TOPEKA, Kan. --- The 14th-ranked Washburn Ichabod volleyball team will continue its four-game road swing with a pair of matches against Pittsburg State and Central Oklahoma. Washburn will first face the PSU (4-17, 2-7 MIAA) on Friday at 6 p.m., before wrapping up on Saturday in a top 15 showdown with the 11th-ranked Central Oklahoma (21-2, 7-2 MIAA) at 7 p.m.
ICHABOD VOLLEYBALL STORYLINES
• The Ichabods look to extend winning streak.
• Friday's match against Pittsburg State will be the 83rd meeting ... WU leads the all-time series 60-21 with a 20-9 mark on the road ... Ichabods have a 14-match win streak against the Gorillas.
• Saturday will be a match featuring a pair of top 15 teams ... WU is 8-5 all-time against the Bronchos ... Ichabods were 1-2 last season against UCO.
• The Washburn volleyball program has gone 984-766 all-time and in NCAA play.
• Ichabods defeated No. 17 Northwest Missouri State (3-2) and Missouri Western (3-0) last weekend.Â
• Washburn is tied for first in the MIAA standings with Nebraska-Kearney ... both teams are 9-1 in league play.
• The Ichabods sit atop MIAA in in digs per set (17.90) ... also ranked in top three in team digs (2nd/1,450), opponent hitting percentage (3rd/.128), and team kills (3rd/1,105).
• Alyssa Carney leads the MIAA in total digs (428) and digs per set (5.28)... on Sept. 17 she tallied 37 digs in a match against Northwestern Oklahoma State to set a Washburn single-match record surpassing Erica Cowhick's 34 dig performances in Oct. 2006 and 2007.
• Nationally, Carney is ranked 18th in digs and 35th in digs per set this season ... her 1,806 career digs has her 14th on the Division II active career lists and currently has her listed 40th all-time.
• Sarah Vicory is ranked among the top 10 in five MIAA catergoies including hitting percentage (3rd/.405), total kills (7th/237), kills per set (9th/3.04), points per set (9th/3.60) and total blocks (10th/66) .... she is ranked eighth in Division II for hitting percentage.
• Vicory's career hitting percentage of .354 is seventh-overall on the Division II active career list, while her 411 career blocks is 6th-best.
• Leanna Willer leads the MIAA in service aces (27), attacks (913) and attacks per set (11.27) and is also among the top five in total kills (3rd/297), kills per set (4th/3.67) and points per set (4th/4.19) ... she is also ranked among the top 35 nationally for total attacks (10th), total kills (29th) and attacks per set (33rd) ... Willer's 1,521 career kills are seventh-best in the Division II career active chart and 21st all-time ... her 4,507 swings is third-best among active career leaders and seventh on the all-time list.Â
• Natalie Bates is sixth in the conference in assists (690) and eighth in assists per set (8.63) ... Bates' numbers also nationally-recognized as she sits 84th-overall in assists and 144th in assists per set.
HITTING THEIR STRIDE
• Under Chris Herron, WU has a history of hitting its stride in the month of October with a record of 71-7 since 2010.
• All-time under Herron, Washburn is 160-22 in October.Â
• The Ichabods have lost no more than four games in October since Herron's arrival … this season the Ichabods have won 57 of 73 sets played.
RECORD CHART WATCH
• Senior outside hitter Leanna Willer sits at 1,521 kills at Washburn for fifth on the all-time chart … she needs just six more to move into fourth on the all-time list … in her three full seasons at Washburn, Willer has averaged 408 kills a season (377 as a freshman, 383 as a sophomore and 464 as a junior) which would put her around 1,632 which would be third all-time at Washburn ... Willer entered the top five on Oct. 15 while at Missouri Western.
• Senior outside hitter Sarah Vicory surpassed the 1,000-kill plateau during the MIAA/GAC Crossover slate of games to become the 20th player in program-history to join the 1,000-kill club ... the milestone was reached on Spet. 16 against host Oklahoma Baptist ... she is now ranked 36th in NCAA Division II active careers ... entering her final season with a .350 hitting percentage Vicory ranks second all-time at Washburn … Mollie Lacy (2008-11) recorded a .365 hitting percentage to sit on top of the all-time chart … Vicory's 411 total blocks are sixth all-time at Washburn ... she needs 20 more blocks to move into the top 5... on Oct. 7, Vicory become just the third Ichabod in school-history to have at least 1,000 kills and 400 blocks.
• Senior setter Natalie Bates surpassed both the 1,700 and 1,800-assist milestone during the week of Oct. 3 with back-to back performances of 50-plus assists ... Bates' 1,932 career helpers is currently ninth-best on the Washburn all-time list ... she needs 68 more for 2,000 and 288 more to move for eighth on the Washburn all-time list.
