FIRST SERVE …
>> The third-ranked Washburn volleyball team (24-2, 16-2 MIAA) carries a nine-match winning streak to Missouri for the final two matches of the regular season. Washburn will play at No. 19 Northwest Missouri (19-7, 12-6 MIAA) on Friday, Nov. 15, at 6 p.m. before traveling to No. 10 Central Missouri (20-7, 14-4 MIAA) on Saturday, Nov. 16. The match against the Jennies is schedule for 2 p.m.
QUICK HITS …
>> The Ichabods are on a nine-match winning streak and have won the previous five matches by the score of 3-0.
>> Washburn defeated both Northwest Missouri and Central Missouri earlier this season.
>> The Ichabods are 11-1 when playing on the road.
>> Washburn finished its home schedule going 13-1 in Lee Arena this season.
>> Nineteen of Washburn's 22 wins have been shutouts.
>> Washburn has already secured a place in the MIAA Championship Tournament (Nov. 21-23). The tournament bracket will be released this Saturday evening.
>> WU remained No. 3 for the second consecutive week in the latest AVCA top-25 rankings.
>> Including Washburn, there are seven teams from the Central Region ranked in the top-10 nationally.
>> The second NCAA regional rankings were released on Nov. 13 with the Ichabods moving up one place to No. 5 in the Central Region.
>> The Central Region consists of teams from the MIAA, NSIC, and GAC, and the top-eight teams in the region will advance to the NCAA Tournament (Dec. 5-7). The winners of each conference tournament automatically receive a bid for the regional tournament.
>> The rankings are based on strength of schedule for each team as well as other factors and the AVCA top-25 has no bearing on the regional rankings.
LAST TIME OUT …
>> Washburn went 2-0 last weekend at home with sweeps against Pittsburg State and Missouri Southern.
>> In the six sets played, the Ichabods finished with a combined .312 attacking percentage and held their opponents to a .132 hitting percentage.
>> Washburn compiled 90 total kills in the two matches while its opponents accumulated 53.
>> The Ichabods defeated the Gorillas by the set scores of 25-15, 25-12, and 25-13.
>> Erica Montgomery paced the Ichabods with 11 kills, Allison Sadler had 29 assists, and Faith Rottinghaus made 21 total digs.
>> Montgomery was recognized on senior night before the 25-15, 25-18, and 25-19 victory over Missouri Southern.
>> Genna Berg (12) and Allison Maxwell (11) led the team in kills while Sadler recorded a double-double with 36 assists and 13 digs.
>> Berg and Taylor Antonowich both landed three service aces as the Ichabods finished with nine total.
ICHABOD LEADERS IN THE MIAA …
>> As a team, Washburn leads the MIAA in five categories and is in the top-three in 11 total categories.
>> The Ichabods lead the league in kills/set (14.42) and service aces/set (1.53).
>> They also lead in holding their opponents to the lowest average in assists/set (9.21), kills/set (10.13), digs/set (15.73), and the second-lowest opponent hitting percentage (.126).
>> Several Ichabods are ranked in the top-10 throughout the conference statistics list.
>> Sadler leads the MIAA in assists/set, averaging 11.00.
>> Antonowich tops the conference list with 0.38 service aces/set.
>> Berg has the second-best kills/set average in the league with 3.72 and is third in aces/set with 0.34.
>> Maxwell is seventh in attacking percentage, hitting at a .299 clip.
>> Kelsey Gordon and Maxwell are both in the top-six for blocks, as Gordon is averaging 0.93 blocks/set while Maxwell is at 0.87/set for fourth and sixth, respectively.
>> Rottinghaus is third in digs/set with 5.43.
NATIONAL RANKS …
>> Washburn volleyball has been ranked in the AVCA Top-25 Poll for the past 21-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 seventh in the nation in kills/set, 19th in assists/set, and 20th in digs/set.
>> Washburn is also fifth in winning percentage (.923).
>> Sadler's assists/set average is the 18th-best in all of Division II.
>> Rottinghaus is currently 32nd in the nation in digs/set and Berg is 46th in kills/set.
>> In 14 home games played this season, Washburn attracted 8,033 fans to Lee Arena, which is the fourth-best home attendance number in the nation this season.
HEAD COACH CHRIS HERRON …
>> Chris Herron is in his 18th season leading the Washburn volleyball program and holds an overall record of 528-105 and is 252-61 in MIAA matches.
>> Herron's career collegiate winning percentage of .818 is sixth-best among active Division II coaches and is 17th-best all-time in D-II.
>> Herron is 33-4 all-time coaching against Northwest Missouri and is 17-21 when facing Central Missouri.
MILESTONE TRACKER …
>> Taylor Antonowich is 40 shy of 600 career digs and is 41 kills away from hitting 300.
>> Erica Montgomery is 37 kills away from becoming the 22nd player at Washburn to reach 1,000 kills.
>> Gordon needs four more kills to reach 400.
>> Maxwell is four total blocks from 300 and is 63 kills away from 900.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION ...
Northwest Missouri State Bearcats
>> The Northwest Missouri Bearcats are 19-7 overall this season and are 12-6 in conference action. They are ranked eighth in the Central Region.
>> The team is coming off a four set loss to Central Oklahoma.
>> The Bearcats are fourth in the MIAA with a .231 hitting percentage and have several players who rank in the top-five of the conference stats.
>> Hallie Sidney is an offensive force as she leads the conference in kills/set with 4.09 and has totaled 397.
>> She has been named the MIAA Hitter of the Week five times this season.
>> Bethany Elkins is hitting .332, which is the fourth-highest attacking percentage in the league.
>> Setter Maddy Ahrens has dished out 991 assists (fourth-best in the MIAA) and has landed a team-high 33 aces (0.34/set - second-best in the MIAA). She has been tabbed as the MIAA's Specialist of the Week four times this season.
>> Defensively, Elkins is second in the conference in blocks/set with 1.02. She has made 95 total stops at the net.
>> Hannah Koechl leads the team in digs with 392 (3.88/set).
>> Head coach Amy Woerth is in her eighth season leading the Bearcats.
>> Washburn leads the all-time series, 49-20, and are 18-7 when playing Northwest Missouri in Maryville, Mo.
Central Missouri Jennies
>> The Jennies are currently 20-7 (14-4 MIAA) and have won seven of the last eight matches since they played the Ichabods on Oct. 18.
>> Central Missouri is ranked seventh in the Central Region.
>> UCM will host Emporia State on Friday night before WU on Saturday afternoon.
>> Central Missouri has the 26th toughest schedule in Divison II (out of 296 teams) and has played 13 opponents ranked in the top-20 or receiving votes. Saturday's match will be the Jennies' 14th match against a ranked opponent.
>> The Jennies are third in the MIAA with a .237 hitting percentage.
>> Audrey Fisher has the highest attacking percentage in the league and is 29th in the nation with a .367 hitting percentage. She leads the team in kills (261) and aces (28).
>> Ally Offerdahl has set up the offense for the Jennies and has handed out 1087 total assists (10.76/set), which is the third-highest assists per set percentage in the MIAA.
>> Abby Skrastins has racked up 532 digs and is averaging 5.27/set and has a .958 reception percentage.
>> Checking in at fifth in the conference in blocks/set is Hannah Engelken averaging 0.90/set. She has made 14 solo stop and 90 total blocks.
>> Flip Piontek is in his 11th season as the head coach of the Jennies and his 34th year with the program after spending 23 years as an assistant.
>> The Jennies are 53-18 all-time against the Ichabods.
LAST TIME AGAINST THE BEARCATS ...
>> Washburn defeated No. 14 Northwest Missouri in five sets (25-20, 30-32, 25-18, 23-25, 15-7) on Oct. 19.
>> Trailing 6-4 in the fifth set, Washburn went on an 9-0 scoring burst to help take the final set.
>> The Ichabods hit .240 and the Bearcats hit .167.
>> It was a fairly even match down the team statistic line as the Ichabods led in kills, 69-60, and digs, 61-76. NWMSU led in blocks, 12-10, and in aces, 7-6.
>> Montgomery knocked down 17 kills, Berg had 16, and Maxwell contributed 14.
>> Hallie Sidney led the Bearcats' offense with 18 kills. Rachel Sturdevant added 15 kills of her own.
>> Sadler made 55 assists and had 14 digs.
LAST TIME AGAINST THE JENNIES ...
>> On Oct. 18, the Ichabods topped No. 9 Central Missouri in Lee Arena, 3-1 (25-22, 25-27, 25-19, 25-23).
>> Washburn hit .223 and Central Missouri finished with a .199 attacking percentage.
>> WU led in kills, 64-52, and in digs, 91-64, while UCM held an 11-8 advantage in blocks.
>> Berg (13), Emma Palasak (12), and Montgomery (11) all finished with double-figure kills.
>> Four players from Central Missouri recorded an even 10 kills and Aubree Bell had a double-double with 10 kills and 10 digs.
>> Defensively, Gordon made two solo blocks and was a part of two assisted blocks and Rottinghaus made a team-high 26 digs.
