FIRST SERVE

• Washburn men's tennis begins a three-match road trip against Northwood on March 9 at 10 a.m. at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla. The Timberwolves hold the 2-0 advantage in the all-time series.
• The Ichabods will then face No. 9-nationally ranked Flagler on March 10 at 2 p.m. in St. Augustine, Fla. This will be their first contest against one another.
• The Ichabods will end the road trip with a matchup against No. 15 Valdosta State on March 11 at 1 p.m. in Valdosta, Ga. This will also be their first matchup together.

 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS

• Northwood holds a 0-6 record to start the season after a 7-0 loss to Keiser on March 7.
• No. 9 Flagler is off to a 2-4 start following a 4-3 loss to Delta State on March 7.
• Valdosta State are 4-0 this season coming off a 5-2 win over Delta State on March 6.

 
LAST TIME OUT

• Washburn improved its record to 4-1 after sweeping Barton County, 7-0, on March 5.
• The Ichabods swept the doubles point to start the match on a good note. The duo of Paul Haase and Miquel Perez started it off with a 6-1 win from court 2. Then, Raul-Alin Dicu and Daniel Bird defeated their opponents by 6-2 in the third spot. Sebastian Pjontek and Bradley Eidenmueller closed out doubles action with a 7-5 victory from the top of the lineup.
• Dicu from the No. 1 spot, Haase from the third spot, Perez from court 2, Bird from the No. 5 spot, Pjontek from the fourth spot and Miller Zeiders from the No. 6 spot all defeated their opponents to ensure a 7-0 sweep over Barton.

 
CHECKING IN WITH THE BODS

• Paul Haase leads the Ichabods with a 4-0 singles record this season. Haase has a 3-2 doubles record as he tries to find his best doubles match.
• Raul-Alin Dicu, playing No. 1 singles, holds a 3-2 record. Dicu and doubles partner Daniel Bird have dominated the court and earned a 3-0 record from the No. 3 spot. 
• Along with a perfect 4-0 record in doubles, Bird, the transfer newcomer from East Carolina, has also gone 3-0 in singles action to make a commanding first impression on the Washburn team.
• Bradley Eidenmueller is off to a 3-0 start in singles action, playing mainly at the No. 5 spot. Eidenmueller is 3-2 in doubles action.

 
ICHABODS IN THE RANKINGS

• Individually, two Ichabods were listed in the top-20 of the Central Region singles rankings, which was last updated April 15, 2020. Raul-Alin Dicu was ranked at No. 16, while Paul Haase checked in at No. 19.
• The Ichabods were picked second in the north division in the MIAA/GAC Preseason Coaches Poll, released on February 5, 2021. The team gathered three-first place votes and 26 points total.
• Updated ITA national team rankings were released on Feb. 2.

 
HEAD COACH KIRBY RONNING

• Kirby Ronning is in his first season as the Washburn head tennis coach for the Ichabods men's and women's programs after being named to the position on July 23, 2020. Prior to Washburn, Ronning spent four seasons as the assistant coach at Azusa Pacific, where he helped lead the Cougars to multiple NCAA postseason appearances and earned himself both ITA West Region's Men's Tennis Assistant Coach of the Year and Women's Tennis Assistant Coach of the Year. 
• He earned his bachelor's degree in business from Bethel University (Minn) in 2014 and his master's in physical education from Azusa Pacific in May 2020.
• Ronning also played at Bethel for four years, playing primarily at No. 2 singles and No. 1 doubles position.

 
TAKE A LOOK AHEAD

• Washburn returns home to host an exhibition match against Cowley County CC on March 17 at 1 p.m.