Monday, April 29, 2013

Washburn mens tennis season end with loss at Northwest Missouri

The No. 38-ranked Washburn Ichabod tennis season came to an end the NCAA Regionals with a 5-1 loss to No. 22-ranked Northwest Missouri. The Ichabods finished the season with a 13-8 overall record going 5-1 in MIAA play.

The Ichabods trailed 2-1 after doubles play as Pascal Laucht and Thilo Schlenker picked up a win taking the match 9-8 winning the tiebreaker 8-6 over Guiherme Narducci and Alvaro Riveros.

At No. 3 doubles, the duo of Bobby Florence and Chance Joost lost in a tiebreaker 7-4 as the Bearcats took the match 9-8 to Northwests' Dylan Bernatzky and Rafael Bugiga. Washburn's No. 1 team of Arek Kozaczukand Steven Fletcher fell 8-4 to Lluis Altimires and Sergio DeVilchez.

In singles play, the Bearcats took points at No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 singles in straight sets to clinch the match and advance to the Sweet 16 at the national tournament in Surprise, Ariz.

Washburn wraps up the season with a 13-8 record while the Bearcats improved to 21-3.

Ichabod Netters have 9 players on all-MIAA tennis squad

The Washburn Ichabod tennis team received nine honors today as the MIAA announced the all-conference squad. The Ichabods entered the NCAA first round against Northwest Missouri on Saturday in Maryville.

Washburn's Pascal Laucht earned unanimous first team all-MIAA honors at No. 3 singles after going 17-8 during the regular season including a perfect 6-0 mark during conference matches. He was the only first team member to receive unanimous honors. Chance Joost joined Laucht on the first team at No. 6 singles after going 18-5 so far this season including a 4-0 mark in conference matches. Overall Joost is 13-1 in singles matches at the No. 6 slot.

Joost and No. 3 doubles partner Bobby Florence were named first team all-conference at No. 3 after compiling a 15-7 record overall going 5-1 during the MIAA slate.

Earning second team all-MIAA honors were Steven Fletcher at No. 4 singles and Florence at No. 5 singles. Fletcher has gone 17-8 this season going a perfect 5-0 during MIAA matches. He was 12-4 at No. 4 overall so far this season. Florence has a team-high 20 wins so far going 20-7 overall with a 13-4 record with a 5-1 mark during MIAA matches.

Thilo Schlenker was an honorable mention choice at No. 2 singles as he was gone 3-3 during MIAA matches and 8-11 overall after joining the Ichabods in January. The Ichabods' No. 1 doubles team of Fletcher and Arek Kozaczuk were honorable mention selections after a 17-10 record and a 4-2 record during MIAA play this season.


2013 ALL-MIAA MEN'S TENNIS TEAM

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Domingo Carissimo, Southwest Baptist

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Sergio De Vilchez, Northwest Missouri

COACH OF THE YEAR
Mark Rosewell, Northwest Missouri

SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
Guilherme Narducci, NWMSU

FIRST TEAM
1S: Domingos Carissimo, Southwest Baptist
2S: Kritof Kinal, Southwest Baptist
3S: Pascal Laucht, Washburn**
4S: Alvaro Riveros, Northwest Missouri
5S: Guilherme Naducci, Northwest Missouri
6S: Chance Joost, Washburn
1D: Lluis Altimires/Sergio De Vilchez, Northwest Missouri
2D: Daniel Cardona/Domingos Carissimo, Southwest Baptist
3D: Chance Joost/Bobby Florence, Washburn
**Unanimous Selection

SECOND TEAM
1S: Sergio De Vilchez, Northwest Missouri
2S: Andrei Masin, Lindenwood
3S: Lluis Altimires, Northwest Missouri
4S: Steven Fletcher, Washburn
5S: Bobby Florence, Washburn
6S: Jason Harris, Northwest Missouri
1D: Omar El Kheshan/Kristof Kinal, Southwest Baptist
2D: Guilherme Narducci/Alvaro Riveros, Northwest Missouri
3D: Jack Nicholson/Arin Enge, Nebraska-Kearney

