Warm ups . . . 

The 2013 Washburn Lady Blues tennis team will open their championship season facing Arkansas-Fort Smith on Saturday in Springfield, Mo., at 1 p.m. prior to facing Drury at 9 a.m. the following morning at the Cooper Tennis Center. The two matches will be the first of 21 dual encounters the Lady Blues tennis team will have this season.

Fall season recap. . . 

• Freshman Jodie Blackim won a team-high six singles matches during the fall slate going 6-1 in the three tournaments.

• Blackim won the B Flight at the Washburn Invitational to open the season.

• During the Washburn Invitational, sophomore Casyn Buchman won the A flight consolations, but will not join the Lady Blues tennis team until after the basketball season has ended.

• Freshman Gwen Shepler reached the C flight championship match of the Washburn Invitational.

• In doubles play of the Washburn Invitational, the duo of Blackim and Buchman lost in the championship match.

• Sophomore Rachael Hageman finished in third at the Bethany Invitational in the D singles flight.

• At the Bethany Invitational, Gwen Shepler reached the semifinals of the C singles flight.

• The team of junior Sophie O'Neill and Buchman fell in the A flight doubles title match.

• The same team of O'Neill and Buchman reached the regional semifinals of the USTA/ITA Central Regional doubles tournament.

• Buchman and O'Neill had a combined 5-3 doubles record during the fall slate.

Up Next. . . 

Washburn will return to action hosting NCAA Division I foe Arkansas-Little Rock at 8:30 a.m.  in its home opener, which will be played at Wood Valley Racquet Club just west of 37th street off of Burlingame.