K-State Tennis Starts Fall Season in Two Tournaments
Sep 11, 2026 | Tennis
Three freshmen started their careers as a Wildcat in the first fall tournament of the season
MILWAUKEE, Wis.- The K-State women's tennis team started the fall season on Friday (September 11) with four Wildcats competing in two tournaments, the 50th annual Milwaukee Tennis Classic and Kitty Harrison Invitational in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Sophomore Diana Smolinska and freshman Sabrina Balderrama traveled to Milwaukee to compete in the Tennis Classic at the Nicolet Tennis Center. During competition in the main draw, the duo started off in doubles action where they faced Thea Latak and Tianna Rangan from Wisconsin-Madison but fell short 4-6.
Both women competed in two singles matches, Balderrama going 1-1 versus her opponents. She battled Illinois' Kimiko Cooper in a back and forth 3-6, 3-6 match before defeating Grace Li of Navy in a similar outcome at 6-3, 6-2.
Smolinska's first opponent was Ece Gencer of Purdue where she strung together a couple points but ultimately lost 2-6, 3-6. Later in the day, she battled Heidi Crncan from Colorado in a high scoring first set but after falling short she could not rally back for a 5-7, 2-6 final.
Freshmen Lena Beuing and Marta Leon traveled to Chapel Hill, N.C., for the Kitty Harrison Invite hosted by North Carolina at the Chewning Tennis Center.
The duo competed in two doubles matches on the day, falling to their opponents with the same score in both instances. Facing the hosting Tar Heels, Ishika Ashar and Alexis Nguyen, the pair lost 4-6, the same outcome versus Lisa Dierick and Sonja Rooth from Elon.
Beuing and Leon each competed in one singles match in the afternoon; Beuing faced Rooth again, dropping the first set scoring just one point but after forcing a tiebreaker in the second set she couldn't maintain her momentum, falling 1-6, 6-7 (1-7).
Leon competed against Gabriella Vannessa Lindgren from Michigan where she strung together more points in the second set but it wasn't enough to overcome a first set deficit at 1-6, 3-6.
K-State will continue to compete on Saturday (September 12) against various schools in doubles and singles matches.
Milwaukee Tennis Classic
Nicolet Tennis Center
Milwaukee, Wis.
Doubles Competition- Main Draw R16
Thea Latak/Tianna Rangan (UWM) def. Sabrina Balderrama/Diana Smolinska (KSU) 6-4
Singles Competition- Main Draw R32
Kimiko Cooper (ILL) def. Sabrina Balderrama (KSU) 6-3, 6-3
Ece Gencer (PUR) def. Diana Smolinska (KSU) 6-2, 6-3
Sabrina Balderrama (KSU) def. Grace Li (NAVY) 6-3, 6-2
Heidi Crncan (CU) def. Diana Smolinska (KSU) 7-5, 6-2
Kitty Harrison Invitational
Chewning Tennis Center
Chapel Hill, N.C.
Doubles Competition
Ishika Ashar/Alexis Nguyen (UNC) def. Lena Beuing/Marta Leon (KSU) 6-4
Lisa Dierick/Sonja Rooth (ELON) def. Lena Beuing/Marta Leon (KSU) 6-4
Singles Competition
Gabriella Vannessa Lindgren (UM) def. Marta Leon (KSU) 6-1, 6-3
Sonja Rooth (ELON) def. Lena Beuing (KSU) 6-1, 7-6 (7-1)
How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on the K-State Women's Tennis Team, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
Sophomore Diana Smolinska and freshman Sabrina Balderrama traveled to Milwaukee to compete in the Tennis Classic at the Nicolet Tennis Center. During competition in the main draw, the duo started off in doubles action where they faced Thea Latak and Tianna Rangan from Wisconsin-Madison but fell short 4-6.
Both women competed in two singles matches, Balderrama going 1-1 versus her opponents. She battled Illinois' Kimiko Cooper in a back and forth 3-6, 3-6 match before defeating Grace Li of Navy in a similar outcome at 6-3, 6-2.
Smolinska's first opponent was Ece Gencer of Purdue where she strung together a couple points but ultimately lost 2-6, 3-6. Later in the day, she battled Heidi Crncan from Colorado in a high scoring first set but after falling short she could not rally back for a 5-7, 2-6 final.
Freshmen Lena Beuing and Marta Leon traveled to Chapel Hill, N.C., for the Kitty Harrison Invite hosted by North Carolina at the Chewning Tennis Center.
The duo competed in two doubles matches on the day, falling to their opponents with the same score in both instances. Facing the hosting Tar Heels, Ishika Ashar and Alexis Nguyen, the pair lost 4-6, the same outcome versus Lisa Dierick and Sonja Rooth from Elon.
Beuing and Leon each competed in one singles match in the afternoon; Beuing faced Rooth again, dropping the first set scoring just one point but after forcing a tiebreaker in the second set she couldn't maintain her momentum, falling 1-6, 6-7 (1-7).
Leon competed against Gabriella Vannessa Lindgren from Michigan where she strung together more points in the second set but it wasn't enough to overcome a first set deficit at 1-6, 3-6.
K-State will continue to compete on Saturday (September 12) against various schools in doubles and singles matches.
Milwaukee Tennis Classic
Nicolet Tennis Center
Milwaukee, Wis.
Doubles Competition- Main Draw R16
Thea Latak/Tianna Rangan (UWM) def. Sabrina Balderrama/Diana Smolinska (KSU) 6-4
Singles Competition- Main Draw R32
Kimiko Cooper (ILL) def. Sabrina Balderrama (KSU) 6-3, 6-3
Ece Gencer (PUR) def. Diana Smolinska (KSU) 6-2, 6-3
Sabrina Balderrama (KSU) def. Grace Li (NAVY) 6-3, 6-2
Heidi Crncan (CU) def. Diana Smolinska (KSU) 7-5, 6-2
Kitty Harrison Invitational
Chewning Tennis Center
Chapel Hill, N.C.
Doubles Competition
Ishika Ashar/Alexis Nguyen (UNC) def. Lena Beuing/Marta Leon (KSU) 6-4
Lisa Dierick/Sonja Rooth (ELON) def. Lena Beuing/Marta Leon (KSU) 6-4
Singles Competition
Gabriella Vannessa Lindgren (UM) def. Marta Leon (KSU) 6-1, 6-3
Sonja Rooth (ELON) def. Lena Beuing (KSU) 6-1, 7-6 (7-1)
-- k-statesports.com --
How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on the K-State Women's Tennis Team, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
Thursday, August 27
Friday, May 08
Tuesday, April 14
Thursday, April 09
