First Serve … 

• The eighth-ranked Washburn women's team (11-1, 3-0 MIAA) looks to continue their winning ways with two matches this weekend.
• The Ichabods will host Augustana (13-1, 9-0 NSIC) on Saturday, March 23, at 2 p.m. The match is currently scheduled to take place at the Washburn Tennis Complex, but will be moved indoors to the Topeka Country Club if there is rain. For the latest updates, make sure to check the tennis schedules on wusports.com and follow @wusports on Twitter.
• The following day, Washburn will travel for a mid-day MIAA match against Missouri Western (8-6, 0-1 MIAA). The match will begin at noon at the Genesis Health Club in St. Joseph, Mo.

Last Time Out …

• The Ichabods continued impressive play in conference action and moved to 3-0 in the MIAA with their 4-3 victory over Northwest Missouri on March 21.
• Washburn took a 1-0 lead after winning the doubles point.
• The tandem of Alexis Czapinski and Logan Morrissey rolled to a 6-2 win at No. 1 doubles.
• At the No. 2 slot, Jacqueline Engelbrecht and Svea Crohn clinched the doubles point for the Ichabods.
• It was back and forth scoring in the singles competition, but the Ichabods turned in three victories to seal the 4-3 team win.
• Engelbrecht got things started on the first court with her 6-2, 6-3 triumph.
• At No. 2 singles, Czapinski improved to a stellar 12-0 after winning a three set battle, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.
• Washburn held a close 3-2 lead when Maria Soler Valverde put the match away for the Ichabods at the No. 4 position with her 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) win.
• The Ichabods improved to 11-1 (3-0 MIAA) while the Bearcats fell to 8-3 (2-1 MIAA).

Scouting the Opposition …

Augustana Vikings (S.D.)

• The Vikings are coming off a 21-4 (11-0 NSIC) season where they reached the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
• Augustana has carried its momentum into the new season and is currently 13-1 (9-0 NSIC).
• The team is ranked 26th in the nation and fifth in the Central Region.
• The doubles team of Laura Arce Vieyra and Kornelia Staniszewska are ranked third nationally.
• Staniszewska is also ranked individually at No. 26.
• Marc Kurtz is in his 14th season as the head coafh of the Augustana men's and women's teams. He has compiled an impressive 215-44 record on the women's side.
• The two teams have met once prior to this weekend. Augustana claimed a 7-2 victory in Topeka on April 5, 2014.

Missouri Western Griffons

• Last season, the Griffons went 10-12 overall and 2-7 in conference matches.
• Missouri Western was tabbed eighth in the MIAA Coaches Preseason Poll.
• The team is currently 8-6 (0-1 MIAA) and have lost their last two matches.
• Shawn Becker has led the Griffons since the 2015-16 season.
• The Ichabods hold a decisive 26-2 all-time series record against the Griffons.

Ichabods in the Rankings …

• Washburn is jumped up 16 places in the latest ITA national rankings to No. 8 in Division II.
• Czapinski went from unranked to No. 10 in women's singles.
• Also ranked in singles, Engelbrecht checks in at No. 39 and Soler Valverde is No. 56.
• In doubles, Czapinski and Morrissey are ranked sixth in the nation.
• As a team, the Ichabods are ranked No. 6 in the Central Region.
• Czapinski/Morrissey hold down the top doubles 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 …

• Washburn is on a six match winning streak, its longest of the season.
• Czapinski is still unbeaten at No. 2 singles. She is 12-0 this spring and leads the team at 16-2.
• At the top of the order, Engelbrecht has won five of her last six matches. She is 13-6 on the year and 8-4 in the regular season.
• Since moving to the No. 4 slot, Soler Valverde is 7-0. She has the second-most wins on the team with an overall record of 14-4.
• The No. 3 doubles team of Kinsey Fields and Soler Valverde dropped just their first match of the season in a close 7-6 (7-3) contest. The pair is still 8-1 in dual competition.
• The Ichabods are 5-1 when playing at home and 4-0 on the road.

Coach Lance Lysaught …

• is in his fifth season as the head coach of the Washburn men's and women's tennis teams.
• is 2-2 against Missouri Western.
• has coached the Washburn women to a 48-45 overall record and is 17-22 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