JOPLIN, Mo. -- No. 16 Washburn finished its MIAA schedule out on Halloween night with a sweep over Missouri Southern in Joplin. The Ichabods will wrap up the regular season on Tuesday, Nov. 3 when they face William Jewell at 6 p.m.
Washburn (22-6, 9-3) battled through a back-and-forth first set to pull out a 25-23 victory and carried the momentum into 25-20 and 25-13 set victories over the Lions (7-17, 1-10 MIAA) for a third straight week.
The first set featured 11 ties, including ten coming in the first 28 points of the match. A block by Hayden Meats and Morgan Sears started a 3-0 run for the Ichabods that put them in front 17-14. The lead increased to four points before Missouri Southern was able to win five of the next six points, tying the set up at 22. Washburn responded by taking three of the final four points, two on kill from Brynne Topolski to finish the set 25-23.
In the second set Washburn opened with a 6-1 lead after Sears slashed down a kill. The Lions clawed back within two points before the Ichabods launched a 5-0 run starting with Natalie Hedlund landing a kill. The lead grew to eight points but once again Missouri Southern fought back, getting as close to two late in the set at 21-19. This time the final three points of the set all came from Washburn, with Topolski finishing a second straight set off with a kill at 25-20.
The Ichabods got out to a quick start in the third set, leading 11-5 after three straight points that started with a kill by Brooklyn Morrissey. Another 3-0 burst shortly after put the lead into double figures as Washburn hit .452 in the set to roll the rest of the way and win 25-13.
Offensively, the Ichabods hit .267 as a team with 43 kills in the match while holding Missouri Southern to .148 hitting with 34 kills. They also led 55-53 in digs, 38-33 in assists and 4-0 in aces.
It was another balanced effort on offense led by nine kills from Natalie Hedlund and each kills each for Brynne Topolski and Hayden Meats. Shannon Frakes dished out 17 assists and added six digs while Taylor Rottinghaus collected a team-high 13 digs.
Grace Gardner had a match-high 12 kills for the Lions while hitting .357 and adding 18 digs as well.
