Women's Tennis | 2/6/2026 9:14:00 AM

Emporia State Hornet Women
vs. Bethel Threshers
Friday, February 6 | 11:00 a.m.
Kossover Family Tennis Complex | Emporia, Kan.
The MIAA Network
Complete Notes in pdf
Up Next:  Seward County CC (Exhibition)
Saturday, February 7 | 4:00 p.m.
Kossover Family Tennis Complex | Emporia, Kan.

MID-DAY START UP
The Emporia State women open the 2026 spring season with a home match against Bethel at the Kossover Family Tennis Center.  

LAST TIME OUT
The Emporia State women picked up a 7-0 exhibition win over Minnesota State-Mankato at the Kossover Family Tennis Center last fall.
Playing with the Live at the Hive Tailgate for the Emporia State football game going on in the background, Hornets won two of three doubles matches and swept the singles competition, winning four of the matches in straight sets.

THE COACH
Former Hornet CyCy Peyroche is 15-22 in her third 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 as the interim coach. Peyroche was 23-15 in singles play during her three years as a Hornet before moving into the graduate assistant position.  
John Blackburn is 22-15 in his third season as the head men's coach and Director of Tennis at Emporia State. He spent the previous 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. He was also a head coach at Eastern Illinois, Coker College and Palm Beach Atlantic. 

QUICK LOOK AT THE HORNETS
Emporai State went 10-10, which marked their first season since 2014 with ten or more wins. They also advanced to the MIAA Tournament for the first time since 2022. 
The Hornets three returners led by all-MIAA performers Giovanna Ferreira and Yuliya Klimova along with MIAA A-Game Scholar Sheriden Wichman.
Emporia State picked up a pair of consolation bracket championships last Sunday at the ITA Central Regional at Edmond Center Court.
Yuliya Klimova came from behind to defeat Emilia O'Niell of Southeastern Oklahoma 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 1-0 (10-6) in the championship match of the Flight A Consolation Bracket.
In the Flight B Consolation Bracket Erin Cahill defeated Antonietta Bocache of Ark.-Fort Smith 3-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-7) in the semifinals and picked up the championship when her opponent withdrew due to personal circumstances.
Giovanna Ferreira advanced to the Flight B Championship match with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Northeastern State's Daisy Barrow before falling in the championship match.

KNOW THE FOE
Bethel is making their 2026 spring debut as well.  The Threshers were 16-5 last season with an 11-1 record in the KCAC.

LAST TIME VS KANSAS WESLEYAN
The Emporia State women opened the 2023 spring season with a 6-1 win over Bethel at the Kossover Family Tennis Complex. 
The Hornets started by rolling through all three doubles matches to take the first point.  Emporia State only dropped five games total in winning at #1-5 singles.  Karen Santiago and Pesic did not lose a game at #2 and #4 singles respectively.  Desmet at #1, Gnezdilova #3 and Stranghoner at #5 all lost just one game in their individual matches.  

SERIES HISTORY
The  Hornets have won the last five meetings with the Threshers.

UP NEXT
Emporia State will play a home exhibition match on Saturday against Seward CC before resuming regular season action on Saturday, February 14 against McPherson at the Kossover Family Tennis Center.

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