First serve . . . 

•    The 28th-ranked Washburn Ichabod men's tennis team will continue its road swing against Oklahoma Baptist after opening its 2017 spring schedule by splitting a pair of matches with No. 20 Drury and McKendree.

 Three's company. . .

•  The Ichabods head into its third season under head coach Lance Lysaught with one player nationally ranked and two others regionally ranked.

•    Alejandro Valarezo leads the Ichabods landing at No. 31 in NCAA Divison II singles and No. 2 in the Central region. The sophomore heads into the match with a 12-3 record including a perfect 4-0 at the No. 1 singles position.

•    The lone senior and team captain, Matt Barlow, is the second Ichabod to garner a regional singles ranking coming at No. 14 in the Central region after posting a 8-3 record this spring including a 3-1 record at the No. 3 spot.

•  Blake Hunter is the third Ichabod to boast a regional ranking at No. 16 as well as landing at No. 4 in the regional doubles rankings paired with Valarezo.

 The Opp . . . 

•    Oklahoma Baptist is heading into its second season as a member of the Great American Conference under head coach Paul McCorkle

 •        OBU was tabbed fourth in the GAC Presseason Poll after finishing last season with a 16-9 record and NCAA Semifinal appearance.

 •  Daniel Aguilera who was last years top player will redshirt this season, but the Bison will return five netters who appeared in last seasons semifinal match.

Tournament success. . .

•  The Ichabods closed out the 2016 calendar year with each player picking up at least one flight victory in tournament play.

•    Alejandro Valarezo ended 2016 with a spot in the ITA Central Regional singles final after a stellar victory over the defending champion in the semifinal.

 The young and the restless. . .

•    With one senior on both the men and women's tennis teams combined the Ichabods have the youngest roster in the MIAA conference.

Coaching. . . 

• Former Ichabod tennis player Lance Lysaught is in his third season at the helm of the Ichabodmen's tennis program. He is 30-39 as a men's collegiate head coach in his fifth season and 21-18 at Washburn.

• Washburn added former Washburn men's tennis standout, David Price, as the assistant coach to both the men and women's teams during the offseason.

 Up next . . . 

• Washburn will return to the friendly confines of the Washburn Tennis Complex to face Bethany College Feb. 24 and William Woods on March 1.