TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn volleyball defended home court Tuesday night with a five-set victory over Emporia State to wrap up the first homestand of the season. The Ichabods will hit the road to finish a busy week beginning Friday against Fort Hays State at 6 p.m.
The Hornets (11-4, 3-2 MIAA) won the opening set of the match 25-23 before Washburn (12-3, 3-2 MIAA) evened the score with a 25-18 win. Emporia State won 25-22 in the third to re-gain the advantage before the Ichabods delivered 25-20 and 15-13 victories to finish out the match.
Washburn led off the match by jumping out to a 7-2 lead after a kill from Keilah Rivers from Corinna McMullen. The Hornets quickly battled back and pulled within two. They stayed within three points until a 4-0 run put them on top 16-15. The Ichabods regained the lead briefly after two kills by Bella Limback before Emporia State went on top again and controlled the rest of the set to win 25-23.
The second set began much like the first with a kill by Jalyn Stevenson beginning a 5-1 opening run. The Hornets battled back to tie the set at two before Washburn rallied off five straight ending with a block by Alex Dvorak and Austin Broadie. The Ichabods held Emporia State to just a .086 hitting percentage in the second set and it was two attack errors down the stretch that set up set point for Washburn. Heather Schemper took advantage to end the set 25-18 with a kill.
The Ichabods repeated the beginning of the second set, building a 5-1 lead after Dvorak and Rivers combined to stuff a Hornet attack. Once again, Emporia State tied the set up at nine, this time they used a 3-1 run to lead 13-11. Both teams traded points until the Hornets reeled off four straight to go up 19-15. Washburn won three in a row on kills from Stevenson, Dvorak and Broadie to pull within two at 22-20. However, the offense from the Hornets, which hit .419 in the set, carried them to a 25-22 win down the stretch.
For the first time in the match it was Emporia State that jumped ahead in the fourth set leading 5-3. The Ichabods tallied four points in a row to tie the set at eight after Limback and Broadie combined for a block. After first tie the teams tied for the next five points until Washburn created some breathing room with a 6-1 run ending with an ace from Rivers to go up by three. Emporia State never got closer than within one point the rest of the way as the Ichabods won 25-20 to force a fifth set.
Both teams split the first 14 points of the fifth set before a kill from Stevenson began a 3-0 run for Washburn that ended with two aces from McMullen. The Hornets were able to tie the set and take the lead at 12-11 at which point the Ichabods took the next three points to create match point. Two points later Limback ended the match with a kill on a pass from McMullen.
Emporia State hit .216 as a team with 64 kills while Washburn trailed just behind in both categories with a .208 hitting percentage and 62 kills. The Hornets also had advantages in assists, 63-58, and digs 86-73, while Washburn served 11 aces to just five from ESU.
Jalyn Stevenson led the Ichabod offense with 20 kill while hitting .345. She added 12 digs for a double-double. Corinna McMullen paced the team in both assists and digs, notching 25 and 16 of each respectively. Austin Broadie and Alex Dvorak each had six block in the match on the defensive side.
Three players finished in double figures for Emporia State led by Weronika Wrzesinska with 27 kills and 12 digs. Camilla Ossola had 18 kills and Brailee Bogle had a match-high 54 assists.
