TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn volleyball returns home after three matches away and will host a weekend of action in Lee Arena beginning with No. 17 Central Oklahoma on Friday, Nov. 3 at 6 p.m. and Pittsburg State on Saturday, Nov. 4 at 2 p.m. for senior day.
SETTING THE SCHEDULE …
>> Washburn volleyball begins its final home weekend of the season this week against No. 17 Central Oklahoma on Friday and Pittsburg State on Saturday for senior day.
>> The Ichabods face the Bronchos at 6 p.m. on Friday and will host the Gorillas at 2 p.m. on Saturday afternoon with senior day taking place before the match.
>> Washburn ended a three match week on the road last Friday and Saturday with a 25-19, 25-21 and 25-19 three set loss to Northwest Missouri State and a 25-21, 18-25, 25-22, 18-25 and 15-6 loss to Missouri Western on Saturday.
QUICK HITS …
>> Washburn is now 14-9 on the year and 8-8 in the MIAA
>> The Ichabods now sit in six place in the MIAA this season with an 8-8 record, one game behind the Bearcats and one ahead of Missouri Southern.
>> Washburn dropped out of the AVCA Coaches Poll for the first time this season.
>> The Ichabods were picked to finish fourth in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll just behind Central Oklahoma and one spot ahead of Central Missouri.
>> Washburn finished fifth in the 2022 MIAA regular season standings.
>> The Ichabods finish the regular season home schedule off with the only Monday match of the season against Emporia State on Nov. 6 before going to Newman on Saturday, Nov. 11 in the regular season finale.
SENIOR SALUTE
>> Rachel Schwensen is the lone senior on the Ichabod volleyball team in 2023 after transfering from Northern Colorado as a graduate student.
>> Schwensen has posted 233 kills (2.81 per set) while hitting .301 along with 57 combined blocks. She has also made 47 digs and has three assists. In a 3-0 win over Nebraska-Kearney on Sept. 15 she hit .593 with 17 kills with only one error in one of the most efficient high volume attacking performances in program history. She posted a season-high 23 kills on Sept. 30 against Northwest Missouri State and hit .500.
THE WEEK THAT WAS
>> Washburn lost two road contests to finish the week 0-3. They fell 3-0 to Northwest Missouri State on Friday and 3-2 against Missouri Western State on Saturday.
>> The Ichabods are now 3-7 on the road in 2023 and 9-2 at home.
>> Washburn has eight sweeps this season.
>> The Ichabods have lost three straight matches for the first time all season.
>> Corinna McMullen paced WU in assists in both matches with 20 in the and 29. She added 10 digs against the Griffons for a double-double.
>> Bella Limback was one of three Washburn players in double figures in kills on Saturday as she picked up 12 of them while hitting .458 and added five total blocks.
>> Jalyn Stevenson had double-digit digs in both contests with 14 and a season-high 22 against the Griffons. She knocked down 12 kills in the Saturday evening contest for a double-double.
>> Taylor Rottinghaus had 14 and 26 digs respectively for Washburn to lead in both matches. Twentysix ties a season high.
>> Rachel Schwensen led the Ichabods in kills against Missouri Western with 14 and hit .205.
>> Washburn reached at least 19 points in each set over the weekend.
STACKING UP THE STATS
>> The Ichabods are knocking down 13.2 kills per set, picking up 12.4 assists, making 17.4 digs and stuffing 2.1 attacks.
>> Opponents are netting 11.7 kills per set, 10.7 assists, 16.2 digs and 2.3 blocks.
>> Washburn is hitting .217 as a team through 23 matches while opponents are hitting .171
>> The Ichabods have 154 aces on the year (1.9 per set) while only allowing 86 (1.0 per set).
>> Washburn is fourth in the conference in hitting percentage at .217 for the year
>> The Ichabods passing attack rates third in the MIAA and 28th nationally with 12.37 assists per set
>> The defense sits at fifth among conference foes at 17.43 digs per set
>> Washburn is second in the MIAA in aces per set at 1.76
>> When the Ichabods outkill their opponents they are 14-3
>> When Washburn collects more digs than opponents they are 12-2
>> The Ichabods are 14-3 when they have more assists than oppoennts.
>> Corinna McMullen leads all players in the conference with .53 aces per set and is first overall with 44 total.
>> Jalyn Stevenson is fifth in the MIAA in kills per set at 3.18 as well as sixth in points per set at 3.63.
>> Bella Limback and Rachel Schwensen are both in the top-five in hitting percentage in the MIAA with Limback at No. 3 and Schwensen at No. 5.
TEAM LEADERS
>> Jalyn Stevenson leads Washburn with 264 kills on the year (3.18 per set) while hitting .205. She is second on the team with 258 digs (3.11 per set) and has combined for 23 blocks.
>> Rachel Schwensen is up to 233 kills (2.81 per set) and is hitting .301 across 595 attempts. She is also third on the squad with 57 blocks.
>> Corinna McMullen leads the Ichabods with 505 assists (6.08 per set) and is third with 230 digs (2.77 per set). She leads the Ichabods with 44 aces on the year.
>> Taylor Rottinghaus leads Washburn with 317 digs (4.17 per set) while adding 64 assists and holding a .955 reception percentage on 332 receptions.
