By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Finally getting a chance to play in the friendly confines of Lee Arena was worth the wait for the Washburn University volleyball team.
Washburn University volleyball celebrates a point in Thursday's 3-1 MIAA win over Pittsburg State at Lee Arena. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Playing at home after 12 straight matches on the road in front of a spirited crowd of 953 Thursday night, the Ichabods delivered a 3-1 MIAA win over Pittsburg State.
"The crowd was awesome,'' Washburn coach Chris Herron said. "Wow! There were like 1,000 people here and it was crazy.
"Our freshmen were like, 'Holy cow! This is amazing.' It was a ton of fun.''
Ichabod senior standout Jalyn Stevenson agreed.
"It was amazing,'' Stevenson said. "It feels like it's been forever. It definitely took a toll on us starting off with the entire first month of our season being away and especially with so many tournaments, but this was really great.
"Our student section brings so much energy and having our fans here and our families it's a great feeling.''
Each of the first two sets went to Washburn (10-3 overall, 1-2 MIAA). 25-16 and 25-15, before the Gorillas (6-7, 1-2) got on the board with a 28-26 third-set victory. The Ichabods then closed out their first MIAA victory of the season with a dominating 25-15 win in the fourth set.
A 7-0 run for Washburn, beginning with a kill from Alex Dvorak, gave the Ichabods control early in the first set at 9-3.
With the score 18-14, Sydney Conner set up Keilah Rivers for a kill which sparked a 4-0 WU run. The Ichabods held on from there to take the first set on a kill by Stevenson.
After the Gorillas scored the first point of the second set the next six went to Washburn, with three coming on kills by Austin Broadie.
Pittsburg State won three in a row to pull back within two at 9-7.
In the middle of the set the Ichabod offense took over, going on an 8-1 run which included three straight kills by Dvorak. Washburn hit .404 as a team in the second set with 20 kills and just one error to win by double-digits at 25-15.
Junior Alex Dvorak puts away a kill in Thursday's 3-1 MIAA volleyball victory over Pittsburg State. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The first five points of the third set went to Washburn, with three by Dvorak and two more from Corinna McMullen.
A block from Dvorak and Stevenson kept the Icahbods ahead 14-11 before the Gorillas netted the next five points to take the lead.
Washburn remained behind until they tied the set at 23 and regained the lead at 25-24 after Dvorak found the floor twice in a row.
After hitting under .115 in each of the first two sets the Gorillas slashed .362 in the second, winning four of the final five points of the set to get on the board.
In the fourth set each team split the first 14 points.
Washburn led by just two points until a service error from Pittsburg State led to a 9-0 run from the Ichabods, capped off by a kill from Stevenson to go up 22-11.
The Gorillas never got closer than eight and would end the game after getting out of rotation to allow the final point of the match.
Washburn hit .256 in the match with 63 kills while Pittsburg State had 48 kills and 23 errors for a .150 team percentage. The Ichabods had an 81-80 advantage in digs and led 51-45 in assists as well.
Washburn senior Jalyn Stevenson (right) led the Ichabods with 15 kills in Thursday's 3-1 MIAA victory over Pittsburg State. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Stevenson paced the offensive attack with 15 kills while adding 11 digs for a double-double.
Dvorak had 14 kills while hitting .393 and had seven blocks on the night.
Sophomore Taylor Rottinghaus helped Washburn improve to 10-3 with a 3-1 win over Pittsburg State. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Taylor Rottinghaus came up with 23 digs on the back line while McMullen and Conner each notched double-doubles from the setter position.
Maliyah Johnson hit .500 with a team high 13 kills for Pittsburg State while Josie McCroskey had a match-high 33 digs.
The Ichabods will take on Newman at 6 p.m. on Friday in the second match of a three-match homestand.
WASHBURN 3, PITTSBURG STATE 1
Washburn def. Pittsburg State, 25-16, 25-15, 26-28, 25-15.
