Complete Game Notes (PDF)
Ferris State Invitational Home Page
Getting Underway
Season opens Friday and Saturday at Ferris State Invite
The Ichabods will open their 2013 season Friday and Saturday with four matches in the Ferris State Bulldog Invitational in Big Rapids, Mich. Seventh-ranked Washburn will play Cedarville Friday at 10:30 a.m. and Ashland at 3:30 p.m. Saturday the Ichabods will play California (Pa.) at 9:30 a.m. and Ferris State at 2:30 p.m.
Washburn went 31-4 last year and finished second in the MIAA with a 15-2 record. The Ichabods made their ninth straight trip to the NCAA tournament and 10th overall, all under head coach Chris Herron as he begins his 12th year at Washburn.
Three of Washburn's four opponents made it to the NCAA tournament last year and none finished lower than second in the their conference.
The Ichabods have gone 4-0 in all 11 of Herron's season-opening weekends and he averages 9.9 straight wins to start each year.
Ichablogging Weekly Notes
(Around 140-character or less tweets highlighting the season)
- Washburn's women's teams will be 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 11 years on the road in four-match weekend classics and they are 44-0 in those matches.
- Washburn's season-opening winning streaks average 9.9 matches per year in Herron's 11 seasons and went as high as 15 straight matches to open the 2009 season. Washburn opened last year with 14 straight wins.
- 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.
- The Ichabods were voted seventh in the AVCA preseason poll. 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.
- Among the four opponents this weekend, Washburn has only ever played Ashland. The Eagles swept Washburn twice in a tournament at Southern Indiana in 1995.
- Ashland, California (Pa.) and Ferris State all played in the NCAA tournament last year. Cal advanced to its regional final.
- All four opponents finished in the top two in their conferences.
Washburn Ranked High in Preseason Polls
MIAA and AVCA pick 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. Washburn then earned a No. 7 national ranking as the American Volleyball Coaches Association released its 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.
The Ichabods went 31-4 last year and tied with the Jennies for second in the conference at 15-2. Nebraska-Kearney went 16-1 and also won the league's postseason tournament.
The Central Region makes up six of the top eight teams in the AVCA poll. Six-time national champion Concordia was picked No. 1, UNK was picked third and UCM was eighth. Minnesota Duluth was fourth and Southwest Minnesota State was sixth.
Along with UNK and UCM, Washburn has one other 2013 opponent in the top 25 as Central Washington was No. 24. Ferris State, Grand Valley State, Arkansas-Fort Smith, Harding, Cedarville and California (Pa.) all earned votes but were not ranked.
The Ichabods have now been ranked in 122 straight AVCA polls and have been in the top 10 52 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.
Coming Up Next
Ichabods head west for Colorado Mines Classic
Washburn will play four more matches September 13-14 in the Colorado Mines Oredigger Classic. All four opponents finished in the top three of their conferences.
The MIAA season will begin three days after that as Washburn heads to Emporia State on September 17.
