LAKELAND, Fla. -- Washburn volleyball began the 2023 season splitting a pair of matches in day one of the Florida Southern Volleyball Classic. The Ichabods began the day by downing Flagler College 3-2 and were defeated by the host Florida Southern 3-0 in the nightcap. No 17 Washburn will face No. 6 Barry on Saturday at 11 a.m. (CST) in the team's final match of the tournament.
Match One
Washburn (1-1) won the five-set battle by set scores of 25-23, 25-19, 25-27, 25-27 and 15-11 to begin the season in the win column.
Neither team created more than two points of separation between them for the entire set with six lead changes and 16 ties in the set. The Ichabods were able to overcome seven attack errors in the first set by knocking down 16 kills compared to just 11 for the Saints.
Flagler (0-1) got out to a quicker start in the second set going on a 5-1 run to lead 9-6. Washburn responded with an 8-3 run throughout the middle of the set and took a two-point lead. The Saints won three of the next four points to go ahead 17-16 but the Ichabods ended the set on a 9-2 run put away by one of eight attack errors in the set from Flagler.
Back-to-back kills by Rachel Schwensen and Rylee Unruh had Washburn up 12-8 early in the third, and after a block from Unruh and Austin Broadie the lead had grew to five at 18-13. Flagler went on an 10-5 run to tie the set at 23. Coming out of the timeout the Ichabods reached match point twice but the Saints were able to finish the set with three straight points to win 27-25.
Washburn had its best hitting set in the fourth, swinging .310 as a team. The same was true for Flagler, which hit .375 with both sides knocking down 18 kills. A 5-1 flurry back ended by two kills from Schwensen put Washburn up 23-22, and twice kills from Jalyn Stevenson put the Ichabods at match point. Just like the third set Flagler came away with the final three points of the set to win 27-25.
Washburn shook if off quickly, getting out to a 5-1 lead in the fifth set behind three kills from Stevenson. Back-to-back knockdowns from Taryn Pridgett made it 8-5 at the side flip. Both sides traded runs of three consecutive points but Broadie put the match away with a kill to end it at 15-11.
Washburn hit .214 as a team in the contest and racked up 72 kills to the Saints 57 kills who hit .194. Jalyn Stevenson reached 20 kills for the second time in her career and paired them with a team-high 17 digs. Rachel Schwensen knocked down 14 kills at a .387 clip and Bella Limback added eight kills with a team-high five block assists.
Rylee Unruh logged a double-double in her first collegiate match with 13 kills and 16 digs. Corinna McMullen also recorded a double-double with 30 assists and 15 digs. Sydney Conner added 22 assists and eight digs.
Flagler was paced by Colby Stempkowski who had 13 kills while hitting .423 and adding five assisted blocks and one solo.
Match Two
Washburn led in each set but were defeated by Florida Southern (1-0) by set scores of 25-18, 25-23 and 25-23 in the second match of the day.
Florida Southern's offense set the tone early in the first set, helping the Mocs to a 16-10 advantage. Back-to-back kills by Schwensen pulled the Ichabods within three but that's as close as they would get the rest of the set. Florida Southern hit .412 in the first to win 25-18.
Washburn jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the second set capped off by a block from Schwensen and Iyannah Jackson. The Ichabods held a 9-7 lead until the Mocs reeled off six straight points, four coming on attack errors. Washburn was able to reclaim the lead at 20-19 following back-to-back kills from Stevenson and Broadie but three straight from Florida Southern helped the home team claim a 25-23 second set win.
After leading 4-1 early on the Ichabods fell behind 11-6 in the third set. They were down by as many as six early on before battling back to take a 20-18 lead led by four early kills by Broadie. Washburn hit an even .000 in the set which was the difference down the stretch with Florida Southern pulling away to win the set 25-23 and match 3-0.
The Ichabods tallied more kills than the Mocs, 38 to 37, but were outhit .063 to .211. Austin Broadie led all players with 11 kills, Sydney Conner and Corinna McMullen each had 15 assists and Taylor Rottinghaus led Washburn with 17 digs.
Mackenzie Petermann's nine kills led Florida Southern who also got a double-double of 16 assists and 11 digs from Kiersten Kraus.
