K-State’s breakthrough fall season ended at one of college tennis’ biggest individual stages. Three Wildcats competed at the ITA Central Sectional Championships from Nov. 5-8, concluding their autumn campaign with a pair of consolation victories in Fort Worth, Texas.
Freshman Marta Leon joined freshman Sabrina Balderrama and sophomore Varya Bernovich to represent K-State at TCU’s Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center. Leon qualified with a strong performance at the ITA Central Regional, while a merit-based system based on previous results selected Balderrama and Bernovich.
The appearance marked the third consecutive season the Wildcats sent competitors to the prestigious event. The ITA Sectional Championships featured four tournaments, each with 32 singles competitors and 16 doubles teams. The final six singles players and three doubles teams from the Central Section advanced to the NCAA Championships, held Nov. 17-22.
Head coach Jordan Smith said he was proud of the program’s consistency in qualifying players for the national stage.
“It’s awesome to have our Wildcats qualify three years in a row,” Smith said. “Since becoming a sport with two seasons, our falls have become even more competitive with everyone chasing nationals in November. I think it says a lot about our consistency in developing our players to be in this position multiple years in a row.”
On Thursday, Leon opened singles play in the round of 32 against Oklahoma State’s Veronika Kliuch, ranked No. 124 in the preseason. Facing a difficult draw, Leon couldn’t get anything going, falling 6-1, 6-1.
In doubles play, Balderrama and Bernovich faced Ohio State’s Anna Bennett and Audrey Spencer in the round of 16. The duo entered the match with momentum but could not get fully into the match, losing 6-3, 6-3 and knocking all three ‘Cats out of the main draw.
Despite the rough start, K-State bounced back in consolation play the following day.
Leon battled Conley Raidt of Nebraska and earned a 6-2, 6-2 victory to close her tournament. Balderrama and Bernovich answered with a win of their own, defeating Baylor’s Na Dong and Ligaya Murray, 8-5 in an eight-game pro set.
“Really proud of how we bounced back today,” Smith said. “Picked up two solid wins over Nebraska and Baylor. It’s easy to forget this is the first fall season for these ladies based on how resilient and competitive they have been so far. Especially being able to qualify for this level already. They’ve improved a lot in a short amount of time. I’m excited for future team success in the spring.”
The sectional championship capped a successful fall season for the Wildcats with several breakthrough performances from rising stars.
Beyond the three competing in Fort Worth, the season included several impressive showings from other competitors, including sophomore Diana Smolinska, senior Margaret Jaraczewski and sisters Maralgoo and Martaa Chogsomjov.
While three Wildcats competed in Fort Worth, Bernovich, Jaraczewski and Smolinska wrapped up their fall seasons at the Baylor-hosted H-E-B Invitational from Oct. 29-Nov. 1 in Waco, Texas. The three combined for a 6-4 singles record, going 3-0 in three-set matches. Jaraczewski and Smolinska also went 3-1 in doubles.
Leon emerged as a strong singles player and advanced from the qualifying draw to the quarterfinals of the ITA Central Regional Championship. In the tournament, she won five consecutive matches before falling to Wichita State’s nationally ranked Xin Tong Wang. Leon finished the fall with an 8-4 singles record.
Balderrama and Bernovich also had an accomplished fall campaign with several prominent results. The pairing captured their bracket title at the Hoosier Classic to begin October and reached the quarterfinals of the ITA Central Regional Championship. The duo finished the fall with a 6-1 doubles record.
K-State has competed at Sectionals in three consecutive seasons. Senior Maralgoo Chogsomjov competed in the doubles bracket in the previous two appearances, partnering with Chanel Rustemova and Maria Santos, respectively, and also competed in singles in 2025. The Wildcats have yet to advance beyond the first round of the main draw.
With the fall schedule in the books, the Wildcats shift their momentum toward the spring dual season and matches against Big 12 opponents. K-State begins its spring season in January with home matches at Peakform Sports and Wellness Center and Mike Goss Tennis Stadium.
