By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
No. 13-ranked Washburn University volleyball was swept for the first time in the 2026 season Saturday in Lee Arena, losing 3-0 at the hands of No. 7 Nebraska-Kearney.
Washburn celebrates a kill by freshman Hayden Meats (12) in Saturday's 3-0 MIAA loss to Nebraska-Kearney. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The Ichabods will go on the road for the first time in conference play on Tuesday, facing Northwest Missouri State at 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
The Lopers, 13-1 overall, 2-0 MIAA, set the tone early in the match, winning 25-15 in the first set and followed that up with 25-13 and 25-17 victories to close out the match.
Nebraska-Kearney jumped in front 9-4 early on but Washburn (11-3, 1-1) scored three in a row to pull within two after a Brynne Topolski kill.
The Lopers came right back to score four in a row and would push the lead up to nine in the middle of the set. The visitors ended the set on a 4-0 run to take the 10-point win.
The first six points of the second set went to Nebraska-Kearney, which later extended the run to make it a 15-2 start to the set.
Washburn was unable to cut the deficit down into single digits after that point as the visitors hit over .300 in the set to win 25-13.
The Ichabods were able to take an early 4-3 lead in the third set but it was short lived as the Lopers scored the next five points in a row.
With the score at 11-8 after a kill by WU's Kennedy Derks the visitors went on a 4-0 run to lead 15-8.
Late in the set Washburn pulled within six but was unable to make up the deficit, falling 25-17.
Nebraska-Kearney finished the match hitting .330 as a team with 44 kills while the Ichabods were limited to a .072 hitting percentage and 32 kills.
Digs went 49-43 in favor of the Lopers as did assists, 42-31.
Hayden Meats came off the bench to lead Washburn with seven kills while hitting .400. Shannon Frakes had 24 assists along with five digs and Taylor Rottinghaus had a team-high 13 digs.
Carly Purdy led Nebraska-Kearney with 18 kills while hitting .410 and Ellie Eckman registered 27 assists.
