JOPLIN, Mo. -- The No. 5 Washburn volleyball team rallied back to defeat Missouri Southern, 3-2, after dropping the first and third sets of the match Friday evening. The win improves Washburn's record to 14-1 (6-1 MIAA) while the loss drops Missouri Southern to 8-9 (1-6 MIAA).
 
Missouri Southern won the first four points of the match before the Ichabods scored the next five to take their only lead of the set. Washburn mistakes proved to be costly in the set as the team committed eight errors to just 10 kills for a .059 hitting percentage and Missouri Southern claimed set one, 25-17.

Kelsey Gordon helped Washburn to an early 3-1 lead in the second set with a kill and a solo block. The Lions clawed their way back to tie the match at 10 and 11 before Erica Montgomery ignited a five-point Washburn scoring streak to go up 16-11. Missouri Southern would score the next point but not another as the Ichabods closed out the set on a 9-0 scoring run to win 25-12 and tie up the match at one apiece.

Although the third frame saw nine tied scores, the Ichabods stayed in front for the majority of the set and led by as many as five points at 16-11. Missouri Southern put together an 8-2 scoring run in the middle of the set to take a 19-18 advantage. Washburn continued to fight and tied the score at 19, 21, and 22, but Missouri Southern won the final three points and took the set 25-22.

Trailing 12-7, the Ichabods went on a 10-1 scoring tear to take the lead. Washburn landed three service aces during the run with two from Taylor Antonowich and one by Faith Rottinghaus. Antonowich also added two kills to go along with her aces. Missouri Southern knotted the match up at 19-all, but Sydney Fitzgibbons became a crucial part in four of the final six points of the match. Fitzgibbons broke the tie score with back-to-back kills, then recorded a block assist alongside Antonowich, and hammered down the final kill of the 25-20 set victory to force a fifth set.

The Ichabods carried their momentum into the fifth set where they took a quick 5-0 lead. Sydney Pullen landed a service ace to extend the lead to 7-1, but the Lions scored the next four consecutive points. Washburn answered with a kill from Gordon, an Emma Palasak service ace, and a block by Fitzgibbons and Berg to push the lead to 10-5. Missouri Southern got within one point of Washburn's lead (13-12), but kills from Montgomery and Sadler sealed the 3-2 triumph.

Gordon led the team in kills with 17 as well as blocks, making six total stops, including one solo block. Berg and Sadler both registered their sixth double-double of the season as Berg finished with 15 kills and 14 digs while Sadler had a season-high 52 assists to go along with 15 digs. Rottinghaus finished with a team-best 23 digs and Antonowich landed three of Washburn's six service aces.
 
The Ichabods return to action tomorrow (Saturday, Oct. 12) at Pittsburg State. First serve against the Gorillas is slated for 2 p.m.