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Matthew Earle
Kyle Manthe/Assistant Director Athletic Communications

No. 15 Washburn finishes Florida trip against No. 4 Flagler and No. 3 Saint Leo

2/27/2024 8:39:00 PM

TOPEKA, Kan. -- No. 15 Washburn men's tennis concludes its trip around South Florida with matches against Flagler on Wednesday at 2 p.m. EST and Saint Leo at 3 p.m. EST on Thursday.  

FIRST SERVE 

  • No. 15 Washburn men's tennis will play its second and third matches in Florida against Flagler College on Wednesday at 2 p.m. EST and Saint Leo at 3 p.m. on Thursday.  

  • The Ichabods are 3-2 on the year after a 4-3 win over Florida Southern College on Monday afternoon.  

  • The No. 4 ranked Saints are 4-1 on the year with the only loss coming to Saint Leo. The Lions are 6-1 on the year coming off a 4-3 loss to No. 1 Barry.  

  • The Ichabods are ranked No. 15 in the lates ITA rankings.  

  • Washburn went 17-8 in 2022-23 with a 3-1 record in the MIAA during the regular season. They won the MIAA Championship Tournament and advanced to the NCAA National Championships.  

  • The Ichabods return eight players from last season's roster while adding four freshmen and one transfer to complete the roster.  

SINGLES SITUATION  

  • Washburn has three players ranked in the latest ITA singles rankings with Sebastian Pjontek at No. 10, Santiago Rendon just behind at No. 11 and Pavlos Parson checking in at No. 30.  

  • For the season the Ichabods are 74-33 in singles matches and are 19-9 in duals.  

  • Rendon leads the team with 10 wins and has a 10-3 overall record this season. he is 2-1 at No. 3 and 1-1 at No. 4.  

  • Pjontek has a 9-4 record on the year with a 1-3 record at No. 1.  

  • Parson carries an 9-3 mark in singles play with a 1-2 record at No. 2.  

  • Tim Hammes is 7-2 on the year and is 1-0 at both No. 1 and No. 3. 

  • Moritz Pieper has a 8-1 record on the singles side and is 1-0 at No. 6. 

  • Daniel Bird has posted a 5-2 record this season with a 1-0 record at No. 4.  

  • Matthew Earle is 7-2 on the year and has gone 1-0 at No. 4.  

  • Tommy Cecchetti has gone 3-0 from the No. 5 spot and is 9-3 overall.  

DOUBLES DOWNLOAD 

  • Washburn has one doubles duo ranked in the latest ITA doubles ranking with ITA Cup champions Tim Hammes and Santiago Rendon ranked No. 1 in the nation.  

  • On the year the Ichabods have gone 29-22 on the year with a 6-9 record in duals.  

  • Hammes and Rendon have the most wins of any Ichabod pair with a 7-6 record together, they have gone 1-2 at No. 1.  

  • Daniel Bird and Matthew Earle are 3-2 together from the No. 2 and No. 3 positions. 

  • Hammes leads all Ichabods with an 11-8 doubles record. 

  • Rendon has the second most wins with a 8-6 record, also going 1-2 at No. 1.  

  • Sebastian Pjontek and Tommy Cecchetti are 1-2 together on the year with a 1-1 record at No. 2.  

  • Ivan Ivanov and Daniel Harkin are both 4-1 on the year in doubles, all in tournaments.  

LAST TIME OUT 

Washburn 4, Florida Southern 3 (Feb. 26, 2024)  

LAKELAND, Fla. -- No. 15 Washburn won the final three points of the match on Monday afternoon to come from behind and defeat Florida Southern 4-3 on the road. The Ichabods will face Flagler College at 2 p.m. EST on Wednesday as they continue around South Florida.   

In doubles play the Moccasins (3-3) started with the advantage as Tim Hammes and Sebastian Pjontek fell 6-3 at No. 1. Washburn (3-2) fell behind 1-0 with Pavlos Parson and Santiago Rendon losing a 6-3 match as well on court three. Daniel Bird and Matthew Earle played their match from No. 2 out, winning 7-5.   

The Ichabods were able to even the match with Hammes winning two sets both 6-3 at No. 2. Playing from No. 3 Rendon, ranked No. 11, went into a tiebreaker for his first set but came up short, losing 8-6 in the tiebreaker. He fell 6-2 in the second set and Florida Southern went back up.   

The Moccasins set up match point with No. 10 Pjontek losing a pair of 6-4 sets at No. 1. Washburn began its comeback with Tommy Cecchetti winning 6-2 in his first set and working extra to win the second set 9-7 in a tiebreaker. No. 30 Parson won his opening set 6-4 from No. 4 but lost the second 6-2. He forced a tiebreaker in the third set and came out on top with a 7-3 win to even the match. Earle secured the victory winning 6-2 in his first set and 6-4 in the match clincher.   

