First serve . . .
• The No. 36-ranked Washburn Ichabod men's tennis team will face its second straight NCAA Division I opponent when they travel to Wichita, Kan., to take on the Wichita State Shockers.
• The Shockers are 7-6 this season and will face UMKC prior to taking on the Ichabods on March 2.
• The Ichabods (3-1) are looking to snap a 12-match losing streak to the Shockers.
• The series is tied 12-12-5 in 29 all-time meetings.
• Washburn's last win in the series came in a 4-2 win during the 1942 season.
• The Ichabods are coming off a 6-1 loss to Missouri-Kansas City last time out on Feb. 20 in Kansas City.
Drop shots . . .
• The Ichabods jumped from not ranked to No. 36 in the latest ITA National Poll and from eighth to sixth in the latest ITA Central Regional Poll.
• The Ichabod doubles team of
Blake Hunter and
Alejandro Valarezo Plaza are ranked No. 22 in the nation and No. 1 in the regional rankings. They are 13-3 this season.
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Blake Hunter is also ranked No. 8 in singles in the region and he is 10-4 this season.
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Matt Barlow is ranked No. 15 in the singles regional rankings and has a 10-3 singles record.
• Hunter and Barlow lead the Ichabods with 10 singles wins and Valarezo Plaza has eight.
• Statistically speaking, the Ichabods are a combined 51-34 (.600) in singles play and they are 31-15 (.674) in doubles action.
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Blake Hunter was named the MIAA Tennis Player of the Week on Feb. 15.
Coaching . . .
Former Ichabod tennis player
Lance Lysaught is in his second season as the Ichabod head coach. He is 16-33 as a collegiate head coach in his fourth season and 7-12 at Washburn.
Up next . . .
The Ichabods will face Cowley County Community College on March 6 in an exhibition match in Topeka before hosting Hastings on March 12 and then opening MIAA play on March 13 against Southwest Baptist.
