Complete Match Notes (PDF)
Colorado Mines Oredigger Classic Website
Heading West
Ichabods facing first ranked opponent as they travel to Colorado Mines Classic
Sixth-ranked Washburn will play four more matches this weekend with a trip to the Colorado Mines Oredigger Classic at Lockridge Arena in Golden, Colo. The Ichabods will play 22nd-ranked Central Washington Friday at 2 p.m. Central Time and Grand Valley State at 6:30 that night. Saturday they play Tarleton State at 1 p.m. and Western Oregon at 5:30 p.m.
Live stats for all matches are available through the tournament website linked above.
The Ichabods started the year with four wins last weekend at the Ferris State Bulldog Invitational, losing just two sets in the process. Washburn has now gone 4-0 in its opening weekend in all 12 years under head coach
Chris Herron.
Washburn was led by
Marissa Cox with 3.71 kills a set and a .422 attack percentage. She was named to the all-tournament team and also earned the MIAA's hitter of the week award.
Leanna Willer and
Abby Wittman joined her on the all-tournament team. Willer had 2.79 kills and 2.86 digs a set in her first collegiate action and
Abby Wittman averaged 8.43 assists a set.
Ichablogging Weekly Notes
(Around 140-character or less tweets highlighting the season)
Washburn's women's teams are playing their first year as Ichabods after dropping the Lady Blues nickname over the summer. The change gives all athletic teams one of Washburn's key early benefactors, Ichabod Washburn, as their nickname.
The Ichabods have opened every season in Herron's 12 years on the road in four-match weekend classics and they are 48-0 in those matches.
Washburn's season-opening winning streaks averaged 9.9 matches per year in Herron's first 11 seasons and went as high as 15 straight matches to open the 2009 season. Washburn opened last year with 14 straight wins.
Abby Wittman had 118 assists to open the season and now has 2,525 in her career, moving her from seventh to fifth in school history. She needs 81 more to move to fourth.
Marissa Cox earned MIAA hitter of the week after averaging 3.71 kills and hitting .422 in Washburn's four wins.
Leanna Willer and
Abby Wittman earned all-tournament. Willer had 2.79 kills and 2.86 digs a set and Wittman averaged 8.43 assists.
Wittman moved from seventh to fifth in career assists, now with 2,525. She needs 81 more to move into fourth.
The Ichabods return all-MIAA selections
Marissa Cox,
Abby Wittman and
Kelsey Lewis. Cox, a junior rightside hitter, is Washburn's leading returner with 2.38 kills and 0.87 blocks a set last year. She earned honorable mention all-MIAA. Senior setter
Abby Wittman led the team with 9.28 assists a set and earned third team all-MIAA. Lewis averaged 1.91 kills and 2.66 digs a set last year to earn honorable mention.
Washburn was picked third in the MIAA preseason coaches poll and earned three of the 12 first-place votes. Defending champion Nebraska-Kearney is first and Central Missouri is second.
Washburn moved up a spot to sixth in this week's AVCA poll and has been ranked for 123 straight weeks, including 53 straight in the top 10.
All four of Washburn's opponents went 2-2 in their opening weekends. Tarleton won on Tuesday and is 3-2 and Western Oregon is scheduled to play on Wednesday.
53rd Straight Top 10 Ranking
Ichabods jump one spot to No. 6 in latest AVCA poll
The Ichabods climbed a spot higher from seventh to sixth in this week's AVCA national poll after winning all four of their matches last weekend to open the season.
Washburn remains the second highest team in the MIAA as Nebraska-Kearney remained No. 3 in the country while Central Missouri moved up a spot to seventh. No other MIAA team was ranked or earned votes.
The Ichabods have now been ranked in 123 straight AVCA polls and have been in the top 10 53 straight times dating back to the first regular season poll of 2009. Washburn remained in the top seven all of last year, earning that spot in both the preseason and final polls. The Ichabods peaked at No. 3 in the nation five different weeks.
Player of the Week
Cox named MIAA hitter of the week after .422 attack percentage last weekend
Junior rightside hitter
Marissa Cox was named the MIAA's hitter of the week after helping Washburn to a 4-0 start last weekend.
Cox averaged 3.71 kills a set and hit .422 as Washburn won all its matches at the Ferris State Invitational. She reached double figures in all four matches. In the opener against Cedarville she hit .682, fourth highest in school history, with 15 kills and no errors in 22 attempts. She hit .421 against Cal. (Pa.) and added five blocks and 1.21 digs a set.
MIAA Preseason Poll
MIAA picks Ichabods near top
The Ichabods were one of three MIAA teams to earn first-place votes as they were picked third in the league's preseason poll.
Defending MIAA champion Nebraska-Kearney earned eight first-place votes and 118 points to rank No. 1 in the MIAA poll and Central Missouri was No. 2 with one top vote and 108 points. Washburn earned 107 points and three first-place votes.
Coming Up Next
Ichabods head west for Colorado Mines Classic
The MIAA season will begin September 17 as Washburn heads to Emporia State and then the Ichabods will play four more matches September 20-21 at the Arkansas-Fort Smith Invitational. Washburn plays Texas Women's, Dallas Baptist, Harding and UAFS.
