DURANT, Okla. --- Washburn volleyball stretched its unbeated streak to six games on Friday, Aug. 31, while it also pushed its match sweep total for the season to five, after downing regional foes, East Central and Southern Arkansas, each by the score of 3-0. The Ichabods will wrap up action from Durant, Okla., tomorrow as they face New Mexico Highlands and Southern Nazarene at 12 pm and 5 pm, respectively.

The Ichabods put on a hitting display during the first day of the South Central Classic as they went a combined .349 with 87 kills, 21 errors on 189 attempts. Washburn notched just one set with a mark below .300, while twice hitting .400 or better in a set.

Allison Maxwell led the offense against ECU as she registered a match-best 10 kills, while rounding out her performance with six digs and two blocks before tallying seven more kills against the Muleriders.

Erica Montgomery led Washburn against SAU as she finished with nine kills, while chipping in with seven digs. Montgomery started the day with five kills and five blocks versus ECU. 

Shayla Conner finished 58 total assists, which included a 33-assist performance in the opener, her third time this season reaching the 30-assist plateau.

Washburn 3, East Central (Okla.) 0 // 25-11, 25-17, 25-16
The Ichabods controlled early and often in their opening match as they hit .289 for the match, while the defense held East Central to .030. Washburn never trailed in the match and its only tie coming during the early moments of the second frame when the sides were level at 2-2.

Washburn opened the day with a 6-1 run and never looked back as it quickly stretched the margin to double-figures before eventually winning set, 25-11.

After hitting .318 in the opening frame, the Ichabod hitting percentage dipped in the second to .239 as they conceded a match-high eight points from attack errors. Knotted at 2-2, WU sprinted out to an 11-2 as it strung a season-best nine unanswered points. After assembling a 22-10 lead, the Ichabods let off the peddle just enough allowing East Central to trim the margin to 22-15. However kills from Taylor Antonowich and Maxwell along with a Tiger error allowed the Ichabods to claim the set, 25-17, and a 2-0 match lead.

Behind a match-best .345 hitting, Washburn made quick work of ECU in the third set. A pair of 2-0 spurts before an extended 6-0 run saw the Ichabods grab a commanding 10-2 advantage early, before closing out the set 25-16.

Washburn 3, Southern Arkansas 0 // 25-12, 25-16, 25-19)
Much like its opener, Washburn handled Southern Arkansas comfortably for its fifth three-set decision of the 2018 campaign. The Ichabods out hit SAU, .413 to .126 and twice held the Muleriders to sub-.200 hitting including a .000 mark following the first set.

Holding a narrow 5-3 advantage in the first, WU went on a 7-0 run and never looked back. Later in the set with Washburn leading 16-9, the Ichabods put the opening stanza out of SAU reach with a 6-0 rally before a pair of kills from Madison Johnson secured a 25-12 decision and a 1-0 lead.

The Ichabod offense continued to churn effortlessly during the second as they recorded a .485 hitting percentage, a single-set best for the day. Level at 7-7, Montgomery broke the deadlock for the Ichabods, as one of her six kills during the set sparked a 4-1 run. Leading 15-12 midway through, Washburn grabbed firm control of the set with a 7-1 run pushing the score to 22-13, before taking the frame, 25-16.

After running out to a 6-3 lead early, the Washburn margin quickly dwindled as the Muleriders rallied to knot the score at 11-11. A quick 4-2 exchange then moved SAU out front, 15-13, as it saw its first lead of the evening since laying claim to the match's opening point. Down but not out, consecutive kills from Antonowich and Kelsey Gordon helped the Ichabods slowly regain control of the set as Washburn forced ties at 15, 16, 17, before a pair of SAU errors gave them the lead for good at 20-18. From there, WU went to complete the sweep by accounting for five of the final six points, as it took the 26-19.