By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After falling to Missouri Western in a hard-fought five-set loss in their first meeting of the season, the Washburn Ichabods rolled to a 3-0 sweep over the No. 23-ranked Griffons Wednesday night in Lee Arena.
The entire Washburn volleyball team celebrates Wednesday's 3-0 MIAA sweep over Missouri Western after recording the final point. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn avenged an earlier loss for the second straight night, with the Ichabods sweeping Northwest Missouri on Tuesday.
"Obviously you feel good about that and as a coach you're happy,'' Washburn coach Chris Herron said. "We're hot right now. We feel good about ourselves, they like each other, everybody's on the same page, the focus is there and the intensity level is really what's there more than anything else.
"In basketball they call it 50-50 balls. Well we have 50-50 balls in volleyball and it's called transition and if you can win the transition balls that's what wins matches and that's what I thought we did tonight.''
With Wednesday's win the Ichabods improved to 18-4 overall and 9-3 in the MIAA while surpassing their win total from the 2023 campaign.
The Ichabods led from start to finish in the opening set for a 25-21 victory before rallying from seven points down to take a 25-23 second-set win and closing out the sweep with a 25-20 win in the third set.
Jalyn Stevenson and Alex Dvorak each had four kills for the Ichabods in the first set and battled back from a 16-9 deficit to take a 22-19 lead in the second set on a kill from Emery Keebaugh and closed out the win with a block.
Washburn closed out the match in a third set that saw the Ichabods break a 9-9 tie before using a 10-4 run to pull away from Missouri Western (18-5, 8-3).
The Griffons came back with a 6-0 run of their own to tie the score at 19-19 but Missouri Western's ensuing service ace was wiped off the board due to a successful WU challenge and the Ichabods outscored Missouri Western 5-1 to end the match.
Stevenson led the Ichabods with 12 kills on the night, recording a double-double with 10 digs. Dvorak had eight kills and six blocks while Keebaugh had eight kills and Cair Paravel Latin product Taryn Pridgett contributed six kills.
Taryn Pridgett (18) is congratulated by her Washburn teammates after recording a kill in Wednesday's 3-0 sweep over Missouri Western. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Taylor Rottinghaus recorded a match-high 26 digs and Corinna McMullen had 20 assists for WU.
"Taylor was really, really good and Stevenson hit .268 and everybody's keying on her and Keebaugh came through and got us some bid plays in big situations and the same with Pridgett,'' Herron said.
Noelle Stucliffe led the Griffons with 12 kills.
Topekan Taylor Russell (3) had four kills and four assisted blocks Wednesday against Washburn at Lee Arena. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Former Washburn Rural star Taylor Russell had four kills and four assisted blocks for Missouri Western.
The Ichabods hit .132 as a team while holding the Griffons to a .103 hitting percentage.
The Washburn win was the first over the Griffons since a Oct. 7, 2022 3-1 home win.
The Ichabods will return to action on Nov. 8 hosting Nebraska-Kearney as part of their Alumni Weekend before wrapping up the home slate the following night against Fort Hays State on Senior Night.
MATCH RESULTS
Washburn def. Missouri Western, 25-21, 25-23, 25-20.
