JOPLIN, Mo. -- Washburn bounced back from a slow start Friday night to come away with a five-set victory on the road over Missouri Southern. The Ichabods will finish out the weekend against Central Missouri in Warrensburg on Saturday at 2 p.m.
The first set went quickly to the Lions (3-16, 1-7 MIAA) 25-15 before Washburn (14-4, 5-3 MIAA) took each of the next two sets, 25-19 and 25-20. Missouri Southern forced a fifth set, winning 25-20 in the fourth before the Ichabods finished the match winning 15-8 in the fifth set.
After Natalie Hedlund found the floor for a kill Washburn found itself on top 6-4 early in the first set. The Lions would win six of the next seven points to go up 14-9 and take control. The Ichabods pulled within one at 15-14 but the next eight points would go to the home team as Washburn landed only one point the rest of the set in the 25-15 decision.
Missouri Southern carried the momentum into a 9-5 lead to begin the second set. A kill from Hedlund sparked a 5-1 rally to tie it up. The Ichabods were able to pull ahead at 14-13 after an ace landed from Emma Williams. It was defense that led the way in the second set, with Washburn holding the Lions to an even .000 hitting percentage in the set. A block from Alex Dvorak and Corinna McMullen capped off a 5-0 run and later a four-point burst ended the set 25-19 after a kill from McMullen.
Washburn quickly doubled the score of Missouri Southern in the third with an ace from Taylor Rottinghaus making it 8-4. After the Ichabods led 10-7 the next six points all went in the other direction for MSSU to go up 13-10. After two ties Washburn went back in front as part of a 5-0 run that started with a kill from Alex Dvorak and ended with a 20-18 lead. Five of the next seven points went to the Ichabods as Jalyn Stevenson ended the set with a kill.
After an early lead for Washburn in the fourth set it was all Lions beginning with a 10-2 run to put them up 13-8. Missouri Southern hit .386 in the set with 19 kills and the Ichabods were able to get no closer than two the rest of the way as it ended 25-20.
Both teams split the first 12 points of the fifth set six each way. The sixth point for Washburn was the start of a 6-0 run for the visitors to go up 11-6 after a Brynne Topolski kill into the ground. The Ichabods hit .368 as a team with no errors in the final frame, with Topolski delivering the final two blows in a 15-8 victory.
Even after the strong finish Washburn hit .183 in the match with 56 kills. Missouri Southern hit .192 and tallied 62 kills but did have 27 errors to the Ichabods' 23. The Lions also led in assists, 59-54, and digs 83-79.
Corinna McMullen had a team-high 28 assists and added 12 digs for a double-double. Jalyn Stevenson had 15 kills and served three aces while Emery Keebaugh logged 12 kills and hit .400 in the process. Taylor Rottinghaus controlled the backline with 24 digs for Washburn.
Three Lions finished with double figure kills led by Fernanda Meranico with 15. Kyla Randall had 42 digs for Missouri Southern to lead the defense.