Honorable Mention
#1S: Yeswanth Nadella, UNK; Rodrigo Traldi, LWU
#2S: Rafeal Bugiga, NWMSU; Thilo Schlenker, WU
#3S: Joe Murphy-Baum, TSU; Omar El Kheshan, SBU
#4S: Daniel Cardona, SBU
#5S: Jack Nicholson, UNK; Eddy Belhaouane, LWU
#6S: Guido Margiotta, SBU; Thiago Matroianni, LWU; Dylan Bernatzky, NWMSU
#1D: Steven Fletcher/Arek Kozaczuk, WU
#2D: Fletcher Sheridan/Revel Yehezkia, UNK; Adam King/Joe Murphy-Baum, TSU
#3D: Jason Harris/Dylan Bernatzky, NWMSU; Eddy Belhaouane/Yoshikazu Ysa, LWU

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Ichabods top Nebraska Kearney Lopers for spot in NCAA tournament

The No. 38-ranked Washburn Ichabod tennis team rallied from a 2-1 deficit after doubles to top No. 49-ranked Nebraska-Kearney 5-2 in the MIAA Tournament third place match in Springfield, Mo. The Ichabods, who entered the conference tournament ranked third in the NCAA Central Region, will discover their NCAA fate later this week.

The Ichabods' No. 1 team of Arek Kozaczuk and Steven Fletcher topped Yeswanth Nadella and John Steinke 8-3 in doubles for Washburn's only point to open the match. The No. 2 squad of Thilo Schlenker and Pascal Laucht and the No. 3 team of Bobby Florence and Chance Joost both fell by 8-4 scores.

In singles it was all Washburn as the Ichabods picked up four singles wins to clinch the match. Florence started it off at No. 5 singles with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Jack Nicholson then Joost dispatched Daniel Faria 6-0, 6-3 at No. 6 singles. Fletcher defeated Arin Enge 6-0, 6-2 at No. 4 singles and then at No. 2 singles Schlenker wrapped up the victory for Washburn with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Steinke.

The Ichabods, who improved to 13-7 on the season, were ranked behind the Great American Conference's Ouachita Baptist and Northwest Missouri who were second. Southwest Baptist was ranked fourth in the latest regional rankings behind the Ichabods. Southwest Baptist and Washburn split their two meetings this season which were both played in the last week. Northwest Missouri topped Southwest Baptist in the MIAA Tournament finals.

No.38 ichabods fall to No.39 SBU Bearcats in MIAA tournament

 For the second time in less than a week the No. 38-ranked Washburn Ichabods and No. 39-ranked Southwest Baptist Bearcats had a match which went 5-4. Unfortunately for the Ichabods this one went to the Bearcats 5-4 in the MIAA Tournament semis held in Springfield Mo. The Ichabods topped the Bearcat 5-4 on Monday this week in Bolivar Mo.

Washburn will face Nebraska-Kearney in the third-place match on Sunday at 9 a.m. in Springfield.

The Ichabods could not rally after being down 2-1 after doubles play to advance to the championship match.Bobby Florence and Chance Joost won their match at No. 3 doubles over Alex Belote and Guido Margiotta 8-3 for the Ichabods lone doubles point. At No. 1 doubles, Steven Fletcher and Arek Kozaczuk fell 9-8 losing the tiebreaker 8-6 to Kristof Kinal and Omar El Kheshen. Pascal Laucht and Thilo Schlenker lost their match at No. 2 doubles 8-4 to Domingos Carissimo and Daniel Cardona.

