Eastern Wayne Today

Wayne State University women's tennis program has announced the addition of two freshmen to its roster for the 2025-26 academic year. Head coach Yahsha Moore confirmed that Selin Kayakent from Bursa, Turkey, and Rebecca Laynes from Saginaw, Michigan, will join the Warriors later this month.

Moore is entering her second full season as head coach. She has been with the Wayne State coaching staff since 2017 and holds a 31-8 record as head coach, including time served in an interim capacity. Under her leadership, the team has won two GLIAC regular-season titles, one conference tournament championship, two NCAA Midwest Regional titles, and advanced to the Elite Eight at the NCAA Finals in both 2024 and 2025.

"I am very excited to add both Selin and Becca to our roster," Moore said. "They are two players that I think will come in and help add more depth to our team. They also seem like they will mesh well with the system and culture we have developed. I can't wait to see what they both add to our team, and I'm sure they will fit in nicely."

Kayakent graduated from Bilfen Anatolian High School in 2025 where she played under coach Serkan Deniz Yenigun. In her final year of high school competition, she reached the doubles final at the J30 Mostar event in September 2024 with partner Anastasia Timoshenko after winning consecutive three-set matches in earlier rounds. Her singles highlights included main draw victories at J30 Istanbul in October 2024 and J30 Plovdiv in November 2024. She was also active in volleyball and recognized as an academic honors student.

Laynes completed her studies at Saginaw Heritage High School graduating Magna Cum Laude. She earned four varsity letters with the Hawks tennis team and served as captain during her senior year. Laynes was named First Team All-Saginaw Valley League in 2025 and was selected for Michigan's Division 2 All-State First Team by coaches in 2023. Among her achievements is a win over current WSU teammate Dessyre Obedencio at No.1 singles during state competition as well as a title at the Girls 18s Spring Open Tournament held at Wildwood Racquet Club in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Both recruits bring international and local experience along with strong academic backgrounds as they prepare to join Wayne State’s women’s tennis program for the upcoming season.