OKLAHOMA CITY -- The 37th-ranked Washburn men's tennis team is heading to the MIAA championship match for the third-straight year after defeating the two-seed Northwest Missouri Bearcats, 4-1, in the semifinal round on Saturday. The Ichabods will take part in a rematch from last year's final as they face off against No. 11 Southwest Baptist. The championship match is set for Sunday, April 28, beginning at 10 a.m. at the Oklahoma City Tennis Center.

The victory moves the Ichabods' record up to 14-6 on the season while No. 47 Northwest Missouri drops to 10-11.

Washburn took the doubles point with wins on courts two and three, both by margins of 6-2. Raul-Alin Dicu and Marc Roura Casi captured the first victory at No. 2 doubles and Chase Brill and Bradley Eidenmueller clinched the point at No. 3. The contest at the No. 1 court went unfinished after the Ichabods clinched.

Brill extended Washburn's lead with a quick 6-3, 6-2 decision at No. 6 singles. At the top of the order, Alejandro Valarezo Plaza, the fifth-ranked singles player in the nation, knocked off the No. 20-ranked Franco Oliva, 6-1, 7-6 (3). Northwest Missouri got on the board with a three set victory at the No. 2 position. Holding a 3-1 lead, Paul Haase put the match away with a huge three triumph at court three, 6-1, 2-6, 6-2. The remaining two matches were in their third set and were unfinished, but both Eidenmueller and Casi had claimed the first set in their matches.

The Ichabods will be the three-seed taking on the tournament's top-seed Southwest Baptist in the championship match for the second-straight year. Washburn lost 5-1 in last season's championship final. The Ichabods last won an MIAA Tournament championship title in 2009, defeating Southwest Baptist, 5-4.

Singles competition
1. #5 Valarezo Plaza,Aleja (WU) def. #20 Oliva,Franco (NWMSU) 6-1, 7-6 (3)
2. #47 Calloud,Fabien (NWMSU) def. Dicu,Raul (WU) 1-6, 6-3, 6-2
3. Haase,Paul (WU) def. Velasco,Agustin (NWMSU) 6-1, 2-6, 6-2
4. Manoah,Rahul (NWMSU) vs. Eidenmueller,Bradley (WU) 3-6, 6-2, unfinished
5. Sanchez,Martin (NWMSU) vs. Casi,Marc (WU) 4-6, 6-4, unfinished
6. Brill,Chase (WU) def. Kurtze,Bjorn (NWMSU) 6-3, 6-2

Doubles competition
1. Oliva,Franco/Calloud,Fabien (NWMSU) vs. #5 Valarezo Plaza,Aleja/Haase,Paul (WU) unfinished
2. Dicu,Raul/Casi,Marc (WU) def. Kurtze,Bjorn/Pontes,Pedro (NWMSU) 6-2
3. Brill,Chase/Eidenmueller,Bradley (WU) def. Velasco,Agustin/Manoah,Rahul (NWMSU) 6-2

Match notes
Washburn: 14-6; National ranking #37
Northwest Missouri: 10-11; National ranking #47
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles (6,1,2,3)

MIAA Tournament
WU - No. 2 Seed
NWMSU - No. 3 Seed