In singles play, Laucht won at No. 3 6-2, 0-6, 7-5 over El Kheshen and Florence won his match at No. 5 singles over Belote 6-1, 6-3 and Joost won at No. 6 singles 7-5, 6-2 over Margiotta. The match came down to the No. 1 flight between SBU's Carissimo and Washburn's Kozaczuk. Kozaczuk won the first set 7-5 but lost the remaining two 6-4, 6-3.

Washburn Ichabods No.2 seed in MIAA tournament

The No. 38-ranked Washburn Ichabods will open the MIAA Tournament on Saturday, April 20 as the No. 2 seed and will face the winner of the Southwest Baptist/Emporia State match at 9 a.m. at the Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield, Mo. The Ichabods and the top-seeded Northwest Missouri State Bearcats received first round byes. The Ichabods went 12-6 during the regular season and 5-1 in MIAA play with their only loss coming to Northwest Missouri.

Ichabod Netters Stats

• In addition to being ranked No. 38th in the late ITA rankings, the Ichabods are ranked No. 3 in the Central Region rankings behind Ouachita Baptist and Northwest Missouri. Southwest Baptist is ranked No. 4 and ranked fifth is Southeastern Oklahoma. East Central is ranked No. 6 and Nebraska-Kearney is ranked No. 7. Washburn has a 5-2 win over Southeastern Oklahoma and a 5-4 win over East Central.

• Washburn is 11-3 in regional play this season with losses to Northwest Missouri, Ouachita Baptist (5-4) and Drury (7-2).

• The Ichabods were 4-1 last week and have won their last four matches. The lone loss came at Northwest Missouri 5-2 on April 10. Washburn defeated Truman 7-2, McPherson 5-4, William Jewell 6-3 and No. 38 Southwest Baptist in Springfield on Tuesday 5-4.

• Bobby Florence's 47 career singles wins rank 13th on Washburn's all-time win chart.

• Florence is 18-7 overall in singles matches this season and is just six wins behind the most single-season wins in the programs history of 24 held by Santiago Giraldo who was 24-7 in 1996-97 and Ryan Ward who was 24-11 during the 2009-10 season.

• The Ichabods have used seven different doubles line ups in the 18 matches this season.

• This season as a team the Ichabods are 91-62 in singles matches going 63-41 in the 18 duals while collecting a 41-31 overall record in doubles play with a 30-24 record in dual matches.

• The Ichabods are 26-8 in singles play in conference matches and 11-7 in doubles matches during MIAA play.

• Bobby Florence leads the team with 18 singles wins going 12-4 in dual matches.

• Steven Fletcher, Chance Joost and Pascal Laucht all have 16 singles wins this season and all three have 12 dual single match victories.

• The Ichabods have been strong in singles matches this season with Laucht going 11-3 at No. 3 singles, Fletcher going 11-3 at No. 4 singles, Florence going 11-4 at No. 5 singles and Joost going 11-1 at No. 6 singles.

• In MIAA duals, Laucht is a perfect 6-0 at No. 3 singles while Fletcher is 5-0 at No. 4 singles. Florence has gone 5-1 at No. 5 singles and Joost has a 4-0 record at No. 6 singles.

• Steven Fletcher and Arek Kozaczuk are 16-9 in doubles action this season going 10-8 in dual matches playing the No. 1 spot.

Lady Blue netters swat the Hornets in end of season playoff

The Washburn Lady Blues tennis team wrapped up the 2013 season with a 5-3 win over No.6 tournament seed, Emporia State in a consolation match at the MIAA Tournament hosted in Springfield Mo. Washburn avenged a 7-2 loss to the Hornets from earlier in the season in a match played on April 2. Washburn finishes the season 6-16.

Washburn led 2-1 after doubles play as the No. 1 team of Jodie Blackim and Kirsten Holle topped Nicole Jara and Taylor Smith 8-5. At No. 2 doubles Sophie O'Neill and Casyn Buchman defeated Alex Crowe and Kayla Fraley 8-5.

