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Washburn is coming off a 3-1 win over then-No. 7-ranked UCO last Friday and a 3-0 win over Arkansas-Fort Smith on Saturday to earn a share of the MIAA regular-season championship along with Nebraska-Kearney and Missouri Western. 

MIAA Player of the Year Austin Broadie said the Ichabods know they'll need to be at their best to win this week's tournament.

"A thousand percent,'' Broadie said. "Even playing UCM tomorrow, they're good, and just coming out strong against them I think would help set the tone for the tournament.''

Herron agreed.

"From now on you have to (play your best) and that's OK,'' Herron said. "That's just the progression of your team and it should be the progression of your team. You've just got to go play loose, have fun and enjoy what you've been doing and just keep doing what you've been doing, just do it with a tiny bit more focus.''   

Broadie, a fifth-year senior, leads the Washburn offense with 298 kills (3.31 per set) while hitting .330, third best on the team. She has started all 27 matches and had 54 blocks with 55 digs. Broadie has 15 double-digit kill matches and ranks third in the MIAA. She is fifth among conference players in points per set and kills per set. 

Senior Bella Limback, a first-team All-MIAA pick, is slashing a team-high .469 with 177 kills (2.01 per set) while starting in all 27 matches. She has also added 102 blocks (1.16 per set), also a team-high, and served 12 aces. She has hit over .400 in all but nine matches this season with three double-digit kill efforts. She leads the nation in hitting percentage and is fifth in the MIAA in blocks per set.

Senior Corinna McMullen, a second-team all-conference selection, has started all 27 matches this season and leads Washburn with 566 assists (6.36 per set). She has also chipped in a team-high 30 service aces while ranking second on the team with 234 digs (2.63 per set). The senior has delivered 15 matches of 20-plus assists with 10 double-doubles. She ranks eighth in the conference in assists per set. 

Second-team All-MIAA pick Taylor Rottinghaus, a junior Shawnee Heights product, leads the team with 378 digs (4.20 per set) and has chipped in with 106 assists while serving 28 aces, second-most on the team. Rottinghaus has four matches making at least 20 digs. She ranks seventh in the MIAA in digs per set and 11th in total digs. 

Sophomore Brynne Topolski, a second-team All-MIAA honoree, is second on the Ichabods with 230 kills (2.61 per set) while hitting .298. She has come off the bench in all 27 matches while making 47 blocks with 42 digs. She has 10 matches with double-digit kills and is ninth in the MIAA in hitting percentage. 

Washburn is fourth in the nation and leads the MIAA with a .291 team hitting percentage.

On the defensive side Washburn is limiting opponents to a .135 hitting percentage, good for 14th nationally and first in the MIAA. 

The Ichabods are dishing out 13.68 assists per set on offense, good for sixth in the nation and first in the MIAA. 

Washburn knocks down 14.69 kills per set to rank seventh in D-II and tops among MIAA programs. 

Emma Siron leads Central Missouri with 288 kills (3.06 per set) while hitting .194. She has played in all 27 matches while starting 26 and is second on the team with 277 digs (2.95 per set) while also sitting second on the team with 27 aces served. 

Grace Winkelmann leads the defense with 520 digs (5.36 per set) while also keeping a .975 reception percentage across all 27 matches. She has dished out 86 assists while also serving 32 aces, a team-high. She is 18th in the nation and second in the MIAA in digs per set. 

Kayla Baer leads the team with 1,066 assists (10.99 per set).

Washburn won the only meeting between the two teams this season, winning 3-0 in Topeka on Oct. 16. 

With a win in the opening round Washburn will face the winner of the match between Missouri Western and Pittsburg State at 5 p.m. on Friday.

The championship match is set for 6 p.m. on Saturday.