TOPEKA, Kan. -- No. 16 Washburn finishes its three-match regular season ending road swing facing William Jewell on Tuesday, Nov. 3 in Liberty, Mo. with first serve at 6 p.m. in the Mabee Center.
 

SCHEDULE SETUP

>> No. 16 Washburn rounds out the regular season with a non-conference match against William Jewell.

>> The Ichabods will take on the Cardinals in the regular season finale inside the Mabee Center on Tuesday, Nov. 3 beginning at 6 p.m.

>> Washburn is 22-6 on the year overall and 9-3 in the MIAA after defeating Missouri Southern in a third straight sweep last time out on Oct. 31.

>> William Jewell enters the match with a 7-19 record on the year and a 3-8 mark in GLVC play after losing 3-0 to Lewis last time out on Oct. 31.

FOLLOW ALONG

>> Fans wanting to follow along can do so through a video livestream on the GLVC Network, live stats accessible via the schedule page on wusports.com, or on social media on the official X account of Ichabod Volleyball, @IchabodVB. 

SERVING UP FACTS

>> Washburn is 11-4 on the year playing at home inside of Lee Arena, they are 9-1 in true road contests and 2-1 in neutral court meetings.

>> The Ichabods were picked to finish in a tie for first at the top of the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll. They received a league-high five first place votes and 134 total points, tied with Nebraska Kearney for the top spot.

>> Washburn ranks No. 16 in the latest AVCA national poll released on Monday, Nov. 2 with 431 total points in the ballot. 

>> They are ranked No. 7 in the latest NPI Central Region rankings released on Monday, Nov. 2 which are used to determine seeding in the NCAA Central Region Tournament.

>> The Ichabods delivered a 24th straight winning season going 27-5 in 2025 with a 13-3 record inside the MIAA, securing a share of the MIAA Regular Season Championship.

>> Last season Washburn went 5-5 against AVCA top-25 opponents including 3-3 against opponents ranked inside the top-10. They are 2-2 against AVCA opponents this season.

>> The 2026 roster is balanced by class once again. It is the third time in the Chris Herron era, and the third straight year, with at least four players from each class freshman through senior.

>> Washburn has played 15 home matches this season, tied for the 2nd most in all of DII.

THE BLUE BUNCH

>> Brynne Topolski has played in 27 matches while making 23 starts and leads the offense with 284 kills (3.02 per set) while also hitting .268, third best on the team. She has added 119 digs (1.27 per set) along with making 56 blocks, second most on the team. The Lincoln, Neb. native has recorded double-figure kills in 14 matches with one double-double. She is 11th in the MIAA in kills per set, 13th in points per set and 14th in hitting percentage.

>> Emma Siron is second on the Ichabod offense with 261 kills (2.78 per set) while hitting .199 on the outside. She has started in 25 matches and played in 26 while serving 28 aces tied for a team-high. She has also scooped 240 digs (2.55 per set) and made 39 blocks. She ranks 3rd on the team with 217 assists (2.31 per set) as well. The Sedalia, Mo. native has tallied 11 double-digit kill matches with 12 double-doubles and one triple-double. She is 15th in the MIAA with 3.31 points per set while ranking 16th in the MIAA in kills per set.

>> Taylor Rottinghaus has played in 26 matches, starting each one at libero. She has recorded a team-high 472 digs (5.08 per set) and has ten matches with 20+ digs. The Berryton, Kan. native has also added 76 assists with 28 aces served, tied for a team-high. The senior ranks 3rd in the MIAA and 28th in the nation in digs per set.

>> Shannon Frakes leads the Washburn passing attack with team-high 590 assists (9.37 per set). The junior has played in 19 matches while starting in 16. She is fourth on the team in digs with 172 (2.73 per set) while also recording 47 kills, 23 blocks and serving 18 aces. The Overland Park, Kan. native has four matches with 40+ assists and has recorded eight double-doubles.

