team's match with Augustana (March 11).  In the most recent ITA Poll, NSU is ranked 15th nationally.

Junior Kristyna Hranacova is the No. 2-ranked singles player in the nation according to the ITA, collecting an 8-1 mark at the No. 1 position.  Chloe Henderson is ranked 69th by the ITA.  The duo of Hranacova and Katja Markus is the No. 1-ranked doubles pairing in Division 2, having won the ITA Doubles Cup this past fall.

Doug Neagle is in his 10th season as head coach of the Sharks, helping the program to a 172-51 that includes a National Championship in the 2023-24 season, and a pair of NCAA Runner-Up finishes.

SCOUTING THE BUCCANEERS
The Bucs hold a 10-1 record, with the only loss coming to Division 1 Florida Gulf Coast.  Barry is the No. 3-ranked squad in the nation according to the ITA.  The program has been a perennial powerhouse, having won and NCAA-record nine Division 2 National Championships (2011, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2025), and finished at the Runner-Up a trio of times (2003, 2015, and 2024), boasting 68 All-Americans.

Three Barry student-athletes are ranked in singles by the ITA, as Dana Heiman is ranked sixth, Alina Michalitsch is ranked 27th, and Ailen Crespo is ranked 32nd.  On the doubles side, the pairing of Louane Lutringer and Ailen Crespo is ranked 18th nationally, posting a 9-1 record that includes a 7-1 mark at the top flight.

Head coach Avi Kigel has held the reigns of the women's tennis program since the 2009 campaign, helping the Buccaneers capture all nine of their National Championships.  Kigel has earned two ITA National Coach of the Year honors, along side five South Region Coach of the Year distinctions.  He has guided Barry to a 417-31 record during his tenure.

ITA RANKINGS UPDATE
In the most recent iteration of the ITA Poll, the Green and Gold checks in as the No. 32-ranked squad in the nation after being 22nd the week prior.

Senior Malak Arafat (Alexandria, Egypt / Lycée Français d'Alexandrie) is ranked 23rd in singles, posting a 4-0 record in dual matches this season (3-0 at No. 1 singles).  Wayne State's No. 1 doubles pairing of Justine Beaulieu (Montreal, Que. / Collège de Montréal High School) and Martyna Szpakowska (Gdansk, Poland / Sopocka Akademia Tenisowa) is the No. 24-ranked duo in the country.