[Graphic courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Six members of the No. 25-ranked Washburn University volleyball team were recognized as All-MIAA selections by the conference on Wednesday morning, led by three-time first-team pick Jalyn Stevenson.
Washburn senior Jalyn Stevenson has been named to the All-MIAA volleyball first team for the third straight season. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
A senior outside hitter, Stevenson receive her fourth All-MIAA honor in four years, earning honorable mention as a freshman. In 2024 she has played and started in all 26 matches to lead the team with 286 kills (2.92 per set) while hitting .196 and is second on the team with 298 digs (3.04 per set). She has added 51 blocks while serving 51 aces on the year. Among the conference she ranks top-20 in kills, kills per set, points per set and total digs. Her 16 matches with double-digit kills are the most on the team.
Washburn juniors Alex Dvorak and Corinna McMullen and sophomore Taylor Rottinghaus were named to the All-MIAA second team while Austin Broadie and Bella Limback received honorable mention.
Former Washburn Rural star Taylor Russell (3), a Missouri Western sophomore, has been named to the All-MIAA volleyball first team. [File photo/TSN]
Former Washburn Rural state champion Taylor Russell, a Missouri Western sophomore, was named to the All-MIAA first team after being a seond-team pick and an All-MIAA Tournament pick as a freshman.
Russell was named a unanimous All-MIAA first-team selection after recording the third-highest number of kills in league play, achieving a total of 198 kills (3.30 AVG/S). Additionally, Russell contributed the third-highest point total in the conference in the regular season, amassing a total of 227 in 60 sets.
Dvorak lands on the second team as a middle hitter in her first season wearing blue while starting in all 26 matches. The junior is the most efficient hitter on the Ichabods, slashing .381 for the year, and is second with 215 kills (2.19 per set).
Defensively, Dvorak also leads the team in blocks with 126, including 14 solo stops. Her hitting percentage is tops in the conference and she ranks second among all MIAA players in both blocks and blocks per set. Nationally, she ranks in the top-25 in all three categories. She has hit over .400 in 13 of 26 matches on the year.
McMullen earns second team honors for a second straight season after receiving honorable mention as a freshman. The junior leads the passing attack for Washburn with 620 assists (6.39 per set) while ranking third on the team with 231 digs (2.38 per set). Her 41 service aces also lead the team while playing all 26 matches with 24 starts. She ranks third in the MIAA in aces per set and total service aces while sitting eighth in both total assists and assists per set. She has a team-high 13 double-doubles, including one in five of the last six matches.
Rottinghaus, a former Shawnee Heights star, is a second-team selection for the second straight year. Rottinghaus has 498 digs (5.08 per set) to anchor the Washburn back line on defense while playing in all 26 matches. She has a .962 reception percentage on 523 attempts while adding 80 assists and 26 aces on the offensive end. Among the MIAA she is sixth in both total digs and digs per set while ranking in the top-40 nationally in both categories. She scooped a career-high 40 digs earlier in the year against Nebraska Kearney.
Broadie earns All-MIAA honorable mention honors for the first time in her career after playing in 26 matches and making 11 starts. The senior is third on the team with 210 kills (2.14 per set) and a .254 hitting percentage. Defensively, she has made 62 total blocks while adding 50 digs. She has seven matches with double-digits kills.
Limback also received All-MIAA honorable mention for the first time in her career as a junior. She is second on the team with a .359 hitting percentage while accumulating 165 kills (1.72 per set). On the defensive end she is second on the squad with 95 blocks while adding 55 digs. She is one of three players to start in all 26 matches during the regular season. Among the MIAA she is third in hitting percentage and eighth in total blocks. Nationally she is top-100 in both categories.
Former Silver Lake standout Camilla Ossola (18), an Emporia State junior, received All-MIAA volleyball honorable mention. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Former Silver Lake standout Camilla Ossola, an Emporia State junior, also received All-MIAA honorable mention.
Washburn enters postseason play as the No. 4 seed in the MIAA Championship Tournament and will face No. 5 Northwest Missouri on Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m. in St. Joseph, Mo. at the Civic Arena.
2024 ALL-MIAA VOLLEYBALL
First team
OH -- Sydney Huck – Central Oklahoma
OH -- Asha Regier – Nebraska-Kearney
OH -- Jalyn Stevenson – Washburn
OH -- Addison Wimmer – Central Oklahoma*
OH -- Weronika Wrzesinska – Emporia State*
RS -- Taylor Russell – Missouri Western*
MB -- Mia Berg – Nebraska-Kearney
MB -- Abby Brunssen – Northwest Missouri*
MB -- Jenna Karp – Central Oklahoma
S -- Lindsey Houran – Central Oklahoma
S -- Nessa Johnson – Missouri Western
S -- Peyton Neff – Nebraska Kearney*
L/DS -- Katie Le – Central Oklahoma
L/DS -- Alli Wiess – Nebraska Kearney*
*Indicates Unanimous Selection
Second team
OH -- Maya Fergerson – Central Missouri
OH -- Holly Heldt – Missouri Western
OH -- Rayishon Jackman – Emporia State
OH -- Payton Kirchhoefer – Northwest Missouri
OH -- Emilee Lane – Nebraska Kearney
OH -- Gracie Rains – Fort Hays State
MB -- Alex Dvorak – Washburn
MB -- Elinor Engel – Central Missouri
MB -- Emma Salker – Missouri Western
MB -- Rachel Ziesman – Central Missouri
S -- Corinna McMullen – Washburn
L/DS -- Kyah Luhring – Northwest Missouri
L/DS -- Taylor Rottinghaus – Washburn
L/DS Anna Weberg – Missouri Western
Honorable mention
Arkansas Fort Smith – Morgan Creer, RS; Caelyn Gunn, OH; Nyia Anderson, OH; Kaelyn McDonald, MB.
Central Oklahoma – Mikaela Garvin, OH; Lari Migliorino, MB.
Emporia State – Camilla Ossola, OH/RS; Brailee Bogle, S.
Fort Hays State – Caiya Stucky, S.
Missouri Southern – Kyla Randall, L.
Missouri Western – Emily Loy, OH/RS.
Nebraska-Kearney – Lauren Taubenheim, OH; Abby Rose, MB.
Newman – Oziomia Ajekwu, MB.
Northwest Missouri – Ella Caffery, S.
Pittsburg State – Josie McCroskey, L/DS.
Washburn – Austin Broadie, OH; Bella Limback, MB
Player of the year -- Addison Wimmer, Central Oklahoma, OH, sr.
Co-defensive player of the year -- Lily Kurz, Missouri Western, MB, sr.
Co-defensive player of the year -- Alli Wiess, Nebraska-Kearney, L, graduate.
Hitter of the year -- Mia Berg, Nebraska-Kearney, so.
Setter of the year -- Peyton Neff, Nebraska-Kearney, graduate.*
Libero of the year -- Alli Wiess, Nebraska-Kearney, graduate.
Freshman of the yar -- Rayishon Jackman, Emporia State, OH.
Coach of the year -- Rick Squiers, Nebraska-Kearney.
*Indicates Unanimous Selection
