By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
No. 2-ranked Washburn volleyball hits the road this weekend for a 6 p.m. Friday MIAA match at No. 23-ranked Missouri Western and a 3 p.m. Saturday match at Northwest Missouri.
No. 2-ranked Washburn volleyball will go on the road this weekend to face No. 23 Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri. [File photo/TSN]
Missouri Western is the only team that has beaten Washburn in the Ichabods' 21 matches on the season, but WU coach Chris Herron said his team's full focus is on continuing to play well and not even talking about trying to avenge the earlier 3-1 loss to the Griffons in Whiting Fieldhouse.
"We don't look at that in any way, shape or form,'' Herron said. "I don't talk about it like that and we don't address it like that. We just address it as this is how we're going at this game, this is what we've got to do against this person and so on and so forth. There's none of that (revenge factor) for us because here's the deal. If you're looking at it like that with them you forget you play the next day, too, so then you use all your energy on that one and not save some for the next one.
"Here's what we know. Every team that we play from now on is good, so we're going to have to play well and if we don't play well we're going to get beat. I just think that you have to take that approach.''
The Ichabods enter the week with a 20-1 record overall and a 9-1 mark inside the MIAA while riding an eight-match and 24-set winning streak after sweeping No. 25 Emporia State last Friday.
But Herron said the streaks are another non-topic for the Ichabods.
"I haven't mentioned it once,'' he said. "I don't talk about a winning streak, I don't talk about sweeps. That's never a conversation that we have in our gym because then that becomes the focus instead of getting better.
"I think individually every kid can get better and if you get better as an individual our team gets better.''
Missouri Western enters Friday's match with a seven-match winning streak and a 16-5 record overall while Northwest Missouri is 8-11 after losing last time out.
Washburn remains ranked No. 2 in the AVCA poll, the highest ranking for the program since Sept. 18, 2022 when the Ichabods were also ranked No. 2.
Austin Broadie leads the Washburn offense with 231 kills (3.40 per set) while hitting .361, third best on the team. She has started all 21 matches and also has logged 45 blocks with 47 digs. The senior has 11 double-digit kill matches.
Bella Limback is slashing a team-high .521 with 135 kills (2.05 per set) while playing and starting in all 21 matches. She has also added 73 blocks (1.11 per set), also team high, and served 10 aces. She has hit over .400 in all but four matches this season with three double-digit kill efforts. She leads the nation in hitting percentage.
Alex Dvorak is second on the team with 72 blocks (1.09 per set) on the season while starting all 21 matches. Offensively she has made 136 kills (2.06 per set) along with hitting .467, second best on the team. The senior ranks third in the nation and second in the MIAA in hitting percentage.
Corinna McMullen has started all 21 matches this season and leads Washburn with 442 assists (6.60 per set). She has also chipped in a team-high 27 service aces while ranking second on the team with 176 digs (2.63 per set). The senior has delivered 12 matches of 20-plus assists and seven double-doubles.
Libero Taylor Rottinghaus leads the team with 277 digs (4.07 per set). She has chipped in 85 assists while serving 24 aces, second most on the team. The junior has two matches making at least 20 digs. double-figure dig matches.
Washburn leads the nation with a .307 team hitting percentage, the only team in the nation hitting over .300.
The Ichabods are 11th nationally and second among MIAA teams with 2.52 blocks per set.
On the defensive side Washburn is limiting opponents to a .126 hitting percentage, good for 11th nationally and first in the MIAA.
The Ichabods are dishing out 13.94 assists per set on offense, good for third in the nation and first in the MIAA.
Washburn knocks down 14.85 kills per set to rank third in D-II and first among MIAA programs.
Former Washburn Rural star Taylor Russell leads Missouri Western with 224 kills (2.99 per set) while hitting .289. She has started all 21 matches while also adding 45 blocks and 38 digs.
Anna Weberg has collected a team-high 394 digs (5.18 per set) while playing in all 21 matches for the Griffons. She has served 21 aces while adding 67 assists.
Emma Salker is second on the squad with 196 kills (2.58 per set) with a .312 hitting percentage. She has started all 21 matches, leading the team with 79 blocks (1.04 per set) and adding 81 digs.
Washburn leads the all-time series with Missouri Western 47-42 and are 17-16 against the Griffons in St. Joseph.
Northwest Missouri enters the week with an 8-11 record overall and 2-8 mark inside the MIAA after losing 3-0 to Missouri Western. The Bearcats will face Emporia State on Friday before facing the Ichabods.
Kasidy Mohwinkle leads Northwest with 194 kills (3.03 per set) while hitting .266. She has played in all 19 matches starting in 15 while adding 14 aces and making 133 digs (2.08 per set).
Ella Caffery has started all 19 matches for the Bearcats to lead the team with 661 assists (10.02 per set). She leads the team with 22 aces while adding 74 kills and scooping up 217 digs (3.29 per set), second most on the team.
Washburn leads the all-time series with the Bearcats, 52-26. The Ichabods are 19-10 against them in Maryville, Mo.
Washburn stays on the road next week, taking on Nebraska Kearney and then Fort Hays State.
