TAMPA, Fla. – For the first time in program history, Washburn volleyball will be competing in the NCAA National Championship match. The No. 6-ranked Ichabods snapped No. 13 Western Washington's 20-match winning streak with a 3-1 decision in the national semifinal Friday evening. Washburn will face No 9-ranked and top-seed Tampa (33-2) on Saturday evening at 4 p.m. CT for the national title.
 
The Ichabods improve their record to 31-5 on the year after winning by the set scores of 25-23, 25-21, 27-29, and 25-11. Western Washington's season ends with a record of 25-5.
 
After the match began with a service error by Western Washington, the Vikings won the next four and then went up 7-5 when Washburn found its groove and put together a 9-3 run to take the lead. Western Washington scored four of the next five points to pull within one point, 15-14, and kept the match within reach as the teams traded points. The Vikings would get no closer than a one point deficit, though, as Sydney Fitzgibbons put the first set away with a kill.
 
The Ichabods came out firing on all cylinders to start the second frame and rattled off four-consecutive points and jumped out to a 7-3 lead. Setter Allison Sadler snuck over a kill to spark a 9-1 scoring tear to push Washburn's lead to 16-6. The Ichabods held a 22-9 advantage when the Vikings came storming back and spoiled five of Washburn's set points to make it a 24-21 game. Allison Maxwell put an end to the rally and her kill gave the Ichabods a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
The third set was a back-and-forth battle with six lead changes and 11 tied scores. Washburn led 8-5 when Western Washington used a 6-1 run to take the lead. A kill from Kelsey Gordon started a 7-1 run for Washburn in which she had two kills and Maxwell landed three. Trailing 18-13, the Vikings started their fight back and went on an 11-3 scoring run to make it to set point. Gordon spoiled WWU's game point with a huge kill and the Ichabods won the next three points to take a 25-24 advantage and make it their own set point. The Vikings leveled the score at 25, 26, and 27 before winning the next two points to keep their season alive with a 29-27 set win.
 
The wire-to-wire scoring continued into the fourth set as neither team led by more than two points until Washburn broke a 5-5 tie on a kill from Fitzgibbons that started a 7-1 run. The Ichabods dominated from there and held the Vikings to just 11 points and a .075 hitting percentage. Gordon closed out the victory with her fifth kill of the set.
 
Washburn hit .240 on the night while Western Washington finished with a .150 attacking percentage. The Ichabod offense powered down 61 kills, which was 17 more than the Vikings. WU finished with a slight edge in digs, 77-74, and in aces, 8-6.
 
For the second-consecutive match, four Ichabods finished with double-figure kills. Maxwell led the way with 15 and was a part of three blocks. Gordon hit a sizzling .565 and knocked down 14 kills. Genna Berg recorded a double-double with 12 kills and 15 digs and Jalyn Stevenson contributed 11 kills.
 
Sadler recorded 50 assists, nine digs, and two kills. Taylor Antonowich landed a team-high four service aces and scooped up 12 digs. Faith Rottinghaus led all players with 26 digs
 
The Vikings were led by Gabby Gunterman, who finished the night with 11 kills and 10 digs.

NOTES

• Friday's match was Washburn's third time playing in a national semifinal and it was also WU's first victory.
• Washburn lost to Western Washington in the 2007 national semifinal, the only other time the two programs have faced each other.
• Washburn and Tampa have only played each other twice, both occurring in the NCAA Tournament. WU won in the 2007 national quarterfinal in a five set battle.
• The Ichabods' 2018 season came to a close in the national semifinal against Tampa.
• There are 10 current Ichabods and five current Spartans who were on those respective squads in 2018.
• Gordon led the team with eight kills and two blocks in that 2018 semifinal match.
• The Spartans swept that match by the set scores of 25-23, 25-19, and 25-15 and went on to defeat Western Washington in the title match.
• In the NCAA Tournament, WU is now 7-3 as the No. 3 seed.
• When playing the No. 1 tournament seed, WU is 1-3.
• This season, the Ichabods have gone 9-5 against opponents ranked in the top-25. 
• Tampa has won three national championships: 2006, 2014, and 2018.
• There has never been an MIAA team to win the title. Nebraska-Kearney was the national runner-up in 2019 and 2005; Central Missouri was the runner-up in 1987; Truman State was a member of the association when they finished second in the nation in 2002.