By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
PITTSBURG -- No. 14-ranked Washburn University volleyball kept its winning streak over Pittsburg State alive on Friday night, defeating the Gorillas 3-2 to extend the winning streak over the in-state rival to 34 matches.
Washburn volleyball extended its winning streak over Pittsburg State to 34 matches Friday, taking a 3-2 MIAA road win. [File photo/TSN]
The Ichabods will wrap up their weekend road swing on Saturday at 7 p.m. against No. 17 Emporia State.
Both teams traded sets to begin the match, with the home squad taking the first 25-23 before Washburn (15-3 overall, 4-1 MIAA) won the second set, 25-18.
Pittsburg State (11-6, 0-4) won the third set 25-20, but the Ichabods responded with a lopsided 25-11 win in the fourth set to force a fifth set. Washburn came from behind in the fifth to win 15-12 and take the match.
Early in the first set the Ichabods led 11-6 after four straight points that ended with a service ace from Emma Siron.
Pittsburg State responded by taking six of the next seven points to tie the set up. Both sides traded rallies throughout the middle of the set before the Gorillas went on a 7-2 run late to bring up set point before winning the opening set, 25-23.
Washburn jumped in front in the second set, leading 7-3 after Brooklyn Morrisey took a pass from Lauren Tyler to the floor.
Pittsburg State worked its way back into the set, tying things up at 14.
After the set was tied at 17-all, WU's Morgan Sears landed a kill that started an 8-1 run to end the second set 25-18, evening the match at one set each.
Both sides went back and forth early in the third until Pittsburg State opened up the set with an 8-1 run to lead 15-10. The Ichabods came all the way back to pull within one after Sears and Natalie Hedlund combined for a block that made it 18-17.
The next four points went to the home squad as the Gorillas finished off the set, 25-20.
The fourth set opened with Washburn leading 9-3 after Tyler served an ace. The offense took control in the middle of the set, starting with a kill from Siron that started a 7-1 run to lead 20-9. The Ichabods hit .464 in the set as they were able to even the match with a 25-11 fourth-set win.
The Gorillas came out firing in the decisive fifth set, leading 7-4 early on. The lead grew to four points at 9-5 before Washburn began to make a comeback, beginning with Hayden Meats landing a kill that was the first point in an 8-1 run to put the Ichabods in front, 13-10. The Ichabods traded points the rest of the way to secure a 15-12 match-clinching victory in the fifth set.
Washburn tallied 64 kills in the match while hitting .213 as a team and held Pittsburg State to .131 hitting with 55 total kills. Digs went 90-73 in favor of the Ichabods who also led 64-51 in assists.
Junior Brynne Topolski tallied a team-high 18 kills and added four blocks for Washburng, while Meats was just behind with 16 kills and had 13 digs for a double-double.
Morrisey swatted 10 kills while hitting .368 and made five blocks. Siron filled in the setter rotation and dished out 31 assists with 16 digs while adding eight kills. Tyler had 22 assists with 19 digs and Taylor Rottinghaus scooped a team-high 30 digs.
Crystal Smith had 20 kills for Pittsburg State while hitting .455 and adding nine blocks as well.
