By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
For the first time in the 2026 season No. 13-ranked Washburn University volleyball will be faced with the task of bouncing back from a loss when the Ichabods open MIAA play in Lee Arena on Friday against Fort Hays State and Saturday against No. 7 Nebraska-Kearney.
No. 13 Washburn volleyball will be looking to bounce back from a pair of losses in the Ichabod Classic with a hot start to MIAA play Friday and Saturday. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
After posting eight straight victories to open the year Washburn went 2-2 in last weekend's Ichabod Classic, including a 3-1 loss to Drury in the Ichabods' final tournament match on Saturday.
"I think we were disappointed with that because we should have beat both of those teams and we know that, so I think it was also like a learning opportunity, too'' said sophomore middle blocker Brooklyn Morrisey, who is second on the team with a .296 hitting percentage while registering 89 kills and leading the team with 41 blocks.
"I think everybody has kind of flipped our mindset and our energy has been so much better and practices have just been really great so far and we're excited to get to conference play.''
Veteran Ichabod coach Chris Herron said he won't truly know how his team is going to respond to the losses until the Ichabods take the floor this weekend.
"I don't think you're ever going to know that until the match starts how they're going to bounce back,'' Herron said. "We're trying to make the most competitive practices that we possibly can leading up to this weekend and it's a huge weekend coming off those losses No. 1 and then No. 2 it's just conference, so it's big.
"This will tell us a lot about the character of the whole group.''
Washburn is now 10-2 on the year heading into this weekend's 6 p.m. conference openers while Fort Hays State enters the weekend with a 10-4 record and Nebraska-Kearney is 12-1 after a 3-0 sweep over the Tigers on Wednesday.
The Ichabods were picked to finish in a tie for first at the top of the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll. Washburn received a league-high five first-place votes and 134 total points, tied with Nebraska Kearney for the top spot.
Emma Siron leads the Ichabod offense with 147 kills (3.77 per set) while hitting .246 on the outside. She has served a team-high 17 aces whie also scooping 107 digs (2.74 per set) and making 11 blocks.
The Sedalia, Mo. native has tallied nine double-digit kill matches with six double-doubles. She is 24th in the nation and first in the MIAA with 4.38 points per set while ranking 31st in the nation in kills per set and also leading the conference. The junior ranks third in the MIAA in aces per set with 0.44.
Shannon Frakes leads Washburn with a team-high 438 assists (11.23 per set). The junior is second on the team in digs with 124 (3.18 per set) while also recording 39 kills, 18 blocks and serving 14 aces.
The Spring Hill native has four matches with 40-plus assists and has recorded a team-high seven double-doubles. She leads the conference and is fifth in the nation in assists per set while ranking 17th in the MIAA in digs per set as well.
Brynne Topolski is second on the team with 137 kills (3.51 per set) while hitting .288. She has added 75 digs (1.92 per set) along with making 19 blocks, second most on the team.
The Lincoln, Neb. native has recorded double-figure kills in nine matches with one double-double. She is fourth in the MIAA in kills per set while ranking sixth in the conference in points per set.
Taylor Rottinghaus has played in 10 matches at libero, recording a team-high 162 digs (4.63 per set) and has four matches with 20-plus digs. The Shawnee Heights product has also added 32 assists with eight aces served. The senior ranks fifth in the MIAA in digs per set.
Natalie Hedlund has recorded 106 kills (2.86 per set) and is hitting a team-best .300 on the year. The senior has also added 29 digs and 15 blocks. She has five double-digit kill matches.
The Ichabods are tops in the nation in kills per set at 15.14 and 14.00 assists per set.
Washburn leads the all-time series with Fort Hays State 51-24, while winning the last four times out.
The Ichabods hold a 28-11 edge in matches played in Topeka.
Nebraska-Kearney leads the all-time series with Washburn 35-16 and has won the last two times out. The Ichabods are 9-6 against the Lopers in Topeka.
The most recent meeting between the Ichabods and Lopers came in the MIAA Tournament Championship and was a 3-0 win for the Lopers in St. Joseph, Mo. Last season Washburn went 1-2 in the season series.
Washburn will have a quick turnaround after this weekend's matches as the Ichabods head on the road to face Northwest Missouri State in their first MIAA road match of the season on Tuesday.