>> Brooklyn Morrissey has played in 26 matches while making 25 starts and leads the team hitting .305. She has slashed 183 kills (1.93 per set) and leads the team with 95 blocks (1.00 per set). The Lenexa, Kan. native has recorded six double-digit kill matches and has seven or more blocks in six matches. She ranks 10th in the MIAA and 70th nationally in blocks per set while ranking 8th in the conference in hitting percentage.

>> Natalie Hedlund has played in all 28 matches making 13 starts. She is third on the team having slashed 224 kills (2.43 per set) and is hitting .243 on the year. The senior has also added 54 digs and 39 blocks. She has eight double-digit kill matches.

>> Autumn Gibbs has played in 27 matches making 15 starts. She is 2nd on the team with 247 digs (2.52 per set). The Columbus, Neb. native has served 21 aces and added 60 assists. She has 12 matches with double-digit digs.

>> Hayden Meats has played in 23 matches and made 14 starts. She has delivered 168 kills (2.47 per set) and is hitting .202 on the year. She had added 150 digs (2.21 per set) and 14 blocks defensively as well. She has seven double-digit kill matches and two double-doubles.

>> Kennedy Derks has played in 17 matches making 13 starts. She has slashed 60 kills (1.20 per set) while hitting .205. She also has made 35 blocks on the defensive end and has three matches with five or more blocks.

>> Lauren Tyler is second on the team with 297 assists (4.87 per set) while playing in 21 matches and making three starts. She has also made served 14 aces and scooped 127 digs (2.08 per set). The senior has two 30+ assist matches and seven double-doubles.

>> Avery Willey has appeared in all 28 matches making one start and suited up at libero in another. The freshman has 83 digs while adding 18 aces and and 11 assists. She has two matches with double-figure dig efforts. 

>> Morgan Sears has played in 19 matches while making 12 starts during her freshman season. She has 72 kills on the year (1.36 per set) while hitting .289. On the defensive end she has made 52 blocks (0.98 per set). She has seven matches with at least five blocks.

>> Chloe Traffas has appeared in 19 matches off the bench for the Ichabods. She has scooped up 33 digs along with dishing out six assists and serving eight aces. 

>> Chloe Carlgren has played in 11 matches and made four starts on the year. She has six kills and has added 12 blocks and three digs on the defensive end.

>> Keilah Rivers has played in 12 matches off the bench making 17 kills while swinging at a .160 clip. She has added ten digs and two blocks.

>> Brooklyn Benoit has come off the bench in 15 matches. She has delivered four kills with four aces and scooped 17 digs.  

HEAD COACH CHRIS HERRON

>> Herron is in his 25th season at the helm of the Ichabod volleyball program with a career record of 673-151 at Washburn. 

>> Was inducted into the Washburn Athletics Hall of Fame in 2025.

>> He has led the Ichabod to 19 NCAA Tournament appearances and seven combined MIAA titles (six 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 54 All-American awards, 95 All-Region/District awards and 49 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 sixth season as an assistant coach for the Ichabods. 

>> The former All-American setter has helped guide Washburn to a 142-44 record during her time on the sidelines.

>> 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 ten total All-Americans and 12 All-MIAA first team selections.

>> Student assistants and former Ichabod student-athletes Heather Schemper and Katie Borough round out the coaching staff. Schemper is in her 2nd season on the sideline while 2026 is Borough's first.

LAST TIME OUT 

Washburn 3, Missouri Southern 0 (October 31, 2026)

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.  

RANKING ROUNDUP

>> The Ichabods are 24th in the nation and 4th in the MIAA with 13.78 kills per set.

>> Washburn is 4th in the conference with 12.84 assists per set, 22nd in the nation.

>> The Ichabods are 20th nationally with 17.75 digs per set, the number ranks 5th in the MIAA.

>> With 2.04 blocks per set Washburn ranks 62nd in the nation and 6th among conference foes. 

>> The Ichabods are holding opponents to a .150 hitting percentage, 4th best in the MIAA and 45th in the nation.

>> As a team Washburn is hitting .237, 47th in the nation and 5th in the conference.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION

About the WILLIAM JEWELL CARDINALS

>> William Jewell enters the match with a 7-19 record on the year and 3-8 mark inside the GLVC after falling 3-0 to Lewis last time out on Oct. 31.

