First Serve … 

• The No. 24 Washburn women's tennis team (5-0) is set to open the home portion of their spring schedule this Friday as they take on the Air Force Academy (12-0). 
• The match will take place at the Topeka Country Club beginning at 6 p.m.

Last Week …

• The Ichabods won a pair of 5-2 matches last weekend in Texas.
• Against Southern Arkansas, Alexis Czapinski / Logan Morrissey and Kinsey Fields / Maria Soler Valverde won their doubles matches to claim the doubles point and give Washburn a 1-0 lead.
• In singles action, the Ichabods won the first four spots down the lineup to claim the victory. 
• Morrissey and Soler Valverde picked victories at the No. 3 and 4 position to give Washburn a 3-0 lead. 
• At the top of the order, Jacqueline Engelbrecht dropped the first set, but bounced back to take the second and third to clinch the win. 
• Czapinski rounded out the scoring for the Ichabods with her three set victory.
• The following day against Dallas Baptist, the same two Washburn doubles teams picked up victories and the doubles point for the Ichabods.
• The Ichabods carried their momentum into the singles competition and won the first three singles matches played to clinch the dual victory. 
• Czapinski improved to 5-0 in No. 2 singles and 9-2 overall with her 6-3, 6-2 victory. 
• Svea Crohn added another victory to her individual tally at the No. 5 slot and stands at 4-1
• With a 3-0 lead, Soler Valverde put the dual away for the Ichabods and posted a three set victory at fourth in the order. 
• At the top of the order, Engelbrecht rallied back after dropping the first set and rounded out the scoring for the Ichabods.

Scouting the Opposition ...

Air Force Academy Falcons

• Air Force finished 14-7 overall last season and went 1-4 in Mountain West conference matches.
• Kim Gidley is in her 20th season as the women's head coach at the Academy and holds a record of 289-253.
• The team returned both of their 2018 Mountain West All-Conference players in TJ Fumagalli and Elizabeth Barnickel. Last season in singles, Fumagalli went 24-15 and Barnickel was 25-10. Together as doubles partners, the duo went 23-6.
• The Falcons are off to a 12-0 start, with eight of those wins coming by way of 7-0 sweeps.
• In the most recent ITA poll, the Falcons are ranked 44th in all of Division I.
• This will be the first time these teams have squared off since 1996. The Falcons lead the series, 2-0.

Ichabods in the Rankings …

• Washburn is ranked 24th in the nation.
• As a team, the Ichabods are ranked No. 6 in the Central Region.
• Reflecting their finish at the ITA National Cup, Morrissey and Czapinski will begin the season as the third-ranked doubles team in all of Division II.
• Additionally, the duo also holds down the top ranking in the Central Region. 
• Individually, Engelbrecht is ranked fouth in the region and 28th in the nation.
• Czapinski also joins the region's top-10 list at No. 9 in women's singles.
• Washburn was picked fourth in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll.

'Bods and Ends …

• The Ichabods entered the ITA top-25 rankings on Feb. 20 and checked in at No. 24 in the nation.
• This became the first time the team has appeared in the top-25 since 2007, when Washburn was ranked 25th in all of Division II.
• For the second consecutive week, Czapinski earned MIAA Player of the Week honors.  She has now won such accolades five times in her career after achieving the weekly conference award three times last season.
• The Air Force match will be the first time the Ichabods have faced a Division I team since 2016 when they played the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
• The Ichabods were 3-1 playing at the Topeka Country Club last season.

Coach Lance Lysaught …

• is in his fifth season as the head coach of the Washburn men's and women's tennis teams.
• has coached the Washburn women to a 42-44 overall record and is 16-22 in MIAA matches.
• led the Ichabod men to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinal round in 2018, the first time the program had ever advanced beyond the national round of 16.
• was tabbed to start up the men's and women's tennis programs at Ottawa University in 2012 where he was the head coach for two seasons.
• is a former Washburn student-athlete who played tennis for the Ichabods from 1987-91.
• was a two-time District 10 singles champion and an NAIA national qualifier in both singles and doubles over his tenure as a player.

By the numbers after four seasons coaching both Washburn men and women

7: All-American awards

5: ITA Central Region Championship titles

1: ITA Women's singles National Champion

1: MIAA Most Valuable Player

33: All-MIAA selections

3: NCAA National Tournament appearances

51: MIAA Academic Honor Roll selections