Wichita State women’s tennis will play against Rice in the American Conference Championship match on April 18 at the George R. Brown Tennis Center in Houston, Texas. The Shockers, currently ranked No. 28, set a program record with their 19th consecutive win after defeating Tulsa and are making their first appearance in the conference championship final.
The matchup is significant as it marks Wichita State’s first time as the No. 1 seed in the tournament and highlights a season of strong performances under new head coach Jacob Eddins. The team has won 21 matches this season—their highest total since winning a program-record 27 matches in 2016—and holds an undefeated record against American Conference opponents so far.
Eddins, who was named head coach on Sept. 15, began his tenure with a win over Texas State and became only the fifth Shocker head coach to win his debut match. This season is also notable for Wichita State’s dominance in doubles play; they have won the doubles point in all but four matches and are undefeated when securing it early.
In their last outing, Wichita State defeated Tulsa for a second time within one week to advance to the championship match, with standout singles wins from Theodora Chantava, Giorgia Roselli, and Xin Tong Wang—who clinched the victory at No.1 singles. Wang and Roselli are currently ranked No.34 nationally as a doubles pair.
Rice enters its first conference title match since joining the league in 2024 under longtime head coach Elizabeth Schmidt. The Owls have posted an impressive home record this year but suffered their only home loss to Wichita State earlier this season.
Following Saturday’s final against Rice, Wichita State will await its seeding for the upcoming NCAA Tennis Tournament scheduled to begin May 1.
