TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn volleyball downed Pittsburg State 3-1 Thursday night in its 2024 home opener in Lee Arena. The Ichabods will take on Newman on Friday in the second match of a three-match homestand with first serve at 6 p.m.  

Each of the first two sets went to Washburn (10-3, 1-2 MIAA), 25-16 and 25-15 before the Gorillas (6-7, 1-2 MIAA) got on the board with a 28-26 third set victory. The Ichabods secured their first MIAA victory of the season winning 25-15 in the fourth.  

It was a 7-0 run for Washburn beginning with a kill from Alex Dvorak that gave them control early leading 9-3. Pittsburg State made strides to pull within four points in the middle of the set on multiple occasions. With the score 18-14, Sydney Conner set up Keilah Rivers for a kill which sparked a 4-0 run. The Ichabods held on from there to take the first set on a kill by Jalyn Stevenson.  

After the Gorillas scored the first point of the second set the next six went to Washburn, with three coming on kills by Austin Broadie. Pittsburg State won three in a row to pull back within two at 9-7. In the middle of the set the Ichabod offense took over going on a 8-1 run which included three straight kills by Alex Dvorak. Washburn hit .404 as a team in the second set with 20 kills and just one error to win by double-digits, 25-15.  

The first five points of the third set went to Washburn with three by Dvorak and two more from Corinna McMullen. A block from Dvorak and Stevenson kept the Icahbods ahead 14-11 before the Gorillas netted the next five points to take the lead. Washburn remained behind until they tied the set and 23 and regained the lead at 25-24 after Dvorak found the floor twice in a row. After hitting under .115 in each of the first two sets the Gorillas slashed .362 in the second, winning four of the final five points of the set to get on the board.  

In the fourth set each team split the first 14 points. Both sides hit under .200 in the fourth set with neither team pulling ahead early. Washburn led by just two until a service error from Pittsburg State led to a 9-0 run from the Ichabods capped off by a kill from Stevenson to go up 22-11. The Gorillas never got closer than eight and would end the game after getting out of rotation to allow the final point of the match.  

Washburn hit .256 in the match with 63 kills while Pittsburg State had 48 kills and 23 errors for a .150 team percentage. The Ichabods had an 81-80 advantage in digs and led 51-45 in assists as well.  

Jalyn Stevenson paced the offensive attack with 15 kills while adding 11 digs for a double-double. Alex Dvorak had 14 kills while hitting .393 and had seven blocks on the night. Taylor Rottinghaus made 23 digs on the back line while Corinna McMullen and Sydney Conner each notched double-doubles from the setter position.  

Maliyah Johnson hit .500 with a team high 13 kills for Pittsburg State while Josie McCroskey had a match-high 33 digs.