By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
No. 24-ranked Washburn volleyball was on the wrong end of a five-set match for a second straight day as the Ichabods fell 3-2 to Missouri Western on Saturday.
Washburn sophomore Taylor Rottinghaus had 33 digs in Saturday's five-set MIAA volleyball loss at Missouri Western. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabods will play next in Topeka for the first time this season on Thursday against Pittsburg State at 6 p.m.
Just like on Friday at Northwest Missouri the first set belonged to Washburn (9-3 overall, 0-2 MIAA) with a 25-23 win.
The next two went to the Griffons (11-2, 2-0), 29-27 and 25-21 before the Ichabods forced a fifth set with a 25-17 win in the fourth. Missouri Western was able to pull away in an extended fifth set, winning 18-16.
Washburn held an early lead in the first set before the Griffons won six of seven points to go ahead by four. Four points in a row from the Ichabods tied it back up and won five out of six to go in front at 16-15. Both sides went back and forth down the stretch until they won the final three to take the set.
After both teams hit under .150 in the first set it was more of the same early in the second with Washburn taking a 7-5 lead after a pair of attack errors.
Missouri Western won four points in a row to pull ahead before both sides began to trade points through the middle of the set. A kill from Brynne Topolski sparked a 3-0 run to put the Ichabods up 21-18.
A 3-0 run for the host Griffons set up set point.
Four times, Washburn was able to hold off the final point of the set before Missouri Western came away with two in a row to win it 29-27.
Both teams split the first 20 points of the third set. The Griffons created separation winning three in a row but the set was quickly tied back up on a kill by Austin Broadie. The Ichabods were able to tie the set one more time but never took the lead as Missouri Western won the final three points in the set to go up 2-1.
In the fourth, Washburn came out with a 4-1 lead early after two kills and a block from Bella Limback in the run. A 4-0 burst in the middle of the set put them up by six after Jaylyn Stevenson found hardwood on a kill.
The lead grew to a match-high nine at 21-12 after Topolski picked up another kill. Corinna McMullen sent the match into a fifth set with an ace in the middle of the defense.
Washburn quickly went up 5-1 in the fifth after Limback and Keilah Rivers combined for a block. WU led 9-6 before the Griffons won five of six points to go in front at 11-10.
Another block by Rivers and Limback evened the set at 14. The Ichabods had match point twice in the following three points but were unable to finish it off before Missouri Western won three in a row to take the match.
The Griffons led in hitting with a .179 percentage on 68 kills while Washburn hit .176 with 63 kills and 25 errors. Missouri Western had a slight advantage in assists, 65-63 and also led in digs 93-84 for the match.
Four from Washburn finished with double-digit kills led by 16 from Stevenson, who added 20 digs for a double-double. McMullen had 36 assists with eight digs while Taylor Rottinghaus led the Ichabods with 33 digs.
Former Washburn Rural state champ Taylor Russell led Missouri Western with 21 kills in Saturday's five-set MIAA volleyball win over Washburn. [Missouri Western Athletics]
Former Washburn Rural star Taylor Russell, who helped the Junior Blues win the Class 6A state title as a senior in 2022, paced the Missouri Western attack with 21 kills while hitting .319.
Nessa Johnson had 60 assists in the match along with eight digs.
