TOPEKA, Kan. -- No. 1 Washburn begins a five-match homestand this weekend hosting Newman (Friday, Oct. 1) and Central Oklahoma (Saturday, Oct. 2). First serve against the Jets is set for 6 p.m. and Saturday's matinee against the Bronchos is slated for a 2 p.m. start in Lee Arena.
FIRST SERVE …
>> The Ichabods have won their last four matches, with two of those coming against opponents ranked in the top-10. Washburn holds an overall record of 12-1 with a perfect 4-0 mark in conference play.
>> The Jets have dropped their last four matches to check in at 5-6 (1-4 MIAA).
>> The Bronchos have won four in a row, including a four-set victory over then-ranked No. 4 Nebraska-Kearney. UCO is now 11-2 (4-1 MIAA).
>> When playing in Lee Arena this season, Washburn is a perfect 6-0. In 2019, the Ichabods finished with a 13-1 home record.
QUICK HITS …
>> As a team, the Ichabods lead the conference in hitting percentage (.314 - second nationally), kills (14.78 kills/set - fourth nationally), and blocks (2.43 blocks/set - 19th nationally). They are also second in the league for assists (13.4 assists/set - eighth nationally)
>> Through 13 matches, Washburn has recorded 175 more kills than its opponents (665-490).
>> The Ichabods' defense has dominated as well, leading in total blocks 109.5-56.0, and with 16 more solo blocks than their competitors.
>> Washburn is the only team in the MIAA with a perfect record in conference play.
>> Allison Maxwell currently leads the nation with a .472 hitting percentage.
>> Seven of Washburn's 12 wins have been sweeps.
COACH CHRIS HERRON …
>> Chris Herron is in his 20th year leading Washburn and holds a record of 543-108 (.834) while going 258-61 in MIAA play.
>> Herron has led Washburn to five MIAA titles and 15 trips to the NCAA Tournament since taking over the program.
>> He has coached at least one All-American in every year but 2002 and 2017 season.
>> Herron is 81-78 when playing teams ranked in the top-25.
>> In three set matches, his teams have gone 361-42.
IN THE RANKINGS …
>> The Ichabods are ranked the No. 1 team in the nation for the second-consecutive week.
>> Washburn has been ranked in the top-five in 19 of the last 20 official polls (excluding the 2021 spring season), dating back to the final rankings of 2018. The Ichabods were ranked No. 8 in this fall's preseason poll.
>> Prior to this season, Washburn had never been ranked No. 1 before.
>> Washburn held down the No. 2 spot for the first three weeks of the 2008 season and then again in the seventh week during the 2010 season.
>> Four of the top-15 teams in the latest AVCA poll are from the MIAA: Central Missouri is No. 5, Nebraska-Kearney is No. 10, and Northwest Missouri is No. 13. Central Oklahoma received votes in the poll for the second-straight week.
>> Washburn is already 4-1 against opponents ranked in the top-20 so far this season.
>> During the 2019 season, the Ichabods faced a tough schedule and went 4-4 against opponents ranked in the top-25. Six of those opponents were ranked in the top-10.
MIAA ATHLETES OF THE WEEK …
>> For the fourth-consecutive week, Washburn volleyball earned recognition from the conference.
>> Libero Faith Rottinghaus was named the league's Defensive Athlete of the Week for the third-straight week as she continued to dominate defensively, averaging 9.43 digs per set in two wins.
>> In the four-set win at No. 7 Central Missouri, Rottinghaus tied the program's single-match digs record that was set in 2006 as she finished with 51 (12.75 digs/set) and became the new owner of the program's four-set digs record.
>> She finished the week with 66 digs and 27 receptions with zero errors.
>> Middle blocker Allison Maxwell received offensive honors in back-to-back weeks as she was named the Co-Offensive Player of the Week.
>> She concluded the week with a sizzling .512 attacking percentage and 26 kills.
>> In the sweep against Emporia State, Maxwell led the Ichabods with 13 kills on 15 attempts and just two errors for a .733 hitting percentage.
>> Defensively, she was also a part of nine blocks combined between the two matches.
LAST TIME OUT …
>> The Ichabods recorded their second win over a top-10 team in as many weeks as Washburn defeated No. 7 Central Missouri, 3-1, on Sept. 25.
>> Washburn opened the match with a 25-14 first set win, but couldn't complete its comeback in the second game before falling 25-19.
>> The Ichabods led from start to finish in the third set and held a 10-point advantage at 22-12. Washburn held off a late 7-2 rally by UCM and held on for the 25-19 win to go up, 2-1, in the match.
>> The fourth frame started out back and forth as Central Missouri won the opening point before the Ichabods tied the score at every point until they went on a 4-1 run to go in front, 8-6.
>> Holding a tight 15-14 lead, the Ichabods created some breathing room with a 4-0 run.
>> The Jennies battled their way back into the match and evened the score at 23, but the Ichabods won the final two points with kills from Kelsey Gordon and Maxwell.
>> Rottinghaus scooped up a career-high 51 digs to tie the program's single-match record.
>> Genna Berg led three Ichabods in double-digit kills with 18.
>> Gordon and Maxwell both knocked down 13 kills and hit above .300.
