TOPEKA, Kan. -- No. 15 Washburn volleyball is set for its first road trip in its MIAA schedule as they travel to face Northwest Missouri State at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 22 inside of Bearcat Arena in Maryville, Mo.
SCHEDULE SETUP
>> No. 15 Washburn heads on the road for the first time in MIAA play as they take on Northwest Missouri State.
>> The Ichabods will take on the Bearcats at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 22 inside of Bearcat Arena.
>> Washburn is 11-3 on the year overall and 2-0 in the MIAA after falling 3-0 to No. 7 Nebraska Kearney last time out on Sept. 19.
>> Northwest Missouri enters the match 5-6 on the year and 2-0 in the MIAA after defeating Newman 3-1 last time out on Sept. 18.
FOLLOW ALONG
>> Fans wanting to follow along can do so through live stats, live video on the MIAA Network or on social media on the official X account of Ichabod Volleyball, @IchabodVB.
SERVING UP FACTS
>> Washburn is 7-3 on the year playing at home inside of Lee Arena, they are 2-0 in true road contests and 2-0 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 moved down to No. 15 in the latest AVCA poll released on Monday, Sept. 21. They received 522 total points in the poll.
>> 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 0-1 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 leads all of DII with ten home matches played this season.
THE BLUE BUNCH
>> Emma Siron leads the Ichabod offense with 157 kills (3.49 per set) while hitting .225 on the outside. She has started in 12 matches and played in 13 while serving a team-high 20 aces and also scooping 114 digs (2.53 per set) and making 15 blocks. The Sedalia, Mo. native has tallied nine double-digit kill matches with six double-doubles. She is 45th in the nation and 4th in the MIAA with 4.13 points per set while ranking 53rd in the nation and 3rd in the MIAA in kills per set. The junior ranks 4th in the MIAA in aces per set with 0.44.
>> Shannon Frakes leads the Washburn passing attack with team-high 484 assists (10.76 per set). The junior has played in 13 matches while starting in 12. She is second on the team in digs with 137 (3.04 per set) while also recording 42 kills, 22 blocks and serving 16 aces. The Overland Park, Kan. native has four matches with 40+ assists and has recorded a team-high seven double-doubles. She leads the conference and is 8th in the nation in assists per set while ranking 18th in the MIAA in digs per set as well.
>> Brynne Topolski has played in 13 matches while making 11 starts and is second on the team with 150 kills (3.33 per set) while hitting a team-high .281. She has added 81 digs (1.80 per set) along with making 22 blocks. The Lincoln, Neb. native has recorded double-figure kills in nine matches with one double-double. She is 6th in the MIAA and 79th in the nation in kills per set while ranking 7th in the conference in points per set. She is also 14th in the MIAA in hitting percentage.
>> Taylor Rottinghaus has played in 12 matches, starting each one at libero. She has recorded a team-high 190 digs (4.63 per set) and has four matches with 20+ digs. The Berryton, Kan. native has also added 37 assists with 14 aces served. The senior ranks 5th in the MIAA and 56th in the nation in digs per set.
>> Brooklyn Morrissey has played in 13 matches while making 12 starts and is second on the team hitting .280. She has slashed 97 kills (2.11 per set) and leads the team with 48 blocks (1.04 per set). The Lenexa, Kan. native has recorded three double-digit kill matches and has five or more blocks in four matches. She ranks 7th in the MIAA and 47th nationally in blocks per set while ranking 15th in the conference in hitting percentage.
>> Natalie Hedlund has played in all 14 matches making nine starts. She has slashed 116 kills (2.76 per set) and is hitting .271 on the year. The senior has also added 30 digs and 16 blocks. She has five double-digit kill matches. She is ranking 16th in the MIAA in kills and 17th in the conference in hitting percentage.
>> Autumn Gibbs has played in 13 matches making five starts. She is 3rd on the team with 115 digs (2.50 per set). The Columbus, Neb. native has served 11 aces and added 28 assists. She has six matches with double-digit digs.
>> Avery Willey has appeared in all 14 matches making one start and suited up at libero in another. The freshman has 52 digs (1.21 per set) while adding eight aces and and two assists. She has two matches with double-figure dig efforts.
>> Kennedy Derks has played in all 14 matches making 11 starts. She has slashed 51 kills (1.28 per set) while hitting .191. She also has made 26 blocks on the defensive end, second most on the team.
>> Hayden Meats has played in nine matches and made two starts. She has delivered 34 kills (1.79 per set) and is hitting .207 on the year. She had added 20 digs and three blocks defensively as well. She has one double-digit kill match.
>> Chloe Traffas has appeared in 12 matches off the bench for the Ichabods. She has scooped up 27 digs along with dishing out six assists and serving six aces.
>> Lauren Tyler is second on the team with 68 assists (4.86 per set) while playing in seven matches and making two starts. She has also made served two aces and scooped 14 digs.
