TOPEKA, Kan. --- Washburn volleyball close out its home schedule this weekend with a trio of matches. The Ichabods enter the weekend slate will open with nationally-ranked Nebraska-Kearney at 7 p.m. on Friday for senior night, before Saturday's triangular with Fort Hays State (1 p.m.) and Oklahoma Baptist (5 p.m.). Live stats will be available for each match with the match against UNK and FHSU will be streamed live for fans to enjoy -- links can found by visiting wusports.com/live or the volleyball schedule page.
SENIOR SALUTE
Friday's match will Washburn's time to celebrate and thank Jade Hodge, Taylor Selk and Carley Swan for their dedication, commitment and ever-lasting mark on the Washburn volleyball program ... including this season, the trio has been helped the Ichabods to a 91-28 mark with two trips to the NCAA Regional Tournament and an appearance in last season's MIAA Volleyball Tournament finals.
THEY GOT HISTORY
Friday's match with the Lopers will be the second meeting of the season ... UNK leads the season series and the all-time series 33-10 ... since 2012, Washburn is 3-2 when facing the Lopers at Lee Arena with only one of the five matches being decided in three sets. Saturday will be Washburn's first tri-match since Sept. 16, 2000 ... it will also mark the 91st all-time meeting with FHSU ... the all-time series is tied at 45 with the season series skewed in favor of the Ichabods, 1-0. The match with the Bison will be just the second all-time meeting with Washburn dropping the series opener last season on road.
YOUTH MOVEMENT
The 2017 lineup for the Ichabods features 11 underclassmen on the roster including seven true freshmen ... head coach Chris Herron has relied heavily on the younger players with five freshman seeing regular playing time and with just one upperclassman as a starter ... going into this Tuesday's match sophomore Erica Montgomery is the team leader in kills (260) and kills per set (2.89) with freshman Genna Berg registering 238 and 2.77, respectively ... freshman Faith Rottinghaus headlines the list of names for digs (413) and digs per set (4.59) ... Allison Maxwell is second in total blocks (81) and blocks per set (1.03).
ICHABOD BLOCK PARTY
Washburn began the week as one of the top blocking teams in nation ... the Ichabods' 206 team blocks is 10th in the Division II while their 2.37 blocks per set has them check in at 18th-overall ... as a result, Washburn also leads the MIAA in each respect category ... Makayla and Allison Maxwell lead the charge as each are among the top 85 blockers in the country ... Makayla's 1.16 blocks per set is 34th nationally while her 100 total blocks has her listed 19th in Division II ... Allison checks in 83rd in blocks per set (1.04) and 84th in total blocks (79).
SADLER DELIVERY INC.
Freshman Allison Sadler has been a dynamic addition to the Ichabod lineup dishing out team-bests in assists (741) and assists per set (9.38) and thus among the top 100 setters in Division II at 94th and 92nd, respectively ... Sadler has distributed 40 or more assists in 10 matches while twice posting 60-assist efforts ... the first came then-No. 18 Central Missouri on Sept. 29, tying Carolyn Raynes for 19th-best single-match performance ... the freshman followed up with a career-best 62-assist outing versus then-No. 8 Central Oklahoma, tying Kate Hampson for 14th-best single-match assist together ... Sadler is currently 18th on the Washburn career assist chart with the third fewest sets played (76) of anyone listed in the Top 20.
RECORD WATCH LIST
• Junior Shayla Conner is among the top 25 in Washburn's all-time assists list ... Conner ranks 22nd overall with 571 ... Conner has averaged 194 assists over the last two seasons.
• Junior Makayla Maxwell is tied with Becky Havlicek (1998-2001) for 26th on the Washburn's career block chart with 232 ... Maxwell has registered her second consecutive season with at least 100 total blocks ... she has averaged 65 blocks her in last two seasons ... Maxwell is also 10th overall in blocks per set (0.98) and 44th on the career list in kills (400).
• Senior Taylor Selk is 32nd in hitting percentage (.173), 33rd in blocks per set (0.51) and is 31st in total kills (620).
WEEKLY WRAP-UP
After dropping a pair of matches in a road trip to Missouri last weekend, rebounded on Tuesday with a three-set sweep of archrival Emporia State during Think Pink Breast Cancer Awareness Night.
1,000-WIN CLUB
After starting the 2017 season seven wins shy of 1,000 victories, the Ichabods reached the milestone with a 3-1 victory over Christian Brother (Tenn.) during the Arkansas Tech Invitational on Sept. 15 ... the result made Washburn the 48th program in NCAA volleyball history and 10th Division II member to accomplish the milestone.
MIAA PRESEASON POLL
The Ichabods were predicted to finish third in the MIAA after earning 101 points and one first-place vote. Last season's champion Nebraska-Kearney topped the poll with 120 points and 10 first-place votes, while Central Oklahoma came in second with 105 points and also garnered one first-place nod ... WU finished the 2016 season with a 16-2 conference record and run to the conference tournament finals.
TRADITION OF SUCCESS
The Ichabods have made a habit out of appearing in the NCAA tournament, reaching the milestone 13 times in the past 15 seasons under head coach Chris Herron ... Washburn has won five MIAA Championships under Herron and were runners-ups in 2016 ... In the last five seasons, Washburn volleyball has had 12 All-Americans, including three in 2016.
UP NEXT
Washburn will close out its season with a four-match road swing beginning with trips to Central Missouri (Nov. 3) and Lindenwood (Nov. 4).
