First Serve … 

• The Washburn men's tennis team (6-2) looks to add to their three-match winning streak when they host regional opponent Harding (8-3) on Friday, March 15.
• The match is currently scheduled to be played on campus at the Washburn Tennis Complex beginning at 1 p.m.

Last Time Out …

• The Ichabods last played on March 12 and swept Central College (Division III), 7-0, at the Topeka Genesis Tennis Center.
• Washburn rolled right through the doubles portion of the dual match and surrendered just one game over the course of the three matches played.
• Alejandro Valarezo Plaza / Paul Haase and Bradley Eidenmueller / Chase Brill blanked their opponents in a pair of 6-0 victories.
• At court No. 2, Marc Roura Casi and Raul-Alin Dicu finished out the doubles competition with a 6-1 win.
• The Ichabods carried their momentum into singles action where they won in straight sets at all six positions and held their opponents to one or fewer games won in 10 of the 12 sets played.
• Dicu and Roura Casi shut out their opponents and cruised to 6-0, 6-0 victories at the No. 3 and 5 positions.
• Valarezo Plaza clinched the team win after picking up a 6-1, 6-1 win at No. 1 singles.
• Haase won at the second slot 6-1, 6-0 while Eidenmueller picked up a 6-4, 6-0 win at No. 5.
• Brill rounded out the scoring for Washburn with his 6-2, 6-0 victory.
• Washburn improved to 6-2 while the Dutch fell to 3-6 on the year.

Scouting the Opposition ...

Harding Bison

• The Bison posted a 14-7 overall record in 2017-18 while going 2-1 in conference matches.
• Harding entered the 2019 spring season ranked fifth in the Central Region and second in the Great American Conference.
• The team is off to an 8-3 start and last played against Abilene Christian on March 10,  and fell 5-2.
• David Redding is in his fifth season as the head coach of the Harding men's and women's teams. His men's teams have posted a total 40-26 record during his tenure.
• The Ichabod have won the only other previous meeting between these two teams by the score of 5-4 in 2015.

Nationally Ranked Ichabods …

• Washburn has two players appearing in the ITA national listing. 
• The doubles team of Alejandro 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.

'Bods and Ends …

• With his doubles victory against Central College, senior Valarezo Plaza became the winningest player in Washburn men's tennis history.
• He now has a career singles record of 81-29 and a doubles total of 93-18. 
• Valarezo Plaza and Haase both reached their 10th singles win of the 2018-19 season and are 10-3.
• Brill picked up his 45th career doubles victory and holds a career 45-21 record.
• Haase was named the MIAA Men's Tennis Athlete of the Week on March 5. 
• Washburn and Harding received votes in the most recent ITA National rankings which were released on Feb. 20.

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 54-30 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