ARKANSAS CITY, Kansas – Midwestern State opens the 2026 campaign against Northwest Missouri State on Friday and will also face Cowley County Community College on its home courts the following day. First serve against Northwest Missouri State is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Friday, and the Mustangs return to the courts on Saturday for a 9 a.m. dual match with Cowley. 

The forecast for Friday is calling for sunny skies with a high of 64 degrees with northerly winds at 10 to 20 mph. On Saturday, partly cloudy skies with southeasterly winds at 10 to 20 mph are expected with temperatures climbing to 61 degrees after a low of 39 degrees. 

The women's tennis program is under the direction of first-year head coach Luis Diaz, who was the ITA South Central Region Senior Player of the Year and LSC Senior of the Year in 2024 while playing at Midwestern State.

The Mustangs reached the national semifinals last season after conquering the NCAA Division II South Central Regional. MSU defeated Rockhurst and Wayne State (Mich.) before succumbing to No. 2-ranked Nova Southeastern in Altamonte Springs, Florida. 

Midwestern State finished the dual-match season with a 23-4 record, including a 9-1 mark in the LSC. The Mustangs posted an 8-1 record at MSU Tennis Center last spring.

Midwestern State is No. 8 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association preseason rankings, led by Selin Sepken, Camila Garcia and Emilia Gyorgy.

Sepken leads the South Central region with a No. 1 ranking, while Gyorgy is No. 5 and Garcia is ranked sixth. 

The Mustangs are just as strong in doubles, with three pairs of Mustangs in the top eight: Gyorgy and Garcia are No. 1, Sepken and Hattie Berend are No. 6, while Jasmine Crain and Alessia Dolce are ranked eighth in the region.

Sepken was an automatic qualifier for the ITA Cup in singles last fall after winning the ITA DII Women's South Central Regional Championships in Tyler. Emilia Gyorgy and Camila Garcia earned an automatic bid in doubles.

Sepken did not drop a set in her six matches at the South Central Regional Championships three weeks ago. The native of Istanbul, Turkey, who transferred to MSU from Idaho as a graduate student, defeated Margaux Rene of Angelo State in the final, 6-0, 7-5.

Sepken completed her run at the 2025 ITA Cup with a 2-1 record after defeating Lilie Bizouerne of Queens (NY) and Vasilissa Kupriyanova of North Georgia. The transfer from Idaho lost her first-round match at the ITA Cup to Eleanor Coleman of Rockhurst, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2.

Gyorgy and Garcia also went 2-1 in the doubles event. Gyorgy/Garcia defeated Rin Igarashi and Sofia Antolini of Catawba after posting a straight-set victory over Alissia Aleksandra Kivi and Nicole Kempton of Slippery Rock.  The fourth-seeded pairing of Daniela Tijaro and Renske Ubachs from Washburn eliminated the MSU duo from the main draw in the opening round with a 3-6, 6-2, 10-4 victory.

Northwest Missouri State is 1-0 on the season after posting a 6-1 victory over Minnesota State. Senior Miru Nonaka is ranked No. 10 in the central region. Nonaka was a second-team all-MIAA honoree in doubles last season. The Bearcat women are coming off an NCAA Tournament season from a year ago that had them at 16-9 overall in dual action. The Bearcats shared the regular season MIAA title and placed second in the 2025 MIAA Tournament.

Cowley was swept by No. 13-ranked Washburn in its season opener, but the Tigers have a veteran lineup led by Naghely Garcia Galian, the returning region champion at No. 4 singles and No. 3 doubles. Galian capped her freshman campaign by finishing as the national runner-up at No. 4 singles and No. 3 doubles, earning Second Team All-American honors.

Fellow returner Chiho Takada teamed with Akari Tomoyose to capture the region title at No. 2 doubles. Takada reached the semifinals of No. 5 singles and No. 2 doubles at the national tournament.

Cynthia Wanjala is coming off an impressive freshman season where she was named a Second Team All-American at No. 3 singles and No. 3 doubles. Kendra Arostegui is the returning region champion at No. 6 singles and No. 1 doubles. She advanced to the quarterfinals of No. 1 doubles and the semifinals of No. 6 singles at last year's national tournament.

Midwestern State will be home on Feb. 11 to face Seward County Community College at 2 p.m.