TOPEKA, Kan. – The ninth-ranked Washburn Volleyball team used well-timed scoring bursts throughout the match to sweep Lindenwood, 3-0 (25-16, 25-16, 25-21) on Friday, Nov. 6.
 
Washburn (26-2, 13-2 MIAA) remains tied for first in the MIAA standings and has now won nine consecutive matches.  The Ichabods hit .308 as a team, including a .405 swing percentage in the decisive third set.
 
WU fired out of the gates in the first, leading 6-1 before stretching it to 13-4 after a 6-0 run.  That early breathing room was all the Ichabods needed as they took the first, 25-16. 
 
The teams were much closer early in the second set, when up by three (12-9), a kill from Leanna Willer started a 6-1 scoring surge that made it 18-10.  After LWU stopped the run with two quick points of its own, Washburn put things out of reach for good with five unanswered (with kills from Taylor Selk, Korie Thompson and Sarah Vicory in that span) to go ahead, 23-12. LWU scored four more in the set but couldn't overcome the late double-digit deficit, falling 25-16.
 
After intermission, Washburn again found itself in a close third set early, tied at 7-7.  Back-to-back-to-back kills from Willer, Carley Swan and Kelsey Barrick, however, provided all the breathing room the Ichabods would need the rest of the way.  WU built a 14-9 lead soon after, but the Lady Lions hung tough, climbing back to within two (22-20) before Vicory and Willer tallied kills to put WU at match point, up four. An Ichabod error delayed the sweep briefly, but Thompson ended things with her third kill of the night.
 
Willer had a 13-kill, 11-dig double-double to go with two blocks, hitting .522 in the process.  Selk also reached double-digits in kills, finishing with 10 to go with three blocks.
 
In the middle, Vicory finished with nine kills (.389) and a team-high five blocks, while Carley Swan had five kills and four blocks.
 
Defensively, Alyssa Carney had 16 digs to lead the team and Thompson was third (behind Carney and Willer) with eight digs.  Liz Powell just missed a double-double, finishing with 25 assists and seven digs.
 
Carney's dig effort moved her over 1,000 for her two-year career, as she entered the match needing just eight digs to reach that mark.  Willer also moved into the No. 16 spot on WU's career kills list, passing Mandi Cox (1,148).  Willer now has 1,159 kills for her career.
 
Washburn hosts No. 13 Central Missouri in an AVCA Top 15 Senior Day matchup on Saturday, Nov. 7.  The game is set for 3 p.m., from Lee Arena, with WU's three seniors, McKenzie Hartzog, Powell and Thompson set to be honored prior to the game.  Saturday's match will be Washburn's fourth against ranked opponents this season, and the Ichabods hold a 2-1 record so far in 2015 ranked matches.