TOPEKA, Kan. – No. 4 Washburn volleyball improved to 4-0 on the season as it added two more wins in the final day of the Washburn Invitational. The Ichabods started the day with a 3-0 sweep against Quincy and then defeated No. 23 Central Washington 3-1.
At the conclusion of the tournament, four Ichabods appeared on the Washburn Invitational All-Tournament team. Allison Maxwell was named the tournament's most valuable player as she recorded 41 kills and 16 blocks after the four matches. Genna Berg, Kelsey Gordon, and Faith Rottinghaus were also recognized for their strong performance on the court.
No. 4 Washburn 3, Quincy 0 (25-13, 25-15, 25-17)
The Ichabods made quite the opening statement in the first set as they started with 13 kills and two service aces to take a 20-4 lead. The Hawks answered with three quick points and benefited from a couple Ichabod errors, but Washburn held on for a 25-13 triumph.
The Hawks kept things close early in the second set, scoring the first point and then taking a 6-3 lead. A timely kill by Allison Maxwell sparked a 9-1 scoring run to go on top 12-7. The Ichabods never let up and took advantage of several errors committed by the Hawks and claimed the second set by double digits again, 25-15.
It was back and forth scoring for both teams in the third frame. Tied at 7-7, it was Erica Montgomery who started the Ichabod rally as she was responsible for three of Washburn's next four consecutive kills. Washburn continued to hit the ball hard and pull away. Faith Rottinghaus closed out the game with a service ace, giving the Ichabods their third sweep in as many matches with a 25-17 win.
Washburn hit .299 in the match while holding Quincy to just .009. The Ichabods also recorded 47 kills to the Hawks' 22.
Maxwell turned in an impressive .600 hitting percentage and tied the team's match-high of 10 kills. She was also a wall at the net as she had six total blocks, including one solo block. Montgomery tied Maxwell and pounded 10 kills of her own.
Gordon had nine kills at a .562 clip. She also had a solo block along with two block assists.
Sadler had a season-high 38 assists and added four kills and two blocks.
No. 4 Washburn 3, No. 23 Central Washington 1 (25-20, 22-25, 25-18, 25-21)
The Ichabods came out firing on all cylinders against the Wildcats as they opened the match on an 8-0 scoring run. Central Washington found its groove and began chipping away at Washburn's lead. Both teams were hitting the ball hard and exchanging kills, but it was a big kill by Gordon that gave the Ichabods a 25-20 first set win.
The second set was a battle by both teams, but Central Washington held on to its lead after breaking the 6-6 tie. The Ichabods fought their way back from being down by seven points and put together a 6-2 rally, but the charge came up short and they dropped their first set of the season, 25-22.
Early errors committed by Central Washington in the third set helped Washburn take a 7-3 lead. The Ichabods held off the Wildcats for a 25-18 set victory and went up 2-1.
The fourth frame started with both teams exchanging errors. With the score knotted at 12, Gordon helped the Ichabods to a 7-1 scoring spurt. Gordon went on to add two of the last three points for Washburn and Berg completed the 25-21 set win with her 12th kill of the match.
Once again, Washburn held its opponent to a hitting percentage below .100 as Quincy finished with .091. The Ichabods had 57 kills for a .209 clip.
Three Ichabods finished with double-digit kills. Gordon led the way with a career-best 15 kills and also had four blocks. Maxwell contributed 14 kills and led the team with six blocks. Berg achieved a double-double with her 12 kills and 14 digs.
As a team, Washburn had seven service aces and Montgomery and Rottinghaus were responsible for two each.
Up next
The Ichabods will travel to Durango, Colo., next week to take part in the Fort Lewis-hosted Skyhawks Tournament. Washburn will take on Western New Mexico and Fort Lewis on Friday, Sept. 13 before facing West Texas A&M and Adam State the following day.
