Match Preview: ITA All-American Championships

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas tennis sends three to Tulsa, Oklahoma for the prestigious Riviera ITA All-American Championships. Pre-qualifying begins Saturday, Oct. 5, at the LaFortune Tennis Center and Michael D. Case Tennis Center.

Malkia Ngounoue, Sonia Smagina and Maria Toran Ribes will open the tournament with pre-qualifying singles. Ngounoue and Toran Ribes also will participate in the qualifying doubles round beginning Monday, Oct. 7.

As a freshman, Ngounoue notched a 7-3 overall singles record in dual-match play at positions No. 4 and 6. Sophomore Smagina, was named to the All-Big 12 Freshman Team and All-Big 12 Singles Second Team after finishing with a 16-3 record in her rookie campaign in the spring. Also in the spring of 2019, Ribes compiled a singles record of 15-5 and was named the Big 12 Tournament Most Valuable Player and was named to the All-Big 12 Singles Second Team.

As a duo, Ngounoue and Toran Ribes finished the 2019 spring season with a doubles record of 14-3 at the No. 3 position for the Jayhawks. The tandem was named All-Big 12 Doubles Second Team. Earlier this fall, Ngounoue and Ribes won the Jayhawk 15 K of the ITF pro circuit.

Last season marked the first time in Kansas women’s tennis history,  a doubles team won the tournament title at the prestigious Riviera ITA All-American Championships. Former Jayhawks, Nina Khmelnitckaia and Janet Koch captured the doubles title over the Stanford to be named champions.

Tournament play begins Saturday morning with the singles pre-qualifying round.