The Truman State women's tennis team wrapped up its 2026 season with a pair of road matches, defeating William Jewell College 7-0 on April 24 before falling to nationally competitive Rockhurst University 7-0 on April 25. The Bulldogs finished the year at 12-10 overall and 2-4 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, securing a winning season by taking three of their final four matches.

April 24 | Truman 7, William Jewell 0

Truman made quick work of William Jewell in Liberty, sweeping all three doubles matches and all six singles contests. Belle Daniels and Rachel Bivens opened things up with a 6-2 win at No. 1 doubles, while Himari Maruyama and Alayna Dostal cruised to a 6-0 victory at No. 2. Finley LaForge and MaryGrace Seymour claimed the No. 3 spot by default to complete the doubles point.

In singles, Sydney Dial picked up a win by opponent retirement at No. 1. Nayana Malangi, LaForge, Seymour, and Daniels each won their matches in straight sets without dropping a game. Bivens closed out the sweep with a default win at No. 6.

April 25 | Rockhurst 7, Truman 0

The Bulldogs ran into a different challenge the following day at the Plaza Tennis Center, where Rockhurst entered the match at 13-3 overall and a perfect 4-0 in GLVC play. Truman fell in all three doubles matches and all six singles contests, but head coach Steve Smith was encouraged by how his team competed.

"Everyone played well and hit the ball well for Truman, but Rockhurst was a lot to deal with," Smith said.

The match of the day came at No. 3 singles, where LaForge took the opening set from Rockhurst's Marina Magai, a top player in the conference, 6-2 before falling in the second set and ultimately dropping a super-tiebreaker played in lieu of a third set. Smith pointed to LaForge's finish to the season as a highlight of the year.

"Finley finished her year remarkably strong, getting a win in singles and doubles against Quincy and an outstanding performance today against Rockhurst," he said.

Smith also noted the strong individual season put together by Belle Daniels, who accumulated four wins against conference opponents at No. 5 singles.

A Winning Season and a Pair of Goodbyes

With three wins in their final four matches, the Bulldogs locked up a winning record for the season. Smith credited the team's health and chemistry as key factors.

"We played hard, we played well and we played for each other all season," he said. "Our overall health and lack of injuries this year led to one of our most successful seasons. The level of play grew remarkably over the course of the year for several players."

The final matches also marked the end of the road for two seniors. Alayna Dostal joined the program out of high school three years ago and quickly became an essential part of the roster, playing No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles throughout her career. She worked with seven different doubles partners and found her most success alongside current partner Maruyama. Smith noted that Dostal showed significant growth in her court coverage after her first year and also embraced her role as the team's representative to the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

Sydney Dial departs as one of the most accomplished players in program history. She played No. 1 singles for two years and No. 1 doubles for three, finishing her career with 115 total wins, including 62 in singles and 53 in doubles across nine different partners. Her best doubles partnership was with Malangi, with whom she recorded 25 wins. Known for her ability to anticipate, counter-punch and hit with precision and power, Dial was a consistent presence at the top of the lineup and set the tone for the program through her work ethic and competitive spirit.

"Syd led the team by example on the court and competed well against the top players in the conference," Smith said.

The Bulldogs will also say goodbye to head coach Steve Smith, who is retiring following this season. Smith leaves behind a program shaped by the values he instilled from day one.

"The requirements for the players when they come on to the team are to respect their teammates, respect their opponents and respect the game of tennis," he said, "and they have done that."

The Bulldogs will look to take those values and the team successes from this year to build on being a competitive team in the GLVC for years to come!
 

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