By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. -- Three separate rain or lightning delays and nearly six hours after the match began No. 9-ranked Washburn University's men's tennis season came to an end with a 4-2 national championship loss to No. 1 Valdosta State on Saturday evening.
Washburn University men's tennis finished as the NCAA Division II national runnerup Saturday, falling 4-2 to No. 1 Valdosta State. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabods ended their historic season with a 23-4 record.
The top-seeded Blazers (26-0) jumped ahead in doubles play at No. 3, defeating Pavlos Parson and Moritz Pieper 6-2 to take the advantage.
Playing on the top court Matthew Earle and Tim Hammes fought in a top-five battle with No. 5 Takeshi Taco and Saveam Van Wijk. After the dual was tied 4-4 the final two games went to Valdosta State to take the doubles point.
Tommy Cecchetti and Vasek Schneider led 5-4 on court two for Washburn over No. 8 Edgar Destouet and Arthur Bord and were leading 30-15 in the game when the point was decided.
In singles play the first court featured a top-five battle between No. 4 Hammes and No. 2 Takeshi Taco. Hammes fell in the first set 6-1 before bouncing back to reverse the score in the second and force a third set.
In the third he fell behind early and was unable to make up the ground, losing 6-1. Finishing just behind him was Zino Nahirniah on court five, who put the Ichabods on the board with a pair of 6-3 victories.
Court two also had a meeting of top-10 opponents with No. 8 Schneider taking on No. 3 Boruch Skierkier. Schneider fell behind 4-0 early in the first set but was able to battle back, winning six straight games for a 6-4 win.
The second set went back-and-forth with ties at 2-2, 3-3- and 4-4 before Schneider claimed two straight games to win 6-4 and tie the match at two.
Parson dropped a first set at No. 3, 6-2. In the second set he bounced back with an early lead to win 6-3 and force a third set.
In the third No. 20 Destouet went in front 4-1 over Parson before winning 6-2.
Playing at No. 6, Earle built an early lead and was able to work a 6-4 victory in his first set of play. In the second set the score went in the other direction 6-3.
Earle fell behind early in the third set, and trailed 5-2 when the final delay of the match for lightning was called, lasting over two hours. After play resumed the final game went to Valdosta State as they clinched the set 6-2 and the match, 4-2.
After falling in his first set at No. 4, 6-4, Cecchetti battled back for a 6-3 win in the second set and was tied 1-1 in the third when the point and match were decided.
Season Notes:
Washburn set multiple program-bests or completed program-firsts in the 2024-25 season.
- Made the program debut in the ITA Indoor National Championships and would finish as the national runner-up in the match.
- Became the first team in program history, men's or women's to advance past the National Quarterfinals as they advanced all the way to the National Championship.
- Set a new program high mark with 23 victories on the season.
- Won the MIAA/GAC Tournament Championship for a third season in a row.
- Won the ITA Regional Championship in singles and the ITA Cup National Championship in doubles.
- Had 13 victories over ITA ranked top-50 opponents on the year.
