KEARNEY, Neb. --- The No. 2-seeded Washburn volleyball team will appear in the MIAA championship match for the first time since 2006. Washburn will take on top-seed and tournament host Nebraska-Kearney at 7 p.m.

Ichabod Volleyball Storylines
• Washburn looks to extend winning streak to eight matches ... wrapped up regular season with a six match win streak including three wins over ranked opponents.
• This will be the third meeting between the Ichabods and Lopers ... the teams split the season series 1-1 ... WU is 10-31 all-time against UNK with and 4-15 mark in neutral site games.
• Washburn snapped UNK's 20-match win streak on Oct. 7 at Lee Arena with a four-set victory.
• The last time Washburn appeared in the MIAA Championship was Nov. 4, 2010 … WU's women's athletic teams were then known as the Lady Blues … WU was swept by then-national No. 1 Truman.
• The Washburn volleyball program has gone 992-767 all-time and in NCAA play.
• Ichabods finished the regular season at 26-5 overall, 16-2 in league play ... went 2-0 in final week of season with wins over Pittsburg State and No. 9 Central Oklahoma.
• Washburn clinched a berth into the 2016 MIAA Volleyball tournament on Oct. 28 ... secured No. 2-seed with win against UCO last Saturday, Nov. 12.
• The Ichabods entered the weekend atop MIAA in in digs per set (17.77) and team attacks per set (37.87) ... also ranked third in team digs (2,008) and opponent hitting percentage (.128).
• Alyssa Carney entered the weekend as the MIAA leader in digs per set (5.34) and total digs with 603 ... recorded season-high 37 digs on Sept. 17.
• Carney is nationally ranked in digs (26th) and digs per set (37th) ... her 1,981 career digs has her 14th on the Division II active career lists and currently has her listed 42st all-time.
• Carney is averaging 19.0 digs in the last five matches with 5.28 per set.
• Sarah Vicory was among the top five in three MIAA categories to begin the weekend including blocks/set (5th/1.02), hitting percentage (2nd/.394) and total blocks (5th/109) ... among the top 10 natioanlly in hitting percentage (6th).
• Vicory's career marks have her listed 7th-overall among the Division II career leaders in hitting percentage (.355) and career blocks (459).
• In the last five matches Vicory has a .376 hitting percentage, 27 total blocks (1.50 blocks/set) and a second in the team during that with 52 kills.
• Leanna Willer began the weekend as the MIAA leader in attacks per set (11.51) while also among the top five in total kills (3rd/411), kills/set (4th/3.63) and points/set (4th/4.15) ... she is also ranked nationally for total attacks (11th), total kills (33rd) and attacks/set (23rd) ...  Willer's 1,635-career kills are eighth-best in the Division II career active chart and 26th all-time ... her 4,896 swings is third-best among active careers and seventh on the all-time list. 
• In the last five outings, Willer has amassed 50 kills and 42 digs ... averaging 10.0 kills and 8.4 digs per match with per set numbers of 2.78 and 2.33 respectively. 
• Natalie Bates began the weekend as sixth in the conference in assists (928) and eighth in assists per set (8.29) ... Bates' numbers are also nationally-recognized as she sits 123rd-overall in assists and 160th in assists/set.
• In the last five outings, Bates has racked up 55 assists, averaging 3.06 per set ... the senior setter also has 55 digs and nine kills during that time. Final Push
• Under Chris Herron, the Ichabods are 44-15 during the final month of the season since 2009.
• All-time under Herron, Washburn is 65-31 in November and has played 31 postseason matches.
• The Ichabods have lost no more than four games in November since Herron's arrival … this season the Ichabods have won 84 of 109 sets played. Record Chart Watch
• Senior outside hitter Leanna Willer sits at 1,643 kills at Washburn for third on the all-time chart … she needs just 15 more to move into second all-time … 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 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 ... 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 is fourth on Washburn's all-time block list with 461 ... she needs 39 more to reach 500 and 58 shy of third ... 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 recorded back-to back performances of 50-plus assists during the week of Oct. 3 ... Bates' 2,187 career helpers is currently ninth-best on the Washburn all-time list ... she needs 33 more for eighth on the Washburn all-time list.
• Senior libero Alyssa Carney sits at 1,763 digs for her Washburn career for fourth on the all-time chart ... she needs 94 to move into third on the all-time list. The Other Side of the Net 
• UNK finished the season at 32-1 with a MIAA record of 17-1 … Lopers are currently on a 14-match win streak … nationally ranked at No. 3 … only loss of the season was to WU on Oct. 7 at Lee Arena.
• Lopers are 16-0 this season at home … advanced to championship match after a 3-1 win over Central Missouri in the semifinal round.
• Stat leaders: kills, Annie Wolfe (209); assists, Lindsey Smith (1,260); digs, Ellie McDowell (511); blocks, Tara Ziegelbein (99) Recap Rewind:
Last match: Volleyball Sweeps UCO, Advances to MIAA Finals
Last match against UNK: Volleyball Hands No. 3 Lopers First Loss of the Season About Coach Herron
• is in his 15th season at Washburn.
• has gone 453-83 at Washburn.
• has gone 215-46 in MIAA matches.
• as a college coach he is 526-112 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 28 first team all-MIAA selections and 89 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 193 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.

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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.