TOPEKA, Kan. -- Newly No. 2 ranked Washburn Ichabod volleyball stays at home for a pair of weekday matches facing No. 24 Central Missouri on Thursday, Oct. 16 at 6 p.m. and Missouri Southern at 6 p.m. on Friday.
Setting The Schedule
>> No. 2 Washburn volleyball continues its five-match homestand this week hosting No. 24 Central Missouri and Missouri Southern.
>> The Ichabods will take on the Jennies at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 16 and the Lions at 6 p.m. on Friday the 17th.
>> Thursday night's game is Faculty & Staff Appreciation night in Whiting Fieldhouse.
>> Central Missouri enters the match with a 14-3 record overall and 6-1 mark in the MIAA while Missouri Southern begins the week 8-10 and 2-5 in conference play.
Serving Up Facts
>> The Ichabods enter the week with a 17-1 record overall and a 6-1 mark inside the MIAA riding a five match and 15-set winning streak including a 3-0 win over No. 2 Nebraska Kearney last time out on Oct. 11.
>> Washburn is 7-1 in Whiting Fieldhouse while going 7-0 in neutral court matches and 3-0 in road matches.
>> The Ichabods were picked to finish third in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll with 98 total points. The MIAA Tournament will once again be seeded based on KPI Rankings and not final regular season standings.
>> Washburn is ranked No. 2 in the latest AVCA rankings with 1,060 total points, moving up from a No. 9 ranking last week. It is the highest ranking for the program since Sept. 18, 2022 when they were also ranked No. 2.
>> The Ichabods went 21-8 overall last season and 11-5 inside the MIAA, finishing fourth in the regular season. They advanced to the NCAA Central Region Semifinals.
>> Last year Washburn went 2-4 against AVCA Top-25 opponents. They are 1-1 against ranked opponents this season.
>> The 2025 roster is balanced by class once again. It is the second time in the Chris Herron era with at least four players from each class, the first time coming in 2024.
The Blue Bunch
>> Austin Broadie leads the Washburn offense with 203 kills (3.44 per set) while hitting .367, third best on the team. She has started all 18 matches and also has logged 37 blocks with 40 digs. The senior has ten double-digit kill matches and ranks 25th nationally in hitting percentage and 3rd in the MIAA. She is 3rd among conference players in kills per set and 77th in the nation.
>> Bella Limback is slashing a team-high .553 with 119 kills (2.09 per set) while playing and starting in all 18 matches. She has also added 67 blocks (1.18 per set), a team high and served seven aces. She has hit over .400 in all but two matches this season with three double-digit kill efforts. She leads the nation in hitting percentage and is 3rd in the MIAA in blocks per set and 26th in the nation.
>> Alex Dvorak is second on the team with 65 blocks (1.14 per set) on the season while starting all 18 matches. Offensively she has made 115 kills (2.02 per set) along with hitting .459, second best on the team. She has recorded five or more blocks in nine matches. The senior ranks 3rd in the nation and 2nd in the MIAA in hitting percentage among qualified hitters. She is also 4th in the MIAA in blocks per set and 38th nationally. She was named the MIAA Offensive Player of the Week after last week's performance.
>> Corinna McMullen has started all 18 matches this season and leads Washburn with 378 assists (6.52 per set). She has also chipped in 19 service aces while ranking 2nd on the team with 151 digs (2.60 per set). The senior has delivered ten matches of 20+ assists and six double-doubles. She ranks 7th in the conference in assists per set.
>> Taylor Rottinghaus has suited up as the libero in every match this season leading the team with 237 digs (4.02 per set). She has chipped in 73 assists while serving 21 aces as well, a team-high. The junior has two matches making at least 20 digs. She ranks 7th in the MIAA in digs per set and 10th in total digs.
>> Brynne Topolski is second on the Ichabods with 142 kills (2.41 per set) while hitting .297. She has come off the bench in all 18 matches while making 36 blocks with 26 digs. She has four matches with double-digit kills.
>> Keilah Rivers has slashed 116 kills (2.11 per set) this season while starting in 16 matches and playing in all 18. She is third on the team serving 17 aces while scooping up 123 digs (2.24 per set) and making 25 blocks. She has three double-figure kill matches and one double-double.
>> Sydney Conner has appeared at setter in 16 matches for the Ichabods and is second on the team with 225 assists (5.00 per set). She has added 13 aces along with 81 digs (1.80 per set). The senior has registered three matches with 20+ assists and two double-doubles. Her assists per set rank 14th in the MIAA.