>> Rylee Unruh is third on the team with 166 kills (2.00 per set) and has done a little bit of everything, adding 21 aces, 208 digs (2.51 per set) and has been apart of 30 blocks.
>> Austin Broadie has knocked down 154 kills (1.90 per set) while carrying a hitting percentage of .218. She is second with 59 total blocks and tied for the lead with seven solos.
>> Bella Limback has 126 kills on the year (1.56 per set) while hitting .311. She has the most blocks of any Washburn player with 77 total (.95 per set) and has recorded 54 digs.
>> Sydney Conner has chipped in 378 assists (4.55 per set) and 152 digs (1.83 per set) and has 20 aces on 283 attempts.
>> Iyannah Jackson has totaled up 50 kills across 44 sets hitting a team best .318, as well as combining to make 43 blocks.
>> Maddie Steiner has made 84 digs on the year (1.65 per set).
>> Taryn Pridgett has made 55 kills (1.49 per set) while hitting .173. She has combined to make 18 blocks.
>> Sophia Cavanaugh has 19 kills on the year, she also has seven blocks
BY THE NUMBERS …
>> 2 : NCAA Central Region championships won by Washburn in the past four official seasons.
>> 4 : upperclassmen on this year's team ... the fewest since the 2014 roster also featuring four
>> 8 : Number of sweeps for the Ichabods this season
>> 10 : student-athletes who werea on the roster last year who are not on the 2022 roster
>> 20 : consecutive winning seasons for Washburn.
>> 122 : consecutive victories when winning the first two sets of a match
>> 600 : wins that Herron has at Washburn.
MILESTONE TRACKER …
>> Bella Limback is 6 blocks away from 100 in her career
>> Jalyn Stevenson is 87 kills away from 1,000 in her career.
>> Sydney Conner is 61 assists away from 1,000 career.
>> Taryn Pridgett needs just four more kills to reach 100 in her career.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION ...
Central Oklahoma Bronchos
>> Central Oklahoma is 22-4 overall on the year with a 13-3 record in MIAA play. They are 8-3 on the road this year.
>> Last season the Bronchos went 24-7 overall and 14-6 in the MIAA, losing in the first round of the conference tournament to Washburn.
>> UCO is ranked No. 17 in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll.
>> Central Oklahoma is led by Edgar Miraku in his 12th season. He is 265-89 with the Bronchos.
>> Assistant coach Emily Todd and volunteers Bill Hamiter and Joe Skinner round out the staff.
>> As a team Central Oklahoma carries averages of 14.5 kills per set while hitting .247, 13.5 assists, 19.1 digs and 1.6 blocks.
>> Jenna Karp leads the Bronchos attack percentage at .340 and is third with 262 kills (2.98 per set). She also leads the team with 66 total blocks, 18 being solo.
>> Lindsey Houran has 803 assists (10.29 per set) to pace the Central Oklahoma offensive attack. She has also contributed 206 digs (2.64 per set) and 48 kills.
>> Addison Wimmer has 288 kills this season (3.16 per set) to lead UCO while attacking at .249. She's also helped out with 131 digs and 24 blocks.
>> Jaedynn Evans leads UCO in digs with 501 (6.26 per set) and has chipped in 63 assists.
>> Sydney Huck has 275 kills on the year (2.99 per set) and hits .228. She is second on the Bronchos with 216 digs (2.35 per set) and has 36 total blocks as well.
>> Washburn is 17-12 all-time against Central Oklahoma going back to 1995. The Ichabods lost 3-1 in Edmond on Oct. 5.
Pittsburg State Gorillas
>> The Gorillas are 9-16 on the year after defeating William Jewell in a midweek non-conference match on Tuesday night. They are 4-12 in MIAA play and 2-7 on the road.
>> In 2022 Pittsburg State went 17-14 overall and 10-11 in the MIAA. They advanced to the semifinals of the MIAA Tournament before falling to Nebraska-Kearney.
>> The Gorillas are led by Jen Gomez in her 8th season at PSU. She has a 91-131 record with the program.
>> Assistant Coach Miranda Rodriguez and Graduate Assistant Hannah Delor round out the staff.
>> Pitt State averages 11.6 kills per set on .144 hitting, 10.9 assists, 1.5 blocks and 17.6 digs.
>> Janae Thurston leads the Gorillas in kills with 268 (2.98 per set) and hits .155 on the year. She is second on the team with 284 digs (3.16 per set) and has contributed to 29 total blocks.
>> Josie McCroskey has 390 digs (4.33 per set) to pace Pitt State. She also has 95 assists and 18 aces.
>> Kate Bandre is second on the team with 149 kills (1.76 per set) and leads the Gorillas in hitting at .183. She is second on the team with 40 total blocks, five being solo.
>> Jadyn Jackson has 772 assists (8.87 per set) to top the Pitt State chart. She leads the Gorillas with 36 aces and has made 273 digs (3.14 per set).
>> Washburn is 64-22 all-time against the Gorillas going back to 1975. The Ichabods have won 29 straight matches with the last loss coming on Nov. 8, 2008.
TAKE A LOOK AHEAD …
>> Washburn plays one final match in Lee Areana on Monday, Nov. 6 against Emporia State.
>> The Ichabods will finish the regular season on Nov. 11 at Newman
>> The MIAA Championship Tournament begins on Thursday Nov. 16.
