Just like the temperatures, Washburn women’s tennis has heated up as the season moved from winter to spring.

After a seven-match losing streak in the middle of the season, the Ichabods have bounced back with three straight victories after a 6-1 decision over Rockhurst University March 29.

Head coach Kirby Ronning credits the turnaround to the athletes’ perseverance and refusal to give up.

“A lot of players put in extra work, which I think helped with confidence,” said junior Svea Crohn. “Confidence doesn’t come overnight, you have to put in the work and practice and I think everybody has been doing better at that.”

The windy weather did not slow Washburn down as they moved to 7-8 on the year, winning the last two matches with a combined score of 13-1.

“I think that they did a good job of not letting it affect them and just making the adjustments that they needed to,” Ronning said. “For our girls to get some momentum going in their third win in a row was really good.”

Doubles play began with a clean 6-0 sweep from sophomore Maja Jung and junior Kinsey Fields in the second position. That was followed by a 6-1 win from freshmen Isabella Martensson and Lara Schmid at No. 1.

Crohn and sophomore Marta Torres got a 6-1 victory to finish the sweep as the Ichabods claimed the match’s first point.

In singles play, Torres was first to finish her No. 1 match, winning in two sets. Jung was not far behind with a two-set victory of her own, losing only four combined set points along the way from the second position and putting the Ichabods up 3-0.

Crohn completed Washburn’s sweep to four points, with yet another two-set victory with combined set scores of 12-4 in the No. 3 match.

“I think I adjusted pretty well personally. I think it’s especially important to keep the right mindset to stay calm and just make one more ball than the opponent,” Crohn said.

With the match decision in hand, Martensson fell in her No. 4 match in two sets, which would be the only point the Hawks would claim in the match.

In the fifth position, Schmid was steady en route to a two-set victory of her own, winning each with 6-2 scores. Sophomore Cadence Lynn finished off the scoring for the women with another two-set victory, with the second going into a quick tiebreaker.

“I didn’t think we were playing bad during that streak, it was a streak with tough competition. I think the girls just knew that they were starting to play better, the confidence was eventually going to come,” Ronning said. “Getting one I think really fueled their confidence and then just started to take off from there.”

The win moves Washburn to 5-2 at home, and 4-1 at the Washburn Tennis Complex outdoor courts.

“I think we all feel pretty good with having a three [match] winning streak,” Crohn said. “Just keep doing what we are doing, working on our confidence, practicing that and putting in the extra work.”

Next up for the Ichabods is a trip to Bolivar, Missouri to face Southern Arkansas University in a neutral-site match April 2.

Edited by: Glorianna Noland, Simran Shrestha