Final Home Matches for Emporia State Tennis Against Nationally Ranked Foes

Men's Tennis | 4/23/2024 12:08:00 PM

Emporia State Hornet Men (10-7, 1-2 MIAA/GAC)
vs. #6 Washburn Ichabods (15-3, 2-0 MIAA/GAC)
Wednesday, April 24 • 1:00 p.m. • Kossover Family Tennis Complex • Emporia, Kan. 
Live Video: The MIAA Network 
Emporia State Hornet Women (5-11, 1-6 MIAA) 
vs. #41 Missouri Western Griffons (11-3, 4-2 MIAA)
Thursday, April 25 • 2:00 p.m. •  Kossover Family Tennis Complex • Emporia, Kan.
Live Video: The MIAA Network
Up Next: Men at Southeastern Oklahoma
Sunday, April 28 • 11:00 a.m. •  Southeastern Tennis Complex • Durant, Okla. 

FINAL HOME MATCHES
The Emporia State men and women wrap up the home schedule with duals against nationally ranked teams. The men will play #6 Washburn on Wednesday and the women will take on #41 Missouri Western on Thursday.
 
LAST SETS
In a tightly contested dual that saw four of the six singles matches go to a third set, the Emporia State women fell 6-1 at Northeastern State. The RiverHawks took two of three doubles matches to take the early 1-0 lead.  Perla Conde Vendrell and Sheriden Wichman won 6-3 at #3 doubles for the Hornets before the RiverHawks won at #1 and #2 to take the point. Paige Stranghoner evened things up for Emporia State with a 6-1, 6-2 win at #5 singles.  Four of the last five singles matches all went to three sets. 
The Hornet men fell 6-1 at second ranked Cowley CC in exhibition action. The Tigers won all three doubles matches and five of the six singles matches. Hachem Fahem picked up the win for Emporia State 6-2, 6-4 at #6 singles.
 
THE COACHES
Former Hornet CyCy Peyroche is 5-11 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 Emporia State men are 10-7 on the year and 1-2 in MIAA/GAC North play.
Five players have winning records in singles play led by 42nd ranked Anton Sarunic. He is 10-6 at the #1 singles spot.
Mostafa Elbasnaly is 11-6 overall with a 6-4 mark at #2 and 4-2 record at #3 singles.
Hachem Fahem is 10-3 on the year with a 3-0 record in MIAA play.  He is 6-1 at #6 singles.
Diego Calvo is 9-6 overall, going 4-2 at #3 and 5-4 at #4 singles.
Harrison Brown is 8-5 this season and is 4-0 at #4 singles.
Emporia State has used 16 doubles combinations this year.  Sarunic and Sergio Vera Martin are 4-1 with a 4-0 record at #1 doubles.
The Hornet women are 5-11 overall and 1-6 in the MIAA this year. Two of their MIAA losses have been 4-3 decisions.
Paige Stranghoner is 7-6 this spring with a 4-2 mark in MIAA play. She is 3-3 overall at #5 singles and 3-2 overall at #6 singles.
Anastasia Pesic is 7-4 on the season, going 2-1 at #4 and 5-3 at #5 singles. She is 3-2 in MIAA play.
Sheriden Wichman and Perla Conde Vendrell have paired to go 10-5 in doubles action, with an 9-4 mark at the #3 spot and winning their lone match at #1 doubles. They are 4-3 in MIAA play. 

KNOW THE FOES
The Washburn men are 15-3, 2-0 in the MIAA and ranked #6 in the nation.
The Missouri Western women are 11-3, 4-2 in the MIAA and ranked #41 nationally.

LAST MEETINGS
The Emporia State men lost 7-0 to Washburn last year in Topeka. The last Turnpike Tussle win for the men was in 2015.
Emporia State fell 7-0 to Missouri Western last season in St. Joseph, Mo.  The Hornets last win over the Griffons was in 2019.

NEXT SERVE
The Hornet men will travel to Durant, Okla. this weekend to wrap up the regular season against Southeastern Oklahoma. First serve is set for 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, April 28.