Trip to the Sooner State for Emporia State Women's Tennis

Women's Tennis | 4/19/2024 3:04:00 PM

Emporia State Hornet Women (5-9, 1-4 MIAA) 
at Central Oklahoma Bronchos (5-8, 1-4 MIAA)
Saturday, April 20 • 3:00 p.m. • Broncho Courts • Edmond, Okla. 
Live Video: None Live Results: None
at Northeastern State RiverHawks (7-6, 2-3 MIAA)
Sunday, April 21 • 11:00 a.m. • NSU Tennis Complex • Tahlequah, Okla. 
Live Video: None Live Results: ioncourt.com
Complete Notes in pdf
Up Next: vs. #41 Missouri Western
Thursday, April 25 • 2:00 p.m. •  Kossover Family Tennis Complex • Emporia, Kan. 

RED DIRT TENNIS
The Emporia State women travel to the Sooner State to take on Central Oklahoma and Northeastern State in two pivotal MIAA matches. The Hornets, Bronchos and RiverHawks are three of four teams within one game of fifth place in the MIAA standings. The top six teams advance to the MIAA Tournament.
 
LAST SETS
The Emporia State women fell at Newman 4-3 in a match that went down to a tiebreaker in the third set of the final match.
The doubles point went to Newman as they won 6-2 at #1 and 6-4 at #2 before Perla Conde Vendrell and Sheriden Wichman prevailed 6-4 at #3 doubles.
Paige Stranghoner quickly evened the dual with a 6-2, 6-1 win at #6 singles for the Hornets before the Jets got a 7-6 (7-4), 6-1 win at #1 and a 6-2, 6-4 win at #3 to go up 3-1.  Anastasia Pesic won 6-4, 6-4 at #5 singles and Giovanna Ferreira won 6-2, 7-5 at #4 to bring Emporia State back into a 3-3 tie.  The deciding match between ESU's Lilie Bizouerne and Newman's Ani Zeikidze would go to a tie breaker in the third set before Zeikidze pulled out the 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) win to clinch the win for the Jets.
 
THE COACHES
Former Hornet CeCe Peyroche is 5-9 in her first full season as the permanent coach of the Emporia State women's program. She took over as the interim coach for both teams in December of 2022. She went 6-9 with the men's team and 5-13 in women's action last year. Peyroche was 23-15 in singles play during her three years as a Hornet before moving into the graduate assistant position last year.  
John Blackburn is 10-7 in his first season as the head men's coach and Director of Tennis at Emporia State. He spent the past eight seasons as the head coach at NCAA Division III Methodist University in Fayetteville, N.C. He went 117-58 overall with a 54-4 record in conference play, winning three regular season conference championships, two conference tournament championships and made two NCAA Tournament appearances under his leadership. He was also a head coach at Eastern Illinois, Coker College and Palm Beach Atlantic. 

A LOOK AT THE HORNETS
The Hornet women are 5-9 overall and 1-4 in the MIAA this year. Two of their MIAA losses have been 4-3 decisions.
Giovanna Ferreira is 7-7 overall with a 3-2 mark at #3 and 2-0 record at #4 singles. 
Lilie Bizouerne is 7-6 this spring with a 4-2 mark at #3 singles while going 2-2 in the #4 spot. 
Paige Stranghoner is 6-5 this spring with a 3-1 mark in MIAA play. She is 3-2 overall at #6 singles.
Anastasia Pesic is 6-3 on the season, going 1-0 at #4 and 5-3 at #5 singles. 
Perla Conde Vendrell has played all but one match at #1 singles this year and is 4-10 overall.
Angelina Gnezdilova has played positions 1-4 this spring and is 3-9 overall. 
Sheriden Wichman is 2-2 overall and 2-0 at #5 singles.
Andrea Santiago Sanchez is 2-1 this spring with all three matches at #6 singles.
Sheriden Wichman and Perla Conde Vendrell have paired to go 9-4 in doubles action, with an 8-3 mark at the #3 spot and winning their lone match at #1 doubles. They are 3-2 in MIAA play. 
Lilie Bizouerne and Paige Stranghoner are 4-6 at #2 doubles and 2-2 at #1 for a 6-8 overall record.  

KNOW THE FOE
Central Oklahoma is 5-8, 1-4 in the MIAA and have lost three straight going into Friday's play.
Northeastern State is 7-6, 2-3 in the MIAA and have split their last four matches.

LAST MEETING
Emporia State lost 4-1 to Central Oklahoma in the final regular season match of 2023. The Hornets last win over the Bronchos was in 2015.
Emporia State fell 7-0 to Northeastern State last season at the Kossover Family Tennis Complex.  The Hornets last win over the RiverHawks was in 2022.

NEXT SERVE
Emporia State will play their final home match on Thursday, April 25 against Missouri Western. Senior Angelina Gnezdilova will be recognized prior to the first serve at 2:00 p.m.