First serve . . .
• The No. 36-ranked Washburn Ichabod men's tennis team will open the MIAA slate playing host to Emporia State on Tuesday at the Washburn Tennis Complex at 2 p.m.
• It will be the start of a busy week for the Ichabods as they will also take on No. 23-ranked Southeastern Oklahoma on Thursday before wrapping up the week in MIAA play at Lindenwood on Saturday.
• Washburn has won its last four matches.
Drop shots . . .
• The Ichabods jumped from not ranked to No. 36 in the latest ITA National Poll and from sixth to fourth in the latest ITA Central Regional Poll … Southeastern State is ranked third and Lindenwood is ranked ninth.
• 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 18-3 this season … the Ichabod single season record for wins is 32.
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Blake Hunter is also ranked No. 12 in singles in the region and he is 14-5 this season.
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Matt Barlow is ranked No. 11 in the singles regional rankings and has a 12-6 singles record.
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Alejandro Valarezo Plaza is 12-4 overall and ranked No. 9 in the latest ITA Regional Rankings.
• Hunter leads the Ichabods with 14 singles wins and Barlow and Valarezo Plaza each have 12.
• Statistically speaking, the Ichabods are a combined 70-43 (.619) in singles play and they are 44-17 (.721) 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 20-34 as a collegiate head coach in his fourth season and 11-13 at Washburn.
Up next . . .
The Ichabods return to action on March 28 when they will take on Northwest Missouri, who was ranked No. 14 in the latest ITA National Rankings and No. 1 in the latest ITA Regional Rankings.
