First Serve … 

• After a two week break, the Washburn Ichabods (4-2) are back in action and will play their first home match of the spring season as they host the Newman Jets (2-4) this Saturday, Mar. 2.
• The match is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. at the Genesis Tennis Center in Southwest Topeka.
   

Last Time Out …

• The Ichabods went 1-1 in Texas two weeks ago.
• On Feb. 15, the deciding point came down to the final singles match played, but Southern Arkansas won the dual 4-3.
• Washburn fell behind early after losing the doubles point.
• Once in singles competition, it was back and forth scoring for both teams. After Southern Arkansas picked up the first singles win at the No. 4 slot, Washburn answered with a pair of victories. 
• Paul Haase improved to 7-3 in singles with his 6-4, 6-4 win. 
• Valarezo Plaza kept his historic victory exciting as he topped his opponent 7-6 (7-3), 5-7, 6-4
• After the Muleriders won the next match, Bradley Eidenmueller tied up the dual at 3-3 with his 7-6 (7-0), 6-3 triumph. 
• The deciding point at the No. 6 spot went the distance of all three sets, but Southern Arkansas won the match, 5-7, 6-3, 6-1.
• The following day, Washburn made quite the statement en route to its 4-0 victory over Dallas Baptist.
• Washburn swept the doubles portion of the dual to take a 1-0 lead. 
• The duos of Alejandro Valarezo Plaza/Paul Haase and Chase Brill/Marc Roura Casi each won their match, 6-3. At the third position, Bradley Eidenmueller and Raul-Alin Dicu posted a 6-1 win.
• In singles action, the Ichabods wasted no time clinching the dual by posting three-straight victories. 
• Valarezo Plaza got things started at the top of the order with a 6-1, 6-4 win. 
• Haase dropped just one set to his opponent en route to a 6-0, 6- victory. He improved his record at the No. 3 position to 4-1 and is 8-3 overall on the season.
• At the No. 6 slot, Roura Casi sealed the team victory with his 6-2, 6-1 performance.

Scouting the Opposition ...

Newman Jets

• Washburn is on a three match winning streak against Newman and leads the all-time series, 10-1. 
• The Ichabods' most recent win came on the road last season with an 8-1 victory.
• Newman completed the 2017-18 season 9-13 and went 2-2 in Heartland Conference duals.
• Sheila Augspurger is in her 13th full year as the Jets head coach. 
• The Jets returned five of their eight players from last year.
• Newman is 2-4 to start the new season. The team's most recent win was a 7-0 sweep of Kansas Wesleyan.

Nationally Ranked Ichabods …

• Washburn has two players appearing in the ITA national listing. 
• The doubles team of Valarezo Plaza / Haase are ranked third in all of Division II.
• Valarezo Plaza is No. 13 in men's singles.
   

 Regional Rankings Abound …

• The Ichabods are ranked No. 2 in the Central Region, trailing only MIAA rival Southwest Baptist.
• Washburn represents three of the top-10 doubles teams in the region. 
• The tandem of Valarezo Plaza and Haase hold down the No. 1 ranking in men's doubles.
• Bradley Eidenmueller / Raul-Alin Dicu and Chase Brill / Marc Roura Casi are ranked back-to-back at seventh and eighth.
• In singles, Valarezo Plaza is ranked second and Haase checks in at 10th. Dicu also made the top-20 with his No. 16 ranking.
• In addition to the regional and national rankings, Washburn was selected second in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll.
   

History in the Making …

• Valarezo Plaza picked up his seventh career MIAA Men's Tennis Athlete of the Week award on Feb. 18 after receiving the honor for the second consecutive week.
• He broke the program's all-time singles record against Southern Arkansas and added another win against Dallas Baptist to notch his 80th career victory. The previous record, set by Santiago Giraldo, stood for 22 years.
• All 47 of his dual match victories have come at the No. 1 position.
• Valarezo Plaza is also one win away from claiming sole possession of Washburn's career doubles record. He is currently tied at 92 wins with former doubles partner, Blake Hunter. 

Coach Lance Lysaught …

• is in his fifth season as the head coach of the men's and women's Washburn tennis teams.
• has coached the Washburn men to a 52-30 overall record and is 9-11 in MIAA matches.
• led the Ichabods to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinal round in 2018, the first time the program had 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