FIRST SERVE …
>> After playing seven of the last nine matches on the road, No. 4 Washburn (19-2, 11-2 MIAA) will begin a five match homestand this week, first hosting Emporia State (5-16, 1-12 MIAA) on Tuesday, Oct. 29. The match in Lee Arena is slated for a 7 p.m. first serve.
QUICK HITS …
>> Washburn has won the last five-straight meetings against Emporia State.
>> The Ichabods have played the Hornets more than any other opponent in their history. Tuesday's match will be the 121st all-time meeting.
>> Although Emporia State leads the all-time series 76-45, Washburn has won 19 of the last 20 matches.
>> The Ichabods are 23-20 when playing the Hornets in Lee Arena.
>> Allison Sadler was named the MIAA Specialist of the Week on Oct. 29. Washburn has now won six of the eight MIAA Volleyball Athlete of the Week awards with four different Ichabods earning the honors.
>> In the MIAA standings, Washburn is in second place and holds a one conference win lead over Central Missouri (16-6, 10-3 MIAA).
>> Nebraska-Kearney remains atop the conference with a perfect record (23-0, 14-0 MIAA).
>> Washburn is on a four match winning streak.
>> The Ichabods are 8-1 in matches played in Lee Arena this season.
>> The Ichabods have held nine of their opponents to a hitting percentage below .100.
>> In the latest AVCA rankings, Washburn fell one place to No. 4 in the nation.
>> Including Washburn, there are 10 Central Region teams ranked in the top-15. Nebraska-Kearney (No. 2), Central Missouri (No. 9), and Northwest Missouri (No. 14) also represent the MIAA in the rankings.
LAST TIME OUT …
>> The Ichabods went 2-0 on the road last week.
>> Washburn swept Fort Hays State for the second time this season (27-25, 25-19, 25-16) on Oct. 22.
>> To start the third set, the Ichabods went on a scoring tear and won the first 14 points.
>> On Oct. 24, Washburn topped Missouri Western, 3-1. (25-21, 25-22, 22-25, 25-19).
>> Genna Berg (22 kills, 15 digs) and Allison Sadler (53 assists, 13 digs) both finished with a double-double against MWSU.
>> In the win at MWSU, Faith Rottinghaus moved up in Washburn's record books to fifth all-time in digs with 1,632.
ICHABOD LEADERS IN THE MIAA …
>> As a team, Washburn ranks in the top-four in many statistical categories.
>> The Ichabods lead the league in assists/set (13.18), kills/set (14.42), and service aces/set (1.51).
>> They also lead in holding their opponents to the lowest average in assists/set (9.48) and the second-lowest opponent hitting percentage (.132).
>> Several Ichabods are ranked in the top-10 throughout the conference statistics list.
>> Sadler leads the MIAA in assists/set, averaging 11.18.
>> Taylor Antonowich tops the conference list with 0.38 service aces/set.
>> Berg has the second-best kills/set average in the league with 3.80 and is sixth in aces/set with 0.32.
>> Kelsey Gordon and Allison Maxwell are both in the top-10 blocks list, as Gordon is averaging 0.94 blocks/set while Maxwell is at 0.81/set for fifth and sixth, respectively.
>> Rottinghaus is third in digs/set with 5.39.
NATIONAL RANKS …
>> Washburn volleyball has been ranked in the AVCA Top-25 Poll for the past 19-straight rankings, dating back to Sept. 17, 2018. The team has also been in the top-five for the entirety of this season.
>> The Ichabods are eighth in the nation in kills/set, 14th in assists/set, and 25th in opponent hitting percentage.
>> Washburn is also tied for eighth in winning percentage (.905).
>> Sadler's assists/set average is the 14th-best in all of Division II.
>> Rottinghaus is currently 35th in the nation in digs/set and Berg is 40th in kills/set.
HEAD COACH CHRIS HERRON …
>> Chris Herron is in his 18th season leading the Washburn volleyball program and holds an overall record of 523-105 and is 247-61 in MIAA matches.
>> He has won 598 matches as a collegiate head coach (combined record between Washburn and Benedictine) and is two victories away from 600.
>> Herron's career collegiate winning percentage of .817 is seventh-best among active Division II coaches and is 18th-best all-time in D-II.
>> Herron is 31-7 all-time coaching against Emporia State.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE THIS THIS …
>> Berg and Sadler have achieved a combined 19 double-doubles this season.
>> Berg has had 10 matches with double-figure kills and digs. Last season, she finished with 12.
>> Sadler has nine matches this year with double-digit assists and digs. She notched 11 her freshman season in 2017.
MILESTONE TRACKER …
>> Allison Maxwell is 10 kills away from 800 in her career. She is also 20 total blocks shy of 300.
>> Berg and Montgomery are nearing 1, 000 career kills. Berg needs 26 while Montgomery is 70 away.
>> Rottinghaus is 68 digs away from 1,700.
>> Sadler needs 50 more assists to reach 2,000 in her career. She is also 13 away from entering Washburn's top-10.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION ...
Emporia State Hornets
>> The Emporia State Hornets are 5-16 (1-12 MIAA) and are looking to snap a five match losing streak.
>> The Hornets have been shut out in the previous three matches, falling to No. 9 Central Missouri, No. 2 Nebraska-Kearney, and Missouri Western.
>> As a team, ESU is currently hitting .159 and its opponents hold a .223 attacking percentage.
>> Yuchen Du leads the Hornet offense with 233 kills and is eighth in the MIAA in kills per set with 2.99. She also has a team-high 14 aces.
>> Aliyah Bernard's .331 hitting percentage lands her at sixth in the MIAA. She has recorded the second-most kills for ESU with 155.
>> Setter Emma Dixon has dished out 612 assists so far this season and averages 7.75 per set.
>> Defensively, Shelby Innes leads the team with 263 digs and Bernard has made 51 total blocks.
>> Head coach Bing Xu is in his 15th season leading the Hornets.
LAST TIME AGAINST THE HORNETS ...
Emporia State Hornets
>> The Ichabods swept the Hornets earlier this season (Sept. 24) in Emporia, Kan., by the set scores of 25-17, 25-16, 28-26.
>> The Ichabods finished with a .218 hitting percentage while the Hornets hit .156.
>> Washburn led in kills, 50-28, and digs 58-44. Emporia State won the battle at the net, though, as it out blocked the Ichabods, 10-4.
>> Berg and Montgomery led the offensive charge with double-figure kills of 20 and 16, respectively. Mikayla Simons had a team-high seven kills for the Hornets.
>> Sadler handed out 37 assists and Rottinghaus made 21 digs.
