First Serve … 

• The Washburn men's tennis team (6-3) will open their MIAA schedule on the road in Maryville, Mo. as they take on the Northwest Missouri Bearcats (5-3) on Thursday, March 21.
• The match is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. on the Northwest Missouri campus tennis courts.

Last Time Out …

• The Ichabods fell to Central Regional opponent Harding, 5-2, on March 15.
• Harding started off the match strong by sweeping the doubles competition to take an early 1-0 lead.
• The singles competition was highly contested by both teams as four of the six matches were stretched to all three sets, but the Bison claimed the first four victories in the lineup to seal the dual match win.
• The Ichabods never gave up and picked up two wins at the No. 5 and 6 position. 
• After dropping the first set tiebreaker, Marc Roura Casi grinded out a three set 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 12-10 victory at the fifth slot.
• Chase Brill added a second point for Washburn with his three set rally of 3-6, 6-3, 10-8.
• Washburn moved to 6-3 on the season while Harding improved to 9-3 overall.
   

Scouting the Opposition ...

Northwest Missouri Bearcats

• Northwest Missouri went 10-9 (2-3 MIAA) last season.
• The Bearcats are off to a 5-3 start and are 1-0 in the conference after defeating Emporia State, 5-2.
• The team entered the season picked third in the MIAA Preseason Poll.
• Sophomore Franco Oliva was named the MIAA Men's Tennis Athlete of the Week on March 18 after he went 2-0 at No. 1 singles against Emporia State and Harding.
• He is also the fourth-ranked men's singles player in the nation.
• Head coach Mark Rosewell has led the NWMSU men's and women's teams since 1984 and recently recorded his 1,100th career victory.
• The Ichabods trail in the all-time series against the Bearcats, 13-45.
• Washburn won the last meeting at home, 7-2, on March 7, 2018.

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.

'Bods and Ends …

• In singles action, Brill is 13-4 overall and is 4-0 at the No. 6 slot.
• Eidenmueller is one win away from his 30th career singles victory.
• Washburn is 3-0 this season when playing on the road at the opponents' home court.
• The first-ever meeting between Washburn and Northwest Missouri was on April 9, 1967.
• The Ichabods' victory over the Bearcats last season snapped an 11 match losing streak.

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 54-31 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