No. 19 Women's Tennis Slated for Regular-Season Home FinaleNo. 19 Women's Tennis Slated for Regular-Season Home Finale
Jon Rose / UCF Athletics

No. 19 Women's Tennis Slated for Regular-Season Home Finale

Two Knights Set to be Celebrated in Pre-Match Senior Recognition

by Aiden Kocol
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ORLANDO – The No. 19 women’s tennis team is set for its regular-season home finale on Friday, April 2, against the Kansas State Wildcats.

Following the cancellation of Sunday’s match against Oklahoma State, the Knights’ 6 PM contest versus the Wildcats will now serve as UCF’s home finale. Senior Day celebrations will take place prior to the match, beginning at approximately 5:45 PM.

LAST TIME OUT
The Knights dominated on the road last weekend, topping then-No. 43 Houston 4-1. 

The Knights set the tone early by sweeping the doubles point. Olivia Bergler and Lauren Seye opened with a dominant 6-1 win on court two, and Jade Psonka and Vladislava Andreevskaya quickly followed with a 6-2 victory on court three to clinch the point.

Houston briefly evened the score at 1-1 in singles play, but wins from Bergler and Jantje Tilbuerger restored control for the Knights, giving them a 3-1 lead. 

Shortly after, Gatell sealed the team victory on court three, bouncing back from a second-set setback to secure a 6-3, 0-6, 6-2 clinching win. The victory marked the freshman’s 10th dual-match win of the season and her fifth match-clincher.

QUICK HITS

  • The Knights have now won 20 straight matches at their home USTA courts, not dropping a single match last season and owning an impressive 7-0 mark this season.The Knights’ home winning streak is the longest in the Big 12 and remains one of the longest active runs in Division I, especially after Texas A&M’s 78‑match home streak was recently snapped.  
  • Jantje Tilbuerger is currently riding an 11-match winning streak, owning an impressive 14-1 dual-match record The senior remains undefeated on court two with a perfect 10-0 record, delivering five match-clinching wins for the Black and Gold in dual-match play.
  • Both Marina Gatell and Jade Psonka have now reached 10 dual‑match victories this season. Psonka has been dominant on court six, posting an impressive 10-2 record while anchoring the back courts for the Knights. Gatell, a freshman, has matched that 10-2 mark across courts three and four, while also clinging five victories for the squad.
  • The Knights remain one of the top programs in the Sunshine State outranking all but one of its Florida foes in the latest ITA Poll, and owns a better record than each: No. 16 Florida (13-4), No. 28 Miami (11-4), unranked FIU (7-8), unranked Stetson (13-4), unranked Florida St. (4-14) and unranked FAU (6-8)

SENIOR SPOTLIGHTS
The Knights will be celebrating two seniors on Friday evening, Daryna Shoshyna and Donatella Guarnieri.

Guarnieri joined the team in spring 2024 and earned a scholarship this past season after receiving the Dr. Bill Callarman Perseverance Award. During her time at UCF, she helped lead the Knights to key victories over Cincinnati, West Virginia, and Houston, culminating in the program’s first Big 12 Regular Season Championship. Guarnieri will graduate this spring magna cum laude with a 3.94 GPA, earning a degree in accounting and sport business management. After graduation, she plans to continue her studies at UCF in the DeVos Sport Business Management Program.

 

“We are incredibly grateful to have someone like Dona as part of our tennis program. Her journey is truly unique and inspiring, and she has played a major role in shaping the culture of our team today. Dona started on the club tennis team and made an immediate impact—defeating #7 Texas in her very first competition as a Knight. From there, she earned a full scholarship, something we were proud to award her, but in reality, she has given so much more back to our program through her dedication, resilience, and leadership.”

Head Coach Bryan KonieckoOn Guarnieri

Shoshyna joined the Knights this past fall after being named the 2025 Big Sky MVP and quickly made an impact as a team captain this season. Throughout her collegiate career, Shoshyna has compiled an impressive 40-16 singles record. Despite a shortened season, she also posted a strong 5-1 doubles record for the Knights this year. She plans to graduate this spring with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus in Hospitality.

“Daryna has been an incredible part of our team, serving as both an outstanding captain and a true leader. After suffering a tough knee injury in February, she never wavered in her commitment—continuing to support and uplift this team in every way she could. Daryna is one of the most hardworking and disciplined players I’ve had the chance to work with. I was fortunate to spend time on the court with her this season, and her teammates are just as fortunate to have her as their leader. We are extremely proud to welcome Daryna into our UCF Tennis Alumni Family, and her impact on this program goes far beyond what words can capture!”

Head Coach Bryan KonieckoOn Shoshyna

THE OPPONENT
Kansas State is led by eighth-year head coach Jordan Smith, who holds a 68-91 overall record, guiding the program to a national rank as high as 33. The Wildcats are anchored by sister duo Maralgoo Chogsomjav and Martaa Chogsomjav, who are ranked No. 80 in the doubles standings with a 10-6 record. The pair also competes on the top two singles courts, combining for a 10-13 record at the No. 1 and No. 2 positions. Kansas State enters its matchup in Orlando looking to snap a six-match losing streak.

History with Kansas State
All-Time: 2-0
Home: 1-0
Away: 1-0
Neutral: N/A
Under Koniecko: 2-0
Last Match: Feb. 28, 2025 (W, 4-1)