Women's Tennis | 3/13/2026 9:57:00 PM

Emporia State Hornet Women (5-2)
 vs. 
Ouachita Baptist Tigers (2-7)
Saturday, March 14 | 11:00 a.m. 
Kossover Family Tennis Center | Emporia, Kan.
LIVE VIDEO: The MIAA Network
Complete Notes in pdf
UP NEXT: Women vs. Angelo State | March 17 | Orlando, Fla. 
Men vs. Vassar College | March 17 | Orlando, Fla.

RARE HOME MATCH
The Emporia State women play their only home match of the month when they play host to Ouachita Baptist. This will be the only home match for the Hornet women in a span of 46 days.

LAST TIME OUT
It came down to the third set in in the final singles match for Emporia State to earn a 4-3 win over the Savage Storm. 
The Hornets got a 6-1 win from Yuliya Klimova and Carla Paul Piquer at #1 doubles and a a 6-1 win at #2 by Giovanna Ferreira and Sheriden Wichman at #2 to take a 1-0 lead. 
Southeastern evened things with a win at #3 singles and took a 2-1 lead with a win at the #1 spot.  Wichman evened the dual with a 6-4, 7-5 win at #4 and ESU took a 3-2 lead thanks to a 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 win at #2 by Ferreira.  Southeastern won at #5 to set up the final match for the win.  Erin Cahill pulled out a 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 win at #6 to give Emporia State a 4-3 win.
 
THE COACHES
Former Hornet CyCy Peyroche is 19-24 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 26-20 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 tourney 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
The Emporia State women are 5-2 on the spring season. They have not lost a home dual since March 28, 2025 - a span of six duals including exhibitions.
They have three returners led by all-MIAA performers Giovanna Ferreira and Yuliya Klimova along with MIAA A-Game Scholar Sheriden Wichman. Ferreira is 2-0 at #2 singles this spring while Wichman is 4-2 overall with a 2-1 mark at #4. Newcomer Erin Cahill is undefeated against four year competition this spring, going 3-0 at #6 singles with wins at #3 and #5 as well. Giulia Russu is 4-2 in doubles play going 2-1 with both Cahill and Ana Fatjo Coll this spring.

TOUGH ENOUGH
Six of the Hornets next nine duals will be against teams ranked in the latest NCAA Division II ITA National Rankings.  The first three will be on the road or at a neutral site with the final three ranked opponents coming to the Kossover Family Tennis Center.

KNOW THE FOES
Ouachita Baptist is 2-7 and 0-4 away from home headed into their Friday dual with Missouri Western in St. Joseph, Mo. Natalia Zamora Caprirolo and Alice Kubler are 3-2 in doubles action. Zamora Caprirolo has played the #1 position all spring and is 1-4.

SERIES HISTORY
This is the first meeting between the Hornets and Tigers in women's tennis. 

UP NEXT
Emporia State will head to Florida next week for three duals over Spring Break. The Hornets will open the trip on St. Patrick's Day against #44 Angelo State at Sanlando Park in Orlando. They will play Tampa on Wednesday, March 18 at the USTA National Campus and wrap up the trip at #23 Florida Southern in Lakeland on Friday, March 20.