By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After dropping its first three five-set decisions of the 2024 season for its lone defeats of the year, Washburn University volleyball got over that hump with a come-from-behind five-set victory over rival Emporia State Tuesday night in Lee Arena.
Washburn celebrates a service ace from junior Corinna McMullen (12) in Tuesday's five-set win over Emporia State. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
But while veteran Washburn coach Chris Herron was happy to get the 23-25, 25-18, 22-25, 25-20 and 15-13 win over the Hornets, WU's third straight MIAA victory, he was also quick to remind his 12-3 team (3-2 in the conference) that there's still work to be done.
"Here's the deal. They (the Hornets) out-hit us, they out-blocked us, they out-dug us,'' Herron said. "The only thing we did better than them was serving the ball. We had 11 aces, they have five, and I think that may be the difference in the match. Everything was close, but they out-did us in all of those categories and we still won the game. Now I've been on the flipside of that before, too.''
Herron said the key now is to continue to making strides as the Ichabods move forward.
"We've got to be better than that,'' Herron said. "I just told them, I was disappointed with us after sets one, two and three. We were just kind of there, we were just kind of showing up, just kind of coasting. Then four and five we played with the energy that we need to play with, so it's good to win.''
The Hornets (11-4, 3-2) won the opening set of the match, 25-23, before Washburn evened the match with a 25-18 second-set win.
Emporia State went back in front with a 25-22 win in the third set before the Ichabods delivered 25-20 and 15-13 victories to finish off the victory.
Freshman Keilah Rivers delivers a kill in Tuesday's five-set Washburn win over Emporia State. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn led off the match by jumping out to a 7-2 lead after a kill from freshman Keilah Rivers from junior Corinna McMullen.
The Hornets quickly battled back and pulled within two points and stayed within three points until a 4-0 run put them on top, 16-15.
The Ichabods briefly regained the lead after two kills by junior Bella Limback before Emporia State went on top again and controlled the rest of the set for the two-point win.
Senior Jalyn Stevenson led Washburn with 20 kills and 12 assists in Tuesday's five-set win over Emporia State. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The second set began much like the first, with a kill by senior Jalyn Stevenson beginning 4-1 and 6-2 opening runs.
The Hornets battled back to tie the set at 9-9 before Washburn rallied off five straight points, ending with a block by junior Alex Dvorak and senior Austin Broadie.
Washburn held Emporia State to just a .086 hitting percentage in the second set and it was two attack errors down the stretch that set up set point for Washburn, with Heather Schemper taking advantage to end the 25-18 win with a kill.
Washburn built a 5-1 lead in the third set after Dvorak and Rivers combined for a block, but Emporia State tied the set up at nine and used a 3-1 run to lead, 13-11.
Both teams traded points until the Hornets reeled off four straight to go up 19-15. Washburn got three straight kills from Stevenson, Dvorak and Broadie to pull within two at 22-20 but the Hornets, who hit .419 in the set, carried were able to cap the 25-22 win down the stretch.
For the first time in the match it was Emporia State that jumped ahead in the fourth set, leading 5-3.
Washburn tallied four points in a row to tie the set at eight after Limback and Broadie combined for a block.
After that first tie the teams tied over the next five points until Washburn created some breathing room with a 6-1 run, ending with an ace from Rivers to go up by three. Emporia State never got closer than within one point the rest of the way as the Ichabods won by five points to force a fifth set.
Both teams split the first 14 points of the deciding set before a kill from Stevenson began a 3-0 run for Washburn that ended with two aces from McMullen.
The Hornets were able to tie the set and take the lead at 12-11 at which point the Ichabods took the next three points to create match point. Two points later Limback ended the match with a kill off a pass from McMullen.
Emporia State hit .216 as a team on the night with 64 kills while Washburn trailed just behind in both categories with a .208 hitting percentage and 62 kills.
The Hornets also had advantages in assists, 63-58, and digs 86-73, while Washburn served 11 aces to just five from ESU.
Stevenson led the Ichabod offense with 20 kill while hitting .345. She added 12 digs for a double-double.
McMullen paced the team in both assists and digs, notching 25 and 16, respectively.
Broadie and Dvorak both had six blocks in the match.
Former Silver Lake standout Camilla Ossola (18) recorded a career-high 18 kills for Emporia State in Tuesday's five-set loss to Washburn. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Emporia State was led by senior Weronika Wrzesinska with 27 kills and 12 digs while former Silver Lake standout Camilla Ossola, a junior, had 18 kills and sophomore Brailee Bogle had a match-high 54 assists.
The Ichabods will hit the road to face Fort Hays State on Friday at 6 p.m.
Match scores
Washburn def. Emporia State, 23-25, 25-18, 22-25, 25-20, 15-13.