HEAD COACH KIRBY RONNING 

  • Ronning is in year four as the head coach of the men's and women's tennis teams at Washburn   

  • Has led both teams to the NCAA Tournament in every season at the helm with a 103-44 combined record with Washburn. 

  • Was named the ITA Central Region Coach of the Year on both the men's and women's side after the 2022-23 season.    

  • Prior to joining the Ichabods Ronning spent four seasons as the assistant coach at Azusa Pacific from 2016-2022 

  • As a player, he played for four years at Bethel University (Minn.). Ronning received his bachelor's degree in Business from Bethel in 2014 and earned his master's degree in Physical Education at Azusa Pacific in May 2020. 

THE ASSISTANTS 

  • Graduate assistants Sofia Smagina and Casie Curry begin their first season on the Ichabod coaching staff while Kurt Reid and Raul-Alin Dicu enter their fifth and second seasons respectively.   

  • Kurt Reid enters his fifth season as an assistant with the Ichabods.  

  • He started his collegiate tennis career at Tulsa (1977-78) before transferring to Washburn for the 1978-79 season. 

  • Reid, a Topeka-native, played tennis at Topeka West High School and was elected to the Topeka West Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.  

  • Dicu enters his second season with Washburn and his first as a volunteer assistant after serving as a graduate assistant in 2022-23.  

  • Dicu finished his five-year career with Washburn in 2022 with a 56-45 singles record and 53-41 doubles mark. He is in the top-20 in singles and doubles wins in program history 

  • Former All-American Sofia Smagina joins the coaching staff after wrapping up one of the best seasons in Ichabod tennis history in 2022-23.  

  • Finished as the runner-up at the ITA Cup in singles and was named the MIAA Player of the Year while going 30-3 in singles and 26-5 in doubles in her one season at Washburn. Joined the Ichabods as a transfer from Kansas.  

  • Casie Curry rounds out the coaching staff as a graduate assistant after spending one season with Washburn in 2022-23.  

  • Curry received All-MIAA recognition in both singles and doubles while going 16-11 and 22-6 respectively. She joined the Ichabods after transferring from Midwestern State.  

OPPONENT QUICK SCOUT - MATCH #6 

ABOUT THE FLAGLER COLLEGE SAINTS 

  • Flagler is 4-1 on the year winning its last two matches with the only loss coming to Saint Leo. They are ranked No. 4 in the latest ITA Rankings.  

  • The Saints are 2-0 in matches at home this season.  

  • Last season Flagler went 19-7 overall and were 5-1 inside the SSC. 

  • The Saints have gone 106-55 in singles matches this season (65.8%) and are also 19-7 in duals.  

  • Baptiste Mercler leads Flagler with a 19-8 record overall this season, he is 4-1 from No. 2.  

  • Ilian Borlee is 14-4 on the year playing mostly from the back half of the lineup. 

  • In doubles Flagler has gone 37-28 overall (58.7%) and 9-4 in duals as well.   

SAINTS STAFF  

  • Jonas Piibor was named the fourth head coach of the men's tennis program on Aug. 3, 2021. 

  • Was named the 2022 Peach Belt Conference Coach of the Year 

HISTORY WITH FLAGLER 

  • Washburn and Flagler have faced off twice in program history with the series tied 1-1. 

  • Last season Flagler won 5-2 on March 19 in St. Augustine, Fla.  

OPPONENT QUICK SCOUT - MATCH #7 

ABOUT THE SAINT LEO LIONS 

  • Saint Leo is 6-1 on the year after losing its only match of the season last time out against No. 1 Barry. 

  • They are ranked No. 3 in the latest ITA Rankings.  

  • The Lions are 3-0 in matches at home this season.  

  • Last season Saint Leo went 23-3 overall and were 7-0 inside the SSC. 

  • The Lions have gone 197-98 in singles matches this season (66.8%) and are also 131-31 in duals.  

  • In doubles Saint Leo has gone 86-68 overall (55.8%) and 60-27 in duals.   

LIONS STAFF  

  • Graduate assistant coach Johann Fruhling leads the Saint Leo squad.  

HISTORY WITH SAINT LEO 

  • Washburn and Saint Leo have faced off twice in program history with the Lions leading 2-0. 

  • Last season Saint Leo won 6-1 in March 15, 2023 in Saint Leo, Fla.  

MILESTONE MARKERS 

  • Daniel Bird is five singles victories away from 50 in his career 

  • Tim Hammes is one doubles victory away from 40 in his career and eight singles wins away from 50.  

  • Santiago Rendon needs two singles wins to reach 40 in his career.  

SCHEDULE SPRING FORWARD  

  • Washburn heads back to the central time zone and will travel to Texas for three matches beginning with Cameron University on Friday, March 8.  

  • The Ichabods begin MIAA play on March 28 against Augustana in Topeka.  

  • Senior day for Washburn will take place on April 26 against Nebraska-Kearney.  

  • The men's MIAA Tournament will take place in Edmond, Okla. from May 1 to May 3. 

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