Wildcats Wrap Up First Weekend of Fall Competition
Sep 13, 2026 | Tennis
K-State ended the first weekend of competition with 5 wins in singles and doubles matches
MILWAUKEE, Wis.- The K-State women's tennis team finished competition in two tournaments on Sunday (September 13) during the three-day 50th annual Milwaukee Tennis Classic and Kitty Harrison Invitational in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Over Saturday and Sunday, four Wildcats competed in a combined 10 singles and doubles matches for a 5-5 record.
In Milwaukee at the Nicolet Tennis Center, sophomore Diana Smolinska and freshman Sabrina Balderrama competed in three doubles matches and each secured a singles win.
As a duo, the two won consecutive matches on Saturday, almost leaving their first opponents scoreless, Natalia Guerrero and Karolina Skowronska from Wisconsin-Madison with a 6-1 victory. The pair then continued to dominate with another low scoring match, winning 6-2 over Illinois' Ariel Madatali and Cara Mester.
Both Cats found success individually on Saturday as well; Balderrama encountered a tiebreaker match versus Ema Bubalo from Colorado, winning the first set 6-3 but after dropping the second she bounced back to become victorious at 6-4, 4-6, 10-6. Smolinska swept her opponent, Marquette's Elise Barnstedt in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4.
With just one doubles match on Sunday, Balderrama and Smolinska fell short against Deborah Collado and Mariia Dolzhenko from Lipscomb, 2-6.
Competing in Chapel Hill at the Chewning Tennis Center, freshmen Lena Beuing and Marta Leon each battled in two singles matches against players from Elon on both days.
On Saturday both women encountered tiebreaker matches, falling just shy of a win in both instances. Leon faced Mariana Reding where she bounced back in the second set to force a tiebreaker but in a high scoring final set she came up short in clinching the win at 1-6, 6-2, 7-10. Similarly, Beuing dropped the first set but came back to compete in a tiebreaker but lost her momentum to fall 1-6, 6-3, 2-10.
In her final match of the weekend, Leon found success over Alexis Nyborg with a 6-1, 6-3 straight sets win.
Next on the schedule is the ITA All-Americans Championship on September 19-27 for qualifying athletes in Cary, N.C. Also on September 25-26 is the Omaha/Creighton Invitational in Omaha, Neb.
Milwaukee Tennis Classic
Saturday, September 12
Singles Competition
Sabrina Balderrama (KSU) def. Ema Bubalo (CU) 6-3, 4-6, 10-6
Diana Smolinska (KSU) def. Elise Barnstedt (MU) 6-2, 6-4
Josefine Falster (USF) def. Diana Smolinska (KSU) 6-2, 7-6 (7-5)
Doubles Competition
Sabrina Balderrama/Diana Smolinska (KSU) def. Natalia Guerrero/Karolina Skowronska (UWM) 6-1
Sabrina Balderrama/Diana Smolinska (KSU) def. Ariel Madatali/Cara Mester (ILL) 6-2
Sunday, September 13
Doubles Competition
Deborah Collado/Mariia Dolzhenko (LIP) def. Sabrina Balderrama/Diana Smolinska (KSU) 6-2
Kitty Harrison Invitational
Chewning Tennis Center
Chapel Hill, N.C.
Saturday, September 12
Singles Competition
Mariana Reding (ELON) def. Marta Leon (KSU) 6-1, 2-6, 10-7
Lisa Dierick (ELON) def. Lena Beuing (KSU) 6-1, 3-6, 10-2
Sunday, September 13
Singles Competition
Marta Leon (KSU) def. Alexis Nyborg (ELON) 6-1, 6-3
Lisa Kranec (ELON) def. Lena Beuing (KSU) 6-0, 6-3
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.
Over Saturday and Sunday, four Wildcats competed in a combined 10 singles and doubles matches for a 5-5 record.
In Milwaukee at the Nicolet Tennis Center, sophomore Diana Smolinska and freshman Sabrina Balderrama competed in three doubles matches and each secured a singles win.
As a duo, the two won consecutive matches on Saturday, almost leaving their first opponents scoreless, Natalia Guerrero and Karolina Skowronska from Wisconsin-Madison with a 6-1 victory. The pair then continued to dominate with another low scoring match, winning 6-2 over Illinois' Ariel Madatali and Cara Mester.
Both Cats found success individually on Saturday as well; Balderrama encountered a tiebreaker match versus Ema Bubalo from Colorado, winning the first set 6-3 but after dropping the second she bounced back to become victorious at 6-4, 4-6, 10-6. Smolinska swept her opponent, Marquette's Elise Barnstedt in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4.
With just one doubles match on Sunday, Balderrama and Smolinska fell short against Deborah Collado and Mariia Dolzhenko from Lipscomb, 2-6.
Competing in Chapel Hill at the Chewning Tennis Center, freshmen Lena Beuing and Marta Leon each battled in two singles matches against players from Elon on both days.
On Saturday both women encountered tiebreaker matches, falling just shy of a win in both instances. Leon faced Mariana Reding where she bounced back in the second set to force a tiebreaker but in a high scoring final set she came up short in clinching the win at 1-6, 6-2, 7-10. Similarly, Beuing dropped the first set but came back to compete in a tiebreaker but lost her momentum to fall 1-6, 6-3, 2-10.
In her final match of the weekend, Leon found success over Alexis Nyborg with a 6-1, 6-3 straight sets win.
Next on the schedule is the ITA All-Americans Championship on September 19-27 for qualifying athletes in Cary, N.C. Also on September 25-26 is the Omaha/Creighton Invitational in Omaha, Neb.
Milwaukee Tennis Classic
Saturday, September 12
Singles Competition
Sabrina Balderrama (KSU) def. Ema Bubalo (CU) 6-3, 4-6, 10-6
Diana Smolinska (KSU) def. Elise Barnstedt (MU) 6-2, 6-4
Josefine Falster (USF) def. Diana Smolinska (KSU) 6-2, 7-6 (7-5)
Doubles Competition
Sabrina Balderrama/Diana Smolinska (KSU) def. Natalia Guerrero/Karolina Skowronska (UWM) 6-1
Sabrina Balderrama/Diana Smolinska (KSU) def. Ariel Madatali/Cara Mester (ILL) 6-2
Sunday, September 13
Doubles Competition
Deborah Collado/Mariia Dolzhenko (LIP) def. Sabrina Balderrama/Diana Smolinska (KSU) 6-2
Kitty Harrison Invitational
Chewning Tennis Center
Chapel Hill, N.C.
Saturday, September 12
Singles Competition
Mariana Reding (ELON) def. Marta Leon (KSU) 6-1, 2-6, 10-7
Lisa Dierick (ELON) def. Lena Beuing (KSU) 6-1, 3-6, 10-2
Sunday, September 13
Singles Competition
Marta Leon (KSU) def. Alexis Nyborg (ELON) 6-1, 6-3
Lisa Kranec (ELON) def. Lena Beuing (KSU) 6-0, 6-3
-- 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
