Western Wayne Today

The Wayne State University women's tennis team is set to compete in three matches during their Spring Break trip to Florida. The Warriors will face Keiser University on March 8, Barry University on March 9, and Nova Southeastern University on March 11.

Recently, the team secured a 5-2 victory against Hillsdale. They won the doubles point by claiming two out of three matches. In singles play, Anais Ruyssen, Malak Arafat, Dea Gorgidze, and Shanice Weekes each defeated their opponents.

The first match against Keiser will take place at the Buccaneer Tennis Center. Keiser has a record of 6-2 and is ranked No. 1 in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). This encounter marks their first meeting since WSU's loss to Keiser in the 2018-19 season. Daniel Finn leads Keiser as head coach for both men's and women's teams.

Wayne State will then face Barry University, currently ranked No. 3 in Division II by ITA. Barry holds a 9-1 record this season and has won its last six matches. Avi Kigel coaches Barry's team and has led them to eight National Championships.

The final match will be against Nova Southeastern at the NSU Tennis Complex at Rolling Hills. Nova Southeastern ranks No. 15 in Division II with an undefeated record of 8-0 this season under coach Doug Neagle.

In terms of rankings, Wayne State is positioned as the No. 23-ranked team in Division II according to ITA rankings. Individual players Maryna Szpakowska (#19), Anais Ruyssen (#20), and Malak Arafat (#57) are also ranked in singles play.