THE OTHER TEAM
• Pitt State is 4-17 on the season and 2-7 in MIAA foes.
• PSU stat leaders: Maggie Highberger (185 kills), Carolina VanBuskirk (531 assists), Taylor Unke (52 blks).
• Central Oklahoma is 21-2 overall, 7-2 in MIAA ... UCO ranked 11th in AVCA polls.
• UCO stat leaders: Taylor Bevis (274 kills), Katy Davis (839 asts), Dominique Lipari (310 digs).
LAST TIME OUT
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. ---- Paced by the one-two punch of Sarah Vicory and Leanna Willer, the Washburn volleyball team rolled to its ninth consecutive victory with a 3-0 sweep over Missouri Western on Saturday at the MWSU Fieldhouse. In addition to extending their win streak, the Ichabods improved to 19-4 overall and 9-1 record against MIAA opponents.
For the second night, Willer's named climbed up the Washburn record books as her 15-kill effort allowed her to move into the top five for most kills in a career.
Vicory meanwhile followed with a 12-kill performance of her own and had a match-best .550 hitting percentage with a minimum of 20 attack attempts. With her fifth double-double in as many matches, Natalie Bates finished with 35 assists and 15 digs. Alyssa Carney had a team-best 20 digs.
Washburn quickly assumed the lead during the opening set as it recorded 10 of the first 13 points. From there the Ichabods never looked back as they sustained control en route to winning the frame, 25-21 and taking a 1-0 match lead.
With a 6-3 advantage Missouri Western (12-8, 4-4 MIAA) jumped out front to start the second set. The lead though quickly evaporated as WU overtook the Griffons behind a 10-2 run to make it 13-8. Back-to-back kills then sparked a 10-4 spurt for MWSU as it regained the lead with a slim 18-17 margin.
Following a timeout Washburn reclaimed the lead as kills from Willer and Victory helped make it 20-18. The Ichabods maintained the advantage down the stretch before one of Carley Swan's four kills on the night sealed the set making it 25-23 and 2-0 for the match.
In the third set, WU imposed its will and never trailed after earning the fifth point, forcing the Griffons into six attack errors and a match-low .102 hitting percentage. The Ichabods eventually widened the gap to as much as nine thanks in part to a kill by Bates to make it 21-12. Missouri Western trimmed the lead late making it 21-16 with four straight points but the rally fell short as Washburn completed the sweep as Kelsey Barrick, Swan, Taylor Selk and Willer brought the set to 25-17.
ABOUT COACH HERRON
• is in his 15th season at Washburn.
• has gone 444-82 at Washburn.
• has gone 207-45 in MIAA matches.
• as a college coach he is 519-111 in his 18th season.
• has been named the MIAA Coach of the Year following the 2002, 2005, 2007 and 2011 seasons.
• has led the Ichabods to five MIAA regular season championships.
• has led the Ichabods to 13 NCAA postseason berths.
• his players have received 29 All-America awards, 66 all-region awards and has had 25 first team all-MIAA selections.
• his players have received 29 All-America awards, 66 all-region awards and has had 25 first team all-MIAA selections and 82 overall who have been honored as all-conference.
• has coached four CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, six CoSIDA Academic All-District selections, six MIAA Academic Excellence award winners (4.00 GPA), 29 MIAA Scholar Athletes (3.50+ GPA and all-MIAA honoree) and 121 MIAA Academic Honor Roll (3.00+ GPA) selections.
AVCA NATIONAL POLL NOTES
• Washburn has been ranked in the AVCA poll 189 times in program history which is 15th all-time in Division II history.
• The Ichabods' highest ranking was No. 2 on Oct. 18, 2010.
• Washburn has been ranked in the top 10 114 times, which is ninth all-time among NCAA Division II schools.
• Under Chris Herron, the Ichabods have been ranked in the top 10 111 times - all but one time in school history have come under Herron's leadership.
MIAA PRESEASON COACHES POLL
• Washburn volleyball was picked first in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll, released Thursday, Aug. 11 by the conference office. Washburn received five first place votes and 110 total points, earning the top nod for the first time since 2012. Washburn finished the 2015 season at 28-6.
WINNING
• The Ichabods have made a habit out of appearing in the NCAA, reaching that milestone the past 12 years and 13 times under head coach Chris Herron ... additionally, Washburn has won five MIAA Championships under Herron and has its sights set on another in 2015 ... This season, Washburn returns an All-American to the court for the ninth-straight year in Sarah Vicory and Leanna Willer, two of 29 all-time All-Americans at Washburn.