>> Brooklyn Benoit has come off the bench in 11 matches. She has delivered two kills with three aces and scooped 16 digs.
>> Chloe Carlgren has played in eight matches and made two starts on the year. She has six kills while hitting .111 and has added ten blocks and two digs on the defensive end.
>> Keilah Rivers has played in seven matches making 13 kills while swinging at a .189 clip. She has added four digs and a block.
>> Morgan Sears has played in seven matches while making one start during her freshman season. She has seven kills on the year while hitting .313.
HEAD COACH CHRIS HERRON
>> Herron is in his 25th season at the helm of the Ichabod volleyball program with a career record of 662-148 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 131-41 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
Nebraska Kearney 3, Washburn 0 (September 19, 2026)
TOPEKA, Kan. -- No. 13 Washburn volleyball was swept for the first time in the 2026 season losing 3-0 at the hands of No. 7 Nebraska Kearney on Saturday night. The Ichabods will go on the road for the first time in conference play facing Northwest Missouri State at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 22.
The Lopers (13-1, 2-0 MIAA) set the tone early winning 25-15 in the first set and followed it up with 25-13 and 25-17 set victories to close out the match.
Nebraska Kearney jumped in front 9-4 early on but Washburn (11-3, 1-1 MIAA) scored three in a row to pull within two after Brynne Topolski slashed a kill. The Lopers came right back to score four in a row and would push the lead up to nine in the middle of the set. The visitors ended the set on a 4-0 run to take it 25-15.
The first six points of the second set went to Nebraska Kearney, which later extended the run to make it a 15-2 start to the set. Washburn was unable to cut the deficit down into single digits after that point as the visitors hit over .300 in the set to win 25-13.
The Ichabods were able to take an early 4-3 lead in the third but it was short lived as the Lopers scored the next five points in a row. With the score at 11-8 after a kill by Kennedy Derks the visitors went on a 4-0 run to lead 15-8. Late in the set Washburn pulled within six but were unable to make up the deficit, falling 25-17.
Nebraska Kearney finished the match hitting .330 as a team with 44 kills while the Ichabods were limited to a .072 hitting percentage and 32 knockdowns. Digs went 49-43 in favor of the Lopers as did assists, 42-31.
Hayden Meats came off the bench to lead Washburn with seven kills while hitting .400. Shannon Frakes had 24 assists along with five digs and Taylor Rottinghaus had a team-high 13 digs defensively.
Carly Purdy led Nebraska Kearney with 18 kills while hitting .410 and Ellie Eckman gave out 27 assists.
RANKING ROUNDUP
>> The Ichabods 5th in the nation and first in the MIAA with 14.55 kills per set.
>> Washburn also leads the conference and rank 6th in the nation with 13.53 assists per set.
>> The Ichabods are 30th nationally with 17.02 digs per set, the number ranks 4th in the MIAA.
>> With 1.98 blocks per set Washburn ranks 65th in the nation and 4th among conference foes.
>> The Ichabods are holding opponents to a .151 hitting percentage, 5th best in the MIAA and 62nd in the nation.
>> As a team Washburn is hitting .251, 33rd in the nation and 4th in the conference.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
About the NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE BEARCATS
>> Northwest Missouri State enters the midweek match with a 5-6 record overall and 2-0 mark inside the MIAA after defeating Newman 3-1 last time out on Sept. 18.
>> Last season the Bearcats went 9-16 overall with a 3-13 record inside the MIAA. They missed out on the MIAA Tournament.
>> Northwest Missouri is 2-0 this season playing in Maryville, Mo. inside of Bearcat Arena. They are 1-2 on the road and 2-4 in neutral court matches.
>> Amy Woerth is in her 15th season as the head coach at Northwest Missouri State where she has a 242-172 record.
>> The staff is rounded out by assistant coach Nick Sepulveda, graduate assistant Connie LeBel and student assistant Riley Walters.
>> As a team the Bearcats hit .188 with 12.0 kills per set. They also average 11.3 assists, 16.0 digs, 1.6 blocks and serve 1.6 aces per set.
>> They rank 6th in the MIAA in aces per set and are in the bottom four in the conference in each of assists per set, digs per set and kills per set.
>> Gabrielle Gartner leads the team with 109 kills (2.73 per set) while hitting .220. She has played in 11 matches and started in seven while adding 55 digs (1.38 per set) and making 18 blocks. She is 17th in the MIAA in kills per set.
>> Ellery Luhring leads the team with 173 digs (4.33 per set) while playing in all 11 matches and making one start. She has served eight aces and added 29 assists. She ranks 9th in the MIAA in digs per set and 89th in the nation.
>> Mya Karrick has a team-high 385 assists (9.39 per set) while playing and starting in all 11 matches. She has served a team-high 19 aces while adding 25 kills and 117 digs (2.85 per set). She ranks 2nd in the MIAA and 37th in the nation in assists per set. She also