>> Last season the Cardinals went 4-23 overall and were 0-13 in conference play, missing out on the MIAA Tournament.

>> On the year William Jewell is 2-2 playing at home in Liberty, Mo., 1-10 on the road and 4-7 in neutral court matches.

>> Joe Adams is in his second season as the head coach at William Jewell where he has compiled a 11-42 record.

>> The coaching staff is rounded out by assistant coach Kristin Trotter.

>> As a team the Cardinals hit .131 with 10.7 kills per set. They also average 10.0 assists, 14.1 digs, 1.6 blocks and serve 1.7 aces per set.

>> They rank 9th in the GLVC in aces served per set and are in the bottom three of the conference in both kills and assists per set.

>> Macey Bartlett has played and started in all 26 matches and leads the team with 259 kills (2.88 per set) while hitting .123. She has also served 26 aces and added 204 digs (2.27 per set). She ranks 9th in the GLVC in kills per set and 12 in points per set.

>> Alexis Frazier runs the William Jewell offense with 590 assists (6.63 per set) while playing and starting in all 26 matches. She has served 24 aces with 30 kills and scooped 234 digs (2.63 per set). She ranks 7th in the GLVC in assists per set.

>> Ashlynn Rowland has a team-high 277 digs (3.08 per set) while playing in all 26 matches. She has also added 64 assists and served a team-high 36 aces. She ranks 8th in the GLVC in aces per set and 15th in digs per set.

>> Wylie Singleton has played in 25 matches and started in 24 and leads the team with a .208 hitting percentage. She has tallied 133 kills (1.55 per set) and also has a team-best 77 blocks. She ranks 8th in the GLVC in blocks per set.

>> Washburn has a 12-1 lead in the all-time series between the two teams with wins in the last 11 meetings.

>> The Ichabods are 2-0 against William Jewell when playing in Liberty, Mo.

>> The series began on Nov. 3, 1976 with a 2-1 win for Washburn in Atchison, Kan.

>> Washburn defeated the Cardinals 3-1 in the first week of the season inside Lee Arena on Aug. 28.

MILESTONE MARKERS

>> With 1, 953 career digs, Taylor Rottinghaus is 4th on the Ichabod all-time charts in total digs. Her career digs per set mark of 4.79 is 4th in program history. 

>> With 94 career service aces she sits tied for 24th in program history in career aces.

>> Brynne Topolski's career .258 attacking percentage is 21st on the Ichabod all-time charts. She sits 35th in program history with 688 career kills.

>> Shannon Frakes is 22nd in program history with 745 career assists, her 590 assists this season are the 38th most in a season in program history.

>> Natalie Hedlund is tied for 50th in program history with 441 career kills.

2025 SEASON REWIND

>> Washburn went 27-5 in 2025 with a 13-3 record inside the MIAA, securing a share of the MIAA Regular Season Championship.

>> The Ichabods advanced to the MIAA Tournament Championship match for the second time in the last four seasons, falling to the top seed Nebraska Kearney.

>> Washburn made a 19th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, earning the No. 6 seed in the Central Region.

>> They defeated the No. 3 seed and No. 4 nationally ranked Wayne State College 3-0 in the quarterfinal round before falling 0-3 to the No. 2 seed and No. 6 ranked Concordia-St. Paul in the semifinals. 

>> Seven players earned All-MIAA honors: Austin Broadie (First Team/Player of the Year), Bella Limback (First Team), Corinna McMullen, Taylor Rottinghaus, Brynne Topolski and Alex Dvorak (Second Team) along with Keilah Rivers (Honorable Mention). 

>> Austin Broadie was named and AVCA First Team All-American and Bella Limback earned Honorable Mention AVCA All-American recognition.

TAKE A LOOK AHEAD

>> The MIAA Tournament is hosted in St. Joseph, Mo. at the Civic Arena from Thursday, Nov 12 to Saturday, Nov. 14.

>> Seeding will be announced after MIAA play concludes over the weekend across the league.