Complete Game Notes (pdf)
Micro-Blogging The Blues
(Around 140-character or less tweets highlighting the season)
• The Lady Blues remained fifth in this week's national poll. This is their 112th straight ranking and 43rd straight week in the top 10 #NationalRecognition
• Sr. MH
Jessica Fey was an honorable mention AVCA All-American last year. She now has 918 kills and 275 blocks #ReturningAA
• Sr. OH
Hillary Hughes is 44 kills and 40 digs away from becoming the eighth member of the 1,000 kills/1,000 digs club #EliteClub
•
Abby Wittman is now in the top 10 at 8th with 1,659 assists and she's looking to become the 8th player to reach 2,000 assists at WU #SettingItUP
• Washburn has won 6 straight with 3 straight season sweeps against PSU and is 52-21 all-time against the Gorillas #OngoingSuccess
• This will be UCO's first meeting against Washburn as an MIAA school. The series between the two is tied at 2-2 #Newcomer
• Herron is in his 11th year with a 321-55 record. He's got nine NCAA appearances, 4 MIAA titles and 15 All-Americans #GreatDecade
Lady Blues Return Home For Two More
Washburn will host Pittsburg State Friday at 7 p.m. and Central Oklahoma Saturday at 2 p.m.
After getting their 40th straight win in Lee Arena last Tuesday against Emporia State and then surviving a five-setter at Truman on Friday, the fifth-ranked Lady Blues will return home to host a pair of matches this weekend. Friday they'll host Pittsburg State at 7 p.m. and Saturday they'll host Central Oklahoma at 2 p.m.
Washburn improved to 10-0 and 2-0 in the MIAA last week while PSU is 7-4 overall and 0-3 in the conference. The Bronchos, in their first year in the MIAA, are 4-8 and 1-2 in the league. The Gorillas host Missouri Southern on Wednesday while UCO plays Friday at Emporia State before coming to Topeka.
112 Straight In The Polls
Lady Blues remain fifth in AVCA national poll
Washburn remained in the American Volleyball Coaches Association's national top 10 for the 43rd straight week with a No. 5 ranking in Monday's poll. The Lady Blues (10-0, 2-0 MIAA) were also fifth last week and they've been in the top 25 for 112 consecutive weeks now. The Lady Blues have been in every weekly poll since week one of the 2004 season and they have been in the top 10 going back to week one of 2009.
The NCAA realigned its regions this year and the MIAA will be placed with the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and the Great American Conference to form the Central Region. Washburn, No. 1 Nebraska-Kearney and No. 8 Central Missouri represent the MIAA while No. 2 Concordia-St. Paul, No. 3 Minnesota Duluth, No. 4 Southwest Minnesota State, No. 12 Minnesota State, No. 19 Minnesota State-Moorhead and No. 21 Wayne State (Neb.) represent the NSIC.
School Record Winning Streak At 40 Home Matches
Washburn looks to extend streak with two more this weekend
• The Lady Blues have a school record as they have won their last 40 matches in Lee Arena with perfect home records in each of the last three years, counting their 1-0 start this year.
• Their last loss in front of the home crowd was against Central Missouri on September 25, 2009. They went all of 2010 and 2011 without a loss.
•
Chris Herron is 132-13 (.910) coaching in Lee Arena.
• Washburn has won 55 of its last 56 home matches and 71 of its last 73.
Right Where They Left Off
Lady Blues picked first in MIAA preseason poll
Washburn will start the 2012 season right where it ended in each of the last two years. The Lady Blues were picked to finish first in the MIAA preseason volleyball poll released August 8 by the conference office.
The Lady Blues earned seven of 13 first place votes with No. 2 Central Missouri getting four and newcomer Nebraska-Kearney getting two. Washburn edged UCM in voting 137-131 and the Lopers earned 129 points. Emporia State and Truman rounded out the top five.
Washburn and UCM tied for the MIAA championship last year with 17-1 records. Nebraska-Kearney also finished 17-1 in league play to win its final season in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. All three teams made it to the NCAA tournament last year.
About Coach Chris Herron
Head coach Chris Herron building solid program in 11th season
• Head Coach
Chris Herron is 321-55 (.854) in his 11th season at Washburn and 396-84 (.825) in 14 years overall as a head coach.
• Herron has 396 career wins in his 14 years, putting him four away from 400.
• He's won more games (321) in the last 11 years than any other program that has been in the MIAA during that time. Truman is second with 310.
• He's turned Washburn volleyball completely around. The program went 169-265 (.389) in its first 12 years as an MIAA school from 1990-2001 and had never been to the NCAA tournament.
• Herron has earned Washburn its first 11 NCAA tournament appearances and four conference titles.
• In his first 11 years he's had at least one All-American each year but his first. He has seen his players earn 15 All-America awards include three first-teamers.
• Herron won a conference title in 2002, his first year with the Lady Blues and they hosted the NCAA region tournament in their first trip to the event.
• He was named MIAA coach of the year in 2002, 2005, 2007 and 2011 and AVCA region coach of the year in 2007.
• His 2007 squad advanced out of the NCAA region tournament for the first time in school history and hosted the NCAA national tournament. Washburn made it to the semifinal and finished ranked third in the nation.
• The 1980 College of the Ozarks graduate went 75-29 in three years at Benedictine before coming to Washburn.
This Week's Opponents
Lady Blues dominate recent history against PSU while UCO is relatively new
The Lady Blues are 52-21 all-time against Pittsburg State. They've won the last six matches, getting season sweeps each of the last three years. Washburn has won 13 of the last 15 against the Gorillas and the last eight at home. PSU's last win in Topeka was in 2003.
Chris Herron is 16-5 against Pitt State and 9-1 in Lee Arena.
Central Oklahoma is new to the MIAA this year. The Bronchos last played Washburn in 2008 with a Washburn win in Topeka. The all-time series between the two is tied at 2-2 and Herron is 1-0 against UCO.
Recapping Last Week
Lady Blues breeze past ESU then survive at Truman
The Lady Blues kept Emporia State from scoring more than 19 points a set in a 3-0 win last Tuesday in their Lee Arena and MIAA opener.
Jessica Kopp and
Kelsey Lewis each had eight kills and
Abby Wittman added four with 24 assists. Washburn hit .333 while ESU hit -.011 in the match.
Washburn then went to Truman and held on for a 3-2 win.
Jessica Fey tied her career high with 18 kills and
Jessica Kopp had 13. Wittman had a double-double with 48 assists and 11 digs.
Net Notes
Final points...
•
Hillary Hughes has 956 kills and 960 digs in her career as she's nearing membership into the 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs clubs. Only seven Lady Blues have earned spots in both clubs, the last being Monica Miesner in 2007.
•
Jessica Fey has 918 kills and 275 blocks as she seeks membership into the 1,000 kill/300 block club. Only eight Lady Blues have joined that club.
• Washburn put two players in the 1,000 kills club last year and
Chris Herron has seen seven of his players reach that milestone.
• The Lady Blues average 9.5 straight wins to open their seasons under
Chris Herron. His largest winning streak to start a year was 15 straight in 2009.
Coming Up Next...
Lady Blues play three on the road next week
Washburn will play at Northwest Missouri September 25, at Fort Hays State September 28 and at No. 1 Nebraska-Kearney September 29. This will be one of two three-match road trips for Washburn this year.
