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KEARNEY, Neb. -- The 11th-ranked Ichabods erased a 2-0 deficit Tuesday night at seventh-ranked Nebraska-Kearney in a 13-25, 24-26, 25-17, 25-19, 15-13 victory to move a win closer to clinching their third MIAA title in the last four years.
Washburn improved to 29-4 overall and 14-1 in the MIAA with the first win on the road at UNK in school history. The Ichabods can clinch at least a share of the MIAA title with a win Friday at 7 p.m. at Lindenwood. Central Missouri is tied with Washburn in the loss column and plays Friday against UNK and Saturday against FHSU.
The match, played in front of 2,401 fans, featured 20 ties and nine lead changes but the Ichabods led the entire fifth set.
Marissa Cox scored five straight Washburn points off kills to give her team an early 6-3 lead. After the Lopers answered with a kill from MJ Massanet, the Ichabods scored four straight to go up 10-4.
Corrinne Stringer,
Leanna Willer and
Sarah Vicory scored kills on the first three points and then Vicory and Willer combined for a block on the fourth.
The Lopers (26-4, 12-3 MIAA) then scored three straight and eight of the next 10 to get within a point at 12-11. Cox got a kill and then after a Massanet kill, Cox got Washburn to match point with a kill. Massanet pulled UNK within a point at 14-13 but then her attack error ended the match for the Ichabods.
It was Washburn's first 0-2 comeback since doing it in 2011 against Angelo State. This match resembeled last year's season finale between Washburn and UNK as the Lopers came back from down 0-2 to win the MIAA title. The two have now gone to five sets three times in the last two years.
Cox led Washburn with 18 kills and Stringer had 10.
Hannah Frierdich blocked eight Loper attacks and Cox had five blocks.
Abby Wittman had a double-double with 46 assists and a team-high 20 digs.
Kelsey Lewis dug up 18 UNK attacks and
Korie Thompson had 14. Willer just missed a double-double with 13 digs and nine kills.
The Ichabods started the match hitting just .024 in the first set as the Lopers hit .231 as a team. Washburn looked like it was going to rebound in the second with a 16-10 lead after a 7-0 run. The Lopers answered that run by scoring five of the next six points and then later took the lead at 23-22 after a 3-0 run. A kill from Stringer tied the set at 24-24 but UNK scored two straight to put Washburn down 2-0.
After a 3-3 tie early, Washburn led the rest of the way in the third set and ended it on a 6-0 run with Lewis finishing the set with two straight service aces.
A 3-0 run in the fourth set gave Nebraska-Kearney a 10-9 lead but Washburn scored six of the next seven and nine of 11 to go up 18-12. UNK didn't get closer than three after that as the Ichabods forced their sixth five set match this year.
Washburn hit .157 overall as a team to edge UNK's .147 attack percentage. The Ichabods won in blocks, 12-5 but trailed in kills, 60-54 and in digs, 89-80. Each team had seven aces and five service aces.
Massanet led the Lopers with 18 kills but she hit just .070 after getting 25 kills and hitting .412 in the match in Topeka earlier this year.
