TOPEKA, Kan. --- The No. 17 Washburn volleyball team takes a mid-week trip to take on conference rival Emporia State on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The Ichabods enter the match at 13-4 overall with a 4-1 mark in conference play while the Hornets stand at 9-8 and 2-3 against MIAA opponents.
ICHABODS VOLLEYBALL STORYLINES
• The Ichabods look for fourth-straight win for second time this season.
• Washburn is 12-26 all-time at Emporia State.
• Since 2002 Washburn holds a 10-5 mark when traveling to ESU.
• The Ichabods hold a 14-match win streak against the Hornets.
• The Washburn volleyball program has gone 978-766 all-time and in NCAA play.
• The Ichabods went 2-0 in the last week's matches as they swept Southwest Baptist and Missouri Southern.
• The Ichabods are listed are in the top three in four MIAA categories including opponent service aces allowed (1st), digs per set (2nd), digs (3rd) and opponents kills per set (2nd).
• Alyssa Carney leads the MIAA in total digs (301) and digs per set (5.19)... 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 20th in digs and 29th in digs per set this season (as of Sept. 28) ... her 1,679 career digs lands her 14th on the Division II active career lists and currently has her listed 39th all-time.
• Sarah Vicory is ranked among the top 10 in four MIAA catergoies including hitting percentage (3rd/.426) and kills per set (10th/2.90), points per set (9th/3.52) and tied for ninth in total kills (168) .... as of Sept. 28, she was ranked seventh in Division II for hitting percentage.
• Vicory's career hitting percentage of .353 is 7th-overall on the Division II active career list ... her 1,059 kills is 35th-overall and currently has her ranked 140th all-time.
• Leanna Willer is sixth in the MIAA in both kills (190), kills per set (3.28) and fourth in service aces with 21 ... as of Sept. 28 she was also ranked among the top 100 nationally for total attacks (62nd), services aces (91st) and total kills (96th).
• Willer's 1,414 career kills is 10th-best in Division II for active players and 29th all-time ... 3.55 kills per set has Willer ranked 17th in the division while 4,151 total attempts has her list ranked fourth in active careers.
• Natalie Bates is eighth in the conference in assists per set with 7.54 and ninth in total assists with 392 ... Bates' numbers also have her ranked-nationally at 171st and 134th, respectively.
• Willer's 1,387 kills are tied for ninth in the Division II career active chart while her 3.54 kills per set for her career is 18th ... her 4,103 total attempts has Willer listed 4th on the active career leaders.
HITTING THEIR STRIDE
• Under Chris Herron, WU has a history of hitting its stride in the month of October with a record of 65-7 since 2010.
• All-time under Herron, Washburn is 154-22 in October.
• The Ichabods have lost no more than four games in October since Herron's arrival … this season the Ichabods have won 45 of 58 sets played.
RECORD CHART WATCH
• Senior outside hitter Leanna Willer sits at 1,387 kills at Washburn which ranks eight on the all-time chart … she needs 34 more to move into seventh 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.
• Senior outside hitter 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 Friday, Spet. 16 against host Oklahoma Baptist ... she is now ranked 35th in NCAA Division II active careers ... Vicory's .350 hitting percent ranks second all-time at Washburn entering her final season as an Ichabod … Mollie Lacy (2008-11) recorded a .365 hitting percentage to sit on top of the all-time chart … Vicory's 387 total blocks are sixth all-time at Washburn ... with 13 more blocks she will become just the third Ichabod in school-history to have at least 1,000 kills and 400 blocks.
• Senior setter Natalie Bates reached the 1,600-assist milestone during the Ichabods' match on Sept. 23 again Nebraska-Kearney to move past Amanda Guess (2008-11) for ninth on the Washburn all-time list.
THE OTHER TEAM
• Emporia State is 26-12 all-time at home when facing Washburn.
• The last time the Hornets defeated WU at the hive was Oct. 16, 2009 ... the match went five sets.
• Danika Burton and Allie Maloney are both ranked second in MIAA ... Burton in blocks per set (1.14) ... Maloney for total digs (294) and digs per set (4.81).
• ESU defeated Missouri Southern (3-0) and Southwest Baptist (3-1) last weekend.
LAST TIME OUT
TOPEKA, Kan. --- The 18th-ranked Washburn volleyball team swept Missouri Southern 3-0 (25-13, 25-6, 25-13) in MIAA action on Saturday evening at Lee Arena.
En route to their third consecutive win, the Ichabods held the Lions to just 32 points and -.026 hitting. Washburn (13-4, 4-1) meanwhile was efficient with its attack as it converted 42.9 percentage of its chances and registered a team hitting mark of .481 in the second set.
Outside hitter Leanna Willer finished the evening with a match-high 12 kills while also picking up a dozen digs for her fifth double-double of season and 51th of her career. Makayla Maxwell was also a force for the 'Bods as she converted nine kills on 12 attacks for a .667 hitting percentage in addition to being credited with three of Washburn's eight blocks.
The WU offense once again ran through setter Natalie Bates who registered 24 assists and also contributed with three kills. Alyssa Carney was stout on defense with a match-best 13 digs.
Washburn controlled the tempo early as it rattled off points in bunches to take a 9-3 lead. Missouri Southern (3-14, 0-3) tried to stay in reach but were outmatched as WU quickly moved the advantage to double-figures behind a 13-6 run before a Megan Pedersen kill helped the Ichabods secure a 25-13 result and the first point of the match.
A pair of 6-0 spurts and a 9-2 run to open allowed the Ichabods to make quick work of the Lions in the second as it seized a decisive 25-6 result, before momentum carried them to a 25-13 results to close out the match.
ABOUT COACH HERRON
• is in his 15th season at Washburn.
• has gone 438-82 at Washburn.
• has gone 201-45 in MIAA matches.
• as a college coach he is 513-111 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 185 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 10 112 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.
UP NEXT
• On Friday, Oct. 7, Washburn will begin a three-game homestand that will include nationally-ranked Nebraska-Kearney at 7 p.m., Fort Hays State on Oct. 8 and conclude with a non-conference match-up with Maryville on Oct. 11.
