Ichabod Volleyball Storylines
• The No. 18 Washburn Ichabod volleyball team opens MIAA action against rival Emporia State.
• The Ichabods enter the match with a 15-match win streaks against the Hornets.
• At home Washburn is 19-20 all-time when facing Emporia State with a 15-2 record since 2000.
• The Ichabods were 3-1 this past weekend at the MIAA/GAC Crossover in Shawnee, Okla. with its lone lose to host Oklahoma Baptist in a 3-2 match. 
• Washburn picked up sweeps over East Cental, Southeastern Oklahoma State and Northwestern Oklahoma State.
• The Washburn volleyball program has gone 974-765 all-time and in NCAA play.
• Alyssa Carney leads the MIAA and is 71th in the nation in digs per set at 5.43.
• Sarah Vicory is ranked 12th in the nation and third in MIAA in hitting percentage with a mark of .417.
• Makayla Maxwell is ranked 58th in the nation and tenth in the MIAA with a hitting percentage of .348.
• Leanna Willer is sixth in the MIAA kills per set with 3.21 and eighth in kills with 135.
• Carney's 1,606 career digs includes 229 from her one season with Witchita State ... the mark is good for 14th on the Division II active career charts and 40th all-time. 
• Willer's 1,359 kills are ninth in the Division II career active chart and 27th all-time… her 3.56 kills per set for her career is 17th on the active chart.
• Vicory's career hitting percentage of .350 is 7th-overall on the active career list.
• Washburn is 15-2 at home against Emporia State since 2000 ... the Ichabods are currently riding a 13-match win streak against the Hornets.

Start Me Up
• Under Chris Herron, WU has a history of starting the season hot in the first month of play, including an going 32-4 over the last two seasons.
• All-time under Herron, Washburn is 220-28 in the first month of the season.
• The Ichabods have lost no more than four games in the first month of the season since Herron's arrival, and no more than three since 2006 … this season the Ichabods are 22-6 in sets won after the first two weekends of action.
• Since 2002 Washburn is unbeaten when opening conference play ... during that time WU has been pushed beyond three sets once which occcured in 2003 against Missouri Western.

Record Chart Watch
• Senior outside hitter Leanna Willer sits at 1,359 kills at Washburn which rank ninth on the all-time chart … she needs 22 more to move into eighth all-time at Washburn … 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.
• With 57 kills in last weekend's matches, senior outside hitter Vicory surpassed the 1,000-kill plateau (1,033) to become the 20th player in program-history to join the 1,000 kill club ... the milestone was reached during Washburn's second game of the MIAA/GAC Crossover 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 379 total blocks are sixth all-time at Washburn after recording 13 this past weekend … with 21 more blocks she will become just Ichabod in school-history to have 1,000 and more than 400 blocks.
• In last week's match against East Central, senior Callie Lowry reached the 200 digs while sophomore Shayla Conner surpassed the 100-dig mark.
• Senior setter Natalie Bates reached the 1,500-assist milestone during the Ichabods' MIAA/GAC Crossover matchup against Oklahoma Baptist ... she now has 1,572 career assists and moved passed Tami Dall (1983-85) for tenth on the Washburn all-time list ... Bates finished the MIAA/GAC Crossover slate of games with 107 assists ... with 37 more assists Bates will move into ninth on the Washburn career list.

Emporia State Hornets
• The Hornets are 7-5 on the season.
• The Ichabods trail the all-time series 76-38.
• At home Washburn is 19-20 all-time when hosting the Hornets.
• Emporia State went 2-2 last week as they took part in the MIAA/GAC Crossover ... the Hornets picked wins against Southern Nazarene and East Central and lost to Southwestern Oklahoma State and Oklahoma Baptist.  

Last Time Out
  SHAWNEE, Okla. --- The Washburn volleyball team swept the final day of the MIAA/GAC Crossover with a pair of 3-0 victories over Southeastern Oklahoma State and Northwestern Oklahoma State.

 Powered by a 12-1 run to open the match, WU maintained its dominance to roll past the Savage Storm 3-0 to improve to 8-3 on the season.

 The Ichabods out hit SOSU .494 to .146 and posted 48 kills. Leanna Willer led the way with a match-high 12 kills as Erica Montgomery and Sarah Vicory registered eight apiece. Natalie Bates was the catalyst for the offense as she finished with 28 assists.

Washburn (9-3) maintained its momentum in the final match of the weekend as it finished over Northwestern Oklahoma State 3-0.

 A strong team defense helped the No.14-ranked Ichabods to their second win of the day. Alyssa Carney finished with a match-best 37 digs as Willer, Bates and Callie Lowry each registered six digs. At the net, Vicory and Makyala Maxwell combined for five of the WU's seven blocks.

 On offensive, Willer once again led all players in kills with 13 as Vicory followed with 12, while the attack ran through Bates who posted 36 assists. 

 About coach Herron
• is in his 15th season at Washburn.
• has gone 434-81 at Washburn.
• has gone 197-44 in MIAA matches.
• as a college coach he is 503-110 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 184 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
• The Ichabods will continue MIAA action as they travel to Nebraska-Kearney 7 p.m. match on Friday, September 23 before moving onto Fort Hays State on Saturday, September 24 for a 2 p.m. match.