KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The No. 3 Washburn volleyball team was unable to hold off No. 10 Central Missouri in the MIAA semifinal match Friday evening and fell in five sets. Washburn is now 27-3 and will await its NCAA postseason fate which will be announced on Monday, Nov. 25, at 7:30 p.m.

A major Washburn milestone was reached in the match as senior Erica Montgomery became the 22nd player in Washburn history to record 1,000 career kills. She now has 1,008 kills in her career.

Washburn opened the match with a 25-8 first set victory. The Ichabods hit .367 with 13 kills while the Jennies finished with a -.088 attacking percentage with five kills and eight errors.

A 7-0 rally in the middle of the second set gave UCM the lead it would not relinquish as the Jennies evened the match with a 25-21 decision.

The Ichabods led early in the third set before the Jennies went on a 4-0 run to go in front 13-11. Washburn fought back to knot up the score at 19 and 20 and then broke the 23-all tie with back-to-back kills to win 25-23.

Central Missouri led for the majority of the fourth set. The Ichabods used a four-point run to get within one of the lead at 18-17, but that would be as close as they would get as the Jennies forced a fifth set with a 25-21 victory.

Washburn jumped out to an early 4-1 lead in the final frame. Central Missouri answered with a 6-2 run to go up 8-7. The Ichabods stayed close after switching sides and tied up the match at 8, 10, and 11, but four-straight points by the Jennies gave them the 15-11 win to advance to the MIAA championship match.
 
Genna Berg led all players with 23 kills and added 15 digs for her 15th double-double of the season. Erica Montgomery chipped in 13 kills. Allison Maxwell hit .280 with 10 kills and had six total blocks, including one solo. Taylor Antonowich had a career-high seven block assists. Allison Sadler achieved her 12th double-double as she dished out 49 assists and scooped up 15 digs. Faith Rottinghaus notched a career-best 40 digs and had one of Washburn's three service aces. Sydney Pullen also had a career night defensively as she made 21 digs.