By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
No. 14-ranked Washburn University volleyball will face its first MIAA road tests of the season this weekend, traveling to Pittsburg State at 6 p.m. on Friday before facing No. 17 Emporia State at 7 p.m. on Saturday in White Auditorium.
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Washburn is 14-3 on the year overall and 3-1 in the MIAA after defeating Northeastern State 3-0 last Saturday.
The Ichabods posted three straight wins last week after being swept by Nebraska-Kearney, but Washburn coach Chris Herron said his team will have to step up its game against the Gorillas and Hornets.
"The level of competition is much, much greater this week, and the next three games to be honest with you,'' Herron said. "I don't even know who we play after the next three but I know who we play the next three (Central Missouri after Pitt State and ESU) and the level of competition is really high and you're going to be on high point alert because every single point is going to be meaningful.
"Our level has got to rise to meet this challenge.''
Pittsburg State enters Friday's match with a 11-5 record overall and an 0-3 mark in the MIAA while Emporia State is 15-2 on the year with a 2-1 mark in the conference.
Washburn moved up to No. 14 in the latest AVCA poll with 528 total points in the poll. freshman through senior.
Ichabod junior Brynne Topolski has played in 16 matches while making 14 starts and leads the offense with 193 kills (3.51 per set) while also hitting a team-high .327.
She has added 92 digs along with making 32 blocks. The Lincoln, Neb. native has recorded double-figure kills in 12 matches with one double-double.
Topolski is second in the MIAA in kills per set while ranking sixth in the conference in points per set. She is also 10th in the MIAA in hitting percentage. She was named the MIAA Offensive Player of the Week after recording the highest hitting percentage in a match of any player with 20 attempts this season hitting .810 against Northeastern State.
Emma Siron is second for the Ichabods with 182 kills (3.53 per set) while hitting .216 on the outside. She has started in 14 matches and played in 15 while serving a team-high 23 aces and also scooping 134 digs and making 16 blocks.
The Sedalia, Mo. native has tallied 10 double-digit kill matches with six double-doubles. She is second in the MIAA with 4.13 points per set while ranking third in the MIAA in kills per set. The junior ranks third in the MIAA in aces per set with 0.44.
Shannon Frakes leads Washburn with 539 assists (10.37 per set). The junior has played in 15 matches while starting in 14. She is second on the team in digs with 152 while also recording 46 kills, 22 blocks and serving 17 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 15th in the nation in assists per set.
Shawnee Heights product Taylor Rottinghaus has started 15 matches at libero. She has recorded a team-high 248 digs (4.86 per set) and has six matches with 20-plus digs. The senior has also added 44 assists with 16 aces served. The senior ranks third in the MIAA in digs per set.
The Ichabods fourth in the nation and first in the MIAA with 14.61 kills per set.
Washburn also leads the conference and ranks second in the nation with 13.59 assists per set.
Washburn leads the all-time series with Pittsburg State 68-22 and is riding a 33-match winning streak. The Ichabods are 26-11 against the Gorillas in Pittsburg.
Emporia State leads the all-time series with Washburn 55-45 while WU has won the last 16 meetings. The Ichabods are 18-24 against the Hornets in Emporia.
Washburn is back home for one match next Tuesday against Central Missouri in Whiting Auditorium at 6 p.m.