>> Autumn Gibbs has played in all 18 matches while making four starts. The junior transfer is third on the team with 143 digs (2.42 per set) and has a .977 reception percentage. She has served 14 aces and dished 21 assists. She has five double-figure dig matches.
>> Emery Keebaugh has made eight starts while playing in 14 matches to register 65 kills (2.03 per set) while slashing .261. She has scooped up 26 digs with 12 blocks.
>> Natalie Hedlund has played in 13 matches making eight starts to record 60 kills (1.67 per set) while hitting .179. She has made 21 total blocks including a team-high six solo stops.
>> Shannon Frakes is third on the team with 95 assists (3.96 per set) while playing in 15 matches off the bench. She has served seven aces and made 33 digs (1.38 per set) as well.
>> Kali Henry has played in 17 matches this season off the bench, serving six aces and recording ten digs.
Head Coach Chris Herron
>> Herron is in his 24th season at the helm of the Ichabod volleyball program with a career record of 641-141 at Washburn. He became the 7th active DII coach to reach 700 career victories with the season-opening victory against Colorado Christian.
>> He has led the Ichabod to 18 NCAA Tournament appearances and six combined MIAA titles (five regular season and one tournament).
>> Has been named MIAA Coach of the Year four times (2002, 2005, 2007 and 2011).
>> Led the Ichabods to the NCAA National Championship match in 2021.
>> Has seen his players earn 52 All-American awards, 90 All-Region/District awards and 47 All-MIAA first team selections.
>> Spent 14 years as a high school coach at Tonganoxie HS and Golden City HS.
>> Is a 1980 graduate of the College of the Ozarks where he earned his bachelor's of science in physical education.
Assistant Coaches
>> Shayla Conner enters her fifth season as an assistant coach for the Ichabods.
>> The former All-American setter has helped guide Washburn to a 110-34 record in her first four seasons.
>> In her first season she helped the Ichabods to the National Championship match. In 2022, Washburn won its first-ever MIAA Tournament Championship.
>> She has coached eight total All-Americans and ten All-MIAA first team selections.
>> Camryn Turner joins the Ichabods as an assistant coach after wrapping up a two-time All-American career at Kansas in 2024.
>> She is a Topeka, Kan. native and also plays for the Grand Rapids Rise of the PVF.
>> Heather Schemper moves from the court to the sidelines joining Washburn as a student assistant after playing two seasons for the Ichabods.
By the Numbers
>> 2: NCAA Central Region Championships won by Washburn in the past six seasons.
>> 7: Number of sets lost this season.
>> 13: Number of home matches at Whiting Fieldhouse in 2025 after playing just seven at home last season.
>> 14: Number of sweeps this year.
>> 18: Number of NCAA Tournament appearances under Herron.
>> 23: Consecutive winning seasons for Washburn all coming under Chris Herron.
>> 152: Consecutive victories when winning the first two sets of a match.
>> 641: Career victories for Herron at Washburn.
Ranking Roundup
>> Washburn leads the nation and the MIAA with a .310 team hitting percentage as a team. They are the only team in the nation hitting over .300 as a team.
>> The Ichabods are 7th nationally and 2nd among MIAA teams with 2.65 blocks per set.
>> On the defensive side Washburn is limiting opponents to a .112 hitting percentage, good for 3rd nationally and 1st in the MIAA.
>> The Ichabods are dishing out 13.83 assists per set on offense, good for 2nd in the nation and first in the MIAA.
>> Washburn knocks down 14.76 kills per set to rank 3rd in all of DII and first among MIAA programs.
>> Serving up 1.88 aces per set, the Ichabods are second in the MIAA and 83rd nationally.
Milestone Markers
>> Corinna McMullen is 7th in program history in total assists with 2,515. She is tied for 3rd in program history in service aces with 143. Her 989 career digs rank 28th in program history.
>> Austin Broadie ranks in the top-40 in Ichabod history in both blocks and kills. Her 241 blocks are 30th most and with 868 kills she ranks 28th. She also sits 19th in career attack percentage at .265.
>> With 1,250 career digs Taylor Rottinghaus is climbing the all-time charts and currently ranks 20th. In digs per set she is 4th in Washburn history at 4.68.
