EMPORIA STATE WOMEN'S TENNIS OPENS MIAA PLAY AGAINST MISSOURI WESTERN

Women's Tennis | 3/24/2022 8:27:00 PM

Emporia State (3-4, 0-0 MIAA)
vs.
Missouri Western (8-2, 0-0 MIAA)
Sunday, March 27 • 2:00 p.m.
Kossover Family Tennis Complex • Emporia, Kan.
Up Next: at Northeastern State
Friday, April 1 • 3:00 p.m.
NSU Tennis Complex • Tahlequah, Okla.

BACK AT IT
After a two week layoff from regular season action, the Emporia State women's tennis team is back in action as they begin MIAA play against Missouri Western.
 
LAST SET
The Hornet women defeated Barton CC 6-1 in exhibition action on Thursday at the Kossover Family Tennis Complex.
In their last regular season action, Emporia State's southern trip to start Spring Break ended with a pair of losses at nationally ranked opponents in Wichita Falls, Texas on Monday.  The Hornet women took a match from #23 Midwestern State in a 6-1 loss while the men fell 7-0 to the #44 Mustangs. Viktoria Mackova won her second straight match for the Emporia State women to improve to 4-2 on the season. She came from behind to win 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (12-10) at #6 singles.

THE COACH
Les Stafford is 14-15 with the women and 14-14 with the men in dual match play in his third year as the head coach at his alma mater. He is 192-158 in 18 years overall as a head women's coach. Stafford was the head coach of the women's program at Wichita State from 1990-2004 and was a four-time conference coach of the year for the Shockers.  He went 178-143 in dual match play with four conference tournament championships and one regular season title. He spent 15 years as the head tennis pro at Crestview Country Club in Wichita, Kan. Stafford was a four-time NAIA National Tournament qualifier during his career with the Hornets. As a senior in 1981, he won the  #1 singles and #1 doubles championship at the CSIC Tournament. Stafford ended his career by winning three doubles matches and one singles match in his final appearance at the national tournament.  

A LOOK AT THE HORNETS
The Emporia State women are 3-4 on the season and defeated Barton CC 6-1 in an exhibition match on March 24. Micaela McSpadden has played all seven matches at #1 singles and is 3-4 on the season. Viktoria Mackova is 4-2 on the year with a 3-1 record at #6 singles. Mackova and Karen Santiago Sanchez are 3-3 at #1 doubles.  Anastasia Pesic and Paige Stranghoner are 3-3 overall with a 3-2 record at #2 doubles.
The Emporia State men are 5-4, 1-0 in the MIAA with two of their losses to nationally ranked teams.  They are in the middle of a three week break from regular season competition but did play the sixth ranked juco team in Barton CC on March 24.  Harrison Brown has played eight matches at #1 singles. Theo Belmonte is 5-3 on the year with a 3-0 mark at #4 singles while playing at #2, #3 and #4. Jaden Tredway is 5-3 on the season with a 3-2 record at #6 singles. The Hornets have used ten different combinations in doubles with Belmonte and Sergio Vera going 5-3 overall with a 2-1 record at the #1 spot.

ABOUT THE GRIFFONS
Missouri Western's women are 8-2 on the season heading into Friday's match at Newman.  Esther Guemes is 10-0 at #2 singles while Anais Peralta Criadois 9-1 splitting time at #3 and #4 singles. Guemes and Claudia Iglesias are 8-2 at#2 doubles.

SERIES HISTORY
The Hornets have won six of the last nine meetings between the two teams.

NEXT SERVE
The Emporia State women continue MIAA play next weekend when they travel to Oklahoma for a pair of matches.  They will start with a dual at Northeastern State on Friday, April 1 in Tahlequah, Okla.