TOPEKA, Kan. -- No. 13 Washburn moved upstairs for white out in Whiting Fieldhouse and delivered a 3-1 win over Central Missouri on Tuesday night in Topeka. The Ichabods will go on the road for the next four matches beginning Friday, Oct. 9 against Central Oklahoma at 6 p.m.
The Jennies (12-8, 4-2 MIAA) came out firing and took the opening set 25-22. After that Washburn responded flipped the script, winning 25-11, 25-12 and 25-17 in the ensuing three sets to secure the victory.
Central Missouri opened the match up with an 8-3 advantage and kept Washburn (17-3, 5-1 MIAA) at arm's length throughout the middle of the set until the Ichabods were able to pull within two at 18-16 after an attacking error on the other side. That was as close as they got with the Jennies closing out the set winning 25-22.
The first four points in the second set went to Washburn after a kill was slammed down by Brynne Topolski. A four-point burst extended the lead to 11-3 after Morgan Sears and Emma Siron teamed up for a block. It was the offense that led the way with the Ichabods hitting .379 as a team in the set, as Sears finished it off with a kill to wrap it up 25-11.
An early offensive burst created separation for Washburn early in the third set as they built a 15-5 lead after Sears and Natalie Hedlund combined for a block that capped off a 10-1 run. Sears started a string of four straight points that made it a 22-8 set as the Ichabods eased into a 25-12 win in the third.
After a brief lead early in the fourth from the Jennies the next four points went to Washburn to take the lead back at 6-4. Central Missouri hung around and was able to tie the set up at nine before Hedlund slashed a kill that started a 9-1 run that included three straight service aces from Autumn Gibbs, putting the Ichabods up 18-10. Washburn was able to trade points the rest of the way, winning 25-17 in the set and 3-1 in the match.
After hitting over .300 in the final three sets the Ichabods finished hitting .285 as a team with 52 kills while Central Missouri was limited to .082 hitting and 41 kills. Digs went 71-58 in favor of Washburn as did assists 47-40 and blocks, 13-7.
Hayden Meats led the offense with 12 kills as she added nine digs. Brooklyn Morrissey slashed 10 kill and hit .529 with five blocks. Morgan Sears added a career-high nine kills hitting .500 and made seven rejections at the net. Emma Siron did a bit of everything with eight kills while hitting .500 along with 20 assists and 11 digs. Taylor Rottinghaus scooped up 18 digs in the back row and Lauren Tyler dished out a double-double with 20 assists and 10 digs.
Kaelyn McDonald and Maya Ferguson each had 10 kills to lead the Jennies, Ragin Corwin scooped 24 digs.