TEAM LEADERS …
>> Berg: Leads the team with 166 kills (3.69/set) and has had double-figure kills in 10 matches played while leading the team in kills in eight matches.
>> Maxwell: Has the highest hitting percentage in all of Division II at .472. She is second on the team with 133 kills and heading into this weekend, she is on a five-match streak recording double-digit kills.
>> Rottinghaus: Averages 6.13 digs/set, which leads in the MIAA and ranks sixth in the nation. Her 276 total digs also lands her 10th in Division II. She also leads the team with 17 service aces.
>> Gordon: Is third on the team with 108 kills and second in blocks with 40 overall, including seven solo blocks.
>> Stevenson: Has tallied 91 kills on the year and averages 2.22 kills/set. She is second on the team with 15 service aces. Has finished with double-figure digs in three of the last four matches.
>> Sadler: Averages 8.82 assists per set and is second on the team with 84 digs.
>> Fitzgibbons: Is hitting .427 on the season, which ranks second in the conference and 13th in the nation.
MILESTONE TRACKER …
>> Maxwell needs 26 more total blocks to be one of five players in Washburn's history to record 1,000 kills and 400 total blocks.
>> In 43 more digs, Berg will enter Washburn's history books as the 10th player to have 1,000 career kills and digs.
>> Gordon is 43 kills away from 600 in her career.
>> Stevenson is nine away from reaching her first 100 kills.
>> Rottinghaus is now second on the all-time career digs list with 2,119 in her time as an Ichabod. She needs 346 to surpass Erica Cowhick, who holds the program's record with 2,464.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION ...
Newman Jets
>> After going 1-28 (1-19 MIAA) in 2019, the Jets are off to a 5-6 (1-4 MIAA) start to this season.
>> Newman has lost four its last four matches.
>> As a team, the Jets hold a .198 hitting percentage.
>> Salome Romp is second in the conference with 3.76 kills per set, knocking down 158 total.
>> Riley Daugherty is close behind with 137 total kills for an average of 3.26 kills per set.
>> In the back court, Paiton Haga (4.76 digs/set) and Daugherty (4.36 digs/set) lead the team in digs.
>> Setter Jenna DeVore averages 8.62 assists per set.
>> Jose Lugo is in his third year leading the Jets.
>> Washburn leads the all-time series, 20-7, and has won the last 10-straight meetings while only dropping two sets.
Central Oklahoma Bronchos
>> In 2019, UCO's season came to an end in the MIAA Quarterfinal match and finished the year with a record of 18-13 (10-10 MIAA).
>> The Bronchos are third in the league with a .250 hitting percentage and with 18.62 digs per set.
>> Courtney Lane averages a conference-best 3.77 kills per set, which also ranks 19th in Division II, and has tallied 177 so far this year.
>> Jenna Karp was named the MIAA Co-Offensive Player of the Week after she played a pivitol role in the upset over Nebraska-Kearney. Last week the freshman middle blocker hit .475 with 23 kills and just four errors in 40 attacks while adding nine blocks.
>> For the season, Karp is hitting .319 and has racked up 112 kills.
>> Katie Le is fourth in the MIAA with 5.55 digs per set and is behind Rottinghaus with 261 total digs.
>> Edgar Miraku has led the Bronchos for nine years and holds a 200-68 record as the head coach.
>> The Ichabods lead the series, 14-9, and are 8-2 when playing the Bronchos in Lee Arena.
2021 SQUAD …
>> There are 13 Ichabods returning from the 2019 squad and they lost just two letterwinners from that team.
>> Ten seniors will take the court for their final season and are joined by two juniors, two sophomores, and one redshirts freshman.
>> Washburn added four freshmen in 2020 and three more for this fall.
>> Two transfer student-athletes also join the team in Jaycee Burghart (Cloud County CC) and Payton Nutter (Concordia-St. Paul).
2019 & 2020 SEASON REWIND …
>> In 2019, Washburn completed its second-straight season ranked as a top-five team in the AVCA national final rankings as the Ichabods checked in at No. 5 in all of Division II.
>> The team finished the season 27-4 and 18-2 in MIAA matches with their only two losses of the regular season coming against Nebraska-Kearney.
>> Washburn started the season undefeated through nine matches while only suffering one set loss amid eight 3-0 sweep victories.
>> The Ichabods were awarded the No. 2 seed in the MIAA Tournament and swept their quarterfinal game against Pittsburg State before falling in five to Central Missouri in the semifinal.
>> Washburn earned its 15th trip to the NCAA Tournament and was tabbed as the six-seed in the Central Region and played against the three-seed and No. 3 nationally-ranked Concordia-St. Paul Golden Bears in the quarterfinals.
>> CSP won sets one and three and WU claimed sets two and four to send it to the deciding fifth, which the Golden Bears won 15-8 ultimately ending the Ichabods' season.
>> Although the 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the MIAA teams agreed to a shortened conference-only schedule in the spring of 2021 to have the opportunity to compete.
>> Official statistics were not kept, but the competition level remained high and the Ichabods finished with a mark of 14-5 and recorded 11 sweep victories.
TAKE A LOOK AHEAD …
>> Washburn remains at home for the next three matches starting with Missouri Southern on Firday, Oct. 8.