>> Sydney Conner has 1,747 career assists, putting her 13th in Washburn history. In assists per set she ranks 14th among all Ichabods.
>> In just 169 career sets with the Ichabods, Alex Dvorak is 34th in program history with 214 career blocks.
>> Bella Limback's has 266 total blocks in her career putting her 23rd on the all-time charts. She is 16th in blocks per set with 0.86 each set.
Scouting the Opposition
About the Central Missouri Jennies
>> Central Missouri improved its win streak to seven matches with a 3-0 win over Newman on Oct. 11 moving them to 14-3 overall and 6-1 in the MIAA on the year.
>> The Jennies are 6-0 playing inside the Jerry M. Hughes Athletics Center, 6-1 on the road and 2-2 in neutral court matches.
>> They are ranked No. 24 in the latest AVCA Poll released on Oct. 13.
>> Caitlin Peterson is in her 4th season as the head coach of Central Missouri where she has a 69-37 record.
>> Assistant coaches Rylie Barnum, Christi Lutman, Taylor Linebach and Kersti Nix complete the coaching staff.
>> As a team the Jennies hit .239 with 12.8 kills per set. They also average 12.8 assists, 17.3 digs and 2.3 blocks per set. They rank 3rd in the MIAA in digs per set and are 4th in the league in hitting percentage.
>> Emma Siron leads the team with 178 kills (2.87 per set) while hitting .186. She has served tied for a team-high 22 aces while starting in all 17 matches while also scooping 177 digs (2.85 per set), second most on the team. She is 7th in the MIAA in points per set.
>> Grace Winkelmann leads the defense with 321 digs (5.18 per set) while also keeping a .972 reception percentage. She has played in all 17 matches while making 50 assists and serving 22 aces, tied for a team high. She ranks 2nd in the MIAA in digs per set and 21st in the nation.
>> Kayla Baer leads the team with 649 assists (10.47 per set) while starting in all 17 matches. She has served 12 aces, made 43 digs and made 140 digs (2.26 per set). She is 3rd in the MIAA in assists per set and 18th in the nation.
>> Central Missouri leads the all-time series between the two teams 51-24. They have gone 17-12 against the Ichabods in Topeka.
>> The series began on Sept. 29, 1978 with the most recent meeting coming in a four-set win for Washburn on Oct. 19, 2024 a season ago.
About the Missouri Southern Lions
>> Missouri Southern won two matches last week, moving to 8-10 overall and 2-5 inside the MIAA after defeating Pittsburg State 3-2 on Oct. 11.
>> The Lions have gone 2-0 this season inside the Robert Ellis Young Gymnasium, 2-6 on the road and 4-4 in neutral court matches.
>> Joshua Moore is in his first season as the head coach at Missouri Southern, serving as the interm head coach where he is 8-10.
>> Assistant coach Hannah Poynor rounds out the coaching staff.
>> The Lions as a team slash 12.1 kills while hitting .195. They also average 11.5 assists per set, 13.7 digs and 1.3 blocks. They are 9th in the MIAA in aces per set and 9th in total assists.
>> Alana Moesch leads the team with 224 kills (3.34 per set) while hitting .221 and serving a team-high 25 aces. She has started all 18 matches while making 144 digs (2.15 per set) second on the team. She is 2nd in the MIAA and 86th nationally in points per set and leads the MIAA in total kills, ranking 38th in the nation.
>> Tori Hamilton leads the team defensively scooping 257 digs (3.84 per set). She has played in all 18 matches while making 73 assists and 10 digs. She is 8th in the conference in total digs.
>> Hannah Allick has a team-high 360 assists (5.37 per set) while starting in all 18 matches. She has served 20 aces and made 115 digs (1.72 per set) the third most on the team.
>> Washburn leads the all-time series between the two teams 45-28 and have gone 23-5 at home against the Lions.
>> The series started on Oct. 2, 1976 with the Ichabods winning the last three meetings including a 3-2 win on Oct. 18, 2024 last year.
Take a Look Ahead
>> Next week Washburn will play just one match, facing Emporia State on Friday, Oct. 24 at 6 p.m.
>> Senior night for the Ichabods comes against Arkansas-Fort Smith in the regular season finale on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m.
>> The MIAA Tournament will begin Nov. 20 and run through Nov. 22 in St. Joseph, Mo. at Civic Arena.
>> The NCAA Central Region Championship begins December 4 and runs through December 7.