In singles play, Blackim picked up the Lady Blues' first point with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Tiffany Khounsombath at No. 3 singles and then Holle topped Jenny Gerhardt 6-3, 6-4 at No. 4 singles. Buchman wrapped up the win for Washburn with a 6-1, 6-4 win at No. 2 over Taylor Smith.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Washburn men out hit Southeastern Oklahoma and Newman



While most of the spring sports are trying to get games rescheduled and fields cleared, the Washburn mens tennis team has been fortunate enough to get some matches in.

The men’s team stepped out of Division II play to face Wichita State. The Ichabods were unable to topple Goliath, only winning one game in the whole match.


“They’re one of the top 75 teams in the nation in Division I,” said Bobby Florence, Washburn junior tennis player. “You can’t really ask for better competition. We compete with them and just play as hard as we can.”

There wasn’t much time to dwell on the loss as the Bods had to jump right back into action Saturday and Sunday. Saturday Washburn picked up a much needed over a tough Southeastern Oklahoma team. The Ichabods got things started fast, sweeping all three doubles matches. Florence picked up a 6-3, 6-3 win in No. 5 singles while newcomer, freshman Thilo Schlenker, won his No. 2 singles match in three sets. Junior Arek Kozaczuk took Southeastern’s Luka Radulovic into three sets in No. 1 singles before falling 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. Junior Pascal Laucht also fell in three sets in No. 3 singles but the Bods were able to walk away with a 5-2 win over the Savage Storm.

“Southeastern is a pretty solid team,” said Florence. “We really came together as a team and played really well all through doubles. We played strong in singles. One through four went through three sets. It boosted our confidence that we can beat some better teams.”

Washburn improved their record to .500 the following day with a throttling of instate non-conference foe Newman University. The Ichabods dominated from the start as Kozaczuk won No. 1 singles 6-4, 6-0 and Sclenker won his No. 2 singles match 6-3, 7-5. Laucht came away with a victory in No. 3-singles play while junior Steven Fletcher had an impressive 6-0, 6-0 win in No. 4 singles. Florence and junior Chance Joost both won their matches as the Bods went into doubles play with a 6-0 advantage. Kozaczuk and Fletcher won their No. 1 doubles match 8-3 while Florence and Joost defeated Ramon Nola and Jared Ferris 8-2 in No. 2 doubles. Sophomores Jacob Long and Dario Munoz-Poletti finished off the sweep with an 8-5 win in No. 3 doubles. The Bods will have to rely on their depth as they continue to pack more and more games on this spring. The veteran squad has plenty of experience, but will need Schlenker and Long to proivde a boost.

Long, a Topeka native, was able to make the best of the situation as he filled in for the Bods’ lineup in their third straight day of matches.

“I was excited to get this moment,” said Long. “Although it was a great opportunity for me, I loved playing for my teammates.”

Washburn will need to keep their focus as they begin the grueling part of their schedule.

“It’s a good feeling feeling [beating Newman] because we have had a tough schedule thus far,” said Long. “I know our team has a lot of potential this year and I’m excited to see what we can do in our regular season.”

The Ichabods will again step away from Division II play to square off with Cowley County Community College. The Bods are looking to keep the momentum going against the small institution.

“We really got to prioritize everything,” said Florence. “We really have to plan ahead and take the days off when you need to take them off. Just play as hard as you can when you get the opportunity.”

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Washburn unable to swat the ESU Hornets




The Lady Blues had a minor set back after earning their first MIAA win of the season against Lincoln University.

The Lady Blues traveled to face-off with the Hornets at Emporia State Universitys' tennis complex. The Blues fought hard but could only come away with two wins, falling 7-2 to the Hornets.

Freshmen Gwen Shepler and Nzingha Banks were beaten 8-3 in No. 3 doubles to ESU’s Somer Schmidt and Tiffany Khounsombath. In an intense match, the dynamic duo of junior Sophie O’Neill and sophomore Casyn Buchman were unable to come away with a victory in No. 2 doubles. Kayla Fraley and Alex Crowe of ESU managed to fend off Buchman and O’Neill, winning 9-7.

Freshmen Jodie Blackim and Kirsten Holle got the Blues in the win column, winning 8-5 in No. 1 doubles. However Washburn was unable to keep the momentenum going into singles play.

Schmidt defeated Washburn sophomore Rachael Hageman 6-0, 6-4 in No. 6 singles play. Shepler couldn’t get past Crowe in No. 5 singles, losing 6-3, 6-1. Holle was almost able to get her second win of the day, but narrowly lost 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 to ESU’s Jennifer Gerhardt.

The Lady Blues got their second win from Buchman, who is making her return back to tennis action after spending the last few months with the Washburn basketball team. Buchman spanked Khounsombath in No. 3 singles, 6-1, 6-2.

Blackim was less fortunate in No. 2 singles. The freshman from Oklahoma couldn’t carry over her success from doubles play, losing 6-2, 6-0 to Taylor Smith.

After much success the last couple of matches, O’Neill hit a rough patch. She was defeated 6-0, 6-4 in No. 1 singles. Washburn (3-13, 2-5 MIAA) will host Truman University 2 p.m. Friday, April 12, at Washburn’s Tennis Complex.

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Lady Blues Still looking for first win

It has been a rough season, to say the least, for the Lady blues tennis team. The young Blues haven't gotten much help from mother nature either.
"We've practiced probably a total of three days outside this spring," said Dave Alden, Washburn head tennis coach. "We're lucky to have access to indoor facilities to let us practice."

The blues have gone through a trial by fire, maturing their game as they go.
"It's learning how to play at this level," said Alden. "We've made some good strides from a doubles standpoint. Before we were competitive, nowwe're winning matches."

Washburn's doubles team stumbled in their last action against East Central (3-4). The Lady Blue Netters all three doubles matches before snagging two wins in singles play. Freshman Jodie Blackim defeated Bernardita Muscillo in No.2 singles while sophomore Rachael Hageman won at No.6 in straight sets. The 7-2 loss makes the Blues 0-10 on the season and they will have to wait at least two more days to get their first win after their match against Johnson County Community College was postponed because of weather. Luckily for the Lady Blues it gives sophomore Casyn Buchman a couple more days to transition back in to tennis form.

"It's unfortunate that basketball finished the way they did," said Alden. "They had a great season, but Buchman is a big part of our team and she steps in and really helps what we do. We're really excited to have her bac."

Buchman will look to help bag a win for the WU netters who are in dire need of a win to help build some confidence.

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

More cheer for Lady Blues tennis

During their first competitive matches of the season, the Lady Blues faced a double header against University of Arkansas Fort Smith and Drury University at an indoor tennis complex, Springfield MO,. The Lady Blues came up short against both teams with a 8-1 loss in day one of competition against UAFS and a wipe out 9-0 loss on day two of play to nationally ranked #22 Drury. As this was the first of many matches for the lady Blues, tennis coach Dave Alden was eager to not make this losing streak in to a habit. "We have six freshmen on the team this year...it is expected for them to play a little tighter and be nervous in these first few matches, but it's important that they learn quickly so they can compete in a college level environment." Said Alden. " we need them to adapt quickly to the atmosphere and pressure of college tennis so we are ready in time for April when our MIAA conference matches begin."
A huge effect on matches are essentially down to atmosphere ad support. Some like to play to the roar of a crowd, while others prefer silence and not a lot of attention being drawn to them. However in college sport, it's all about going loud or going home. The Lady Blues freshmen were noticeably tame for a college level team.
Energy carries so much weight on the outcome of a match and that it is why it is so important now more so than ever that the freshman members of WU tennis are generating some cheer not only from the crowds but also from their team mates.
Hopefully by April you will be able to hear us cheering from all the way across campus! Stay tuned!