The Kansas State women’s tennis team has accepted an invitation to compete in the NIT Championship, scheduled for Tuesday through Friday, May 5–8, at the Rome Tennis Center in Rome, Georgia, with Berry College serving as the host.
As the No. 1 seed, the Wildcats will take on No. 8 Northern Illinois University at 8 a.m. CT. This marks the first-ever matchup between the two programs. The victor will advance to the semifinal round on Wednesday, May 6, also at 8 a.m. CT.
Head coach Jordan Smith expressed his enthusiasm: “I’m pleased our program was given this chance to keep competing in May. That’s always our team’s main goal to still be playing this month. Hopefully, this week kicks off a lasting tradition of postseason play, and our players give it everything they’ve got.”
The remaining six teams in the women’s bracket are No. 2 North Texas, No. 3 Arkansas State, No. 4 North Alabama, No. 5 Army, No. 6 McNeese State, and No. 7 Charleston.
Northern Illinois enters with a 17-8 overall record and a 3-5 mark in the MAC, finishing conference play with a 2-3 stretch. The Huskies also participated in last season’s NIT Championship, losing in the quarterfinals to Washington State, who went on to claim the 2025 title.
K-State wraps up the regular season at 8-13 overall and 3-10 in Big 12 action, marking Smith’s eighth year at the helm. The Wildcats secured the doubles point 10 times during the season, contributing to seven of their wins. Junior Maralgoo Chogsomjav led the squad in singles with a 9-8 dual record, while three Wildcats freshman Varvara Bernovich, sophomore Chanel Rustemova, and freshman Diana Smolinska each posted seven wins.
Two Wildcats earned All-Big 12 honors: Maralgoo and freshman Martaa Chogsomjav were named to the First Team in doubles. Individual accolades included Maralgoo on the Second Team for singles and Martaa on the All-Freshman Team.
This marks the fourth NIT Championship organized by UTR Sports, which first held the event in 2023.
Leave a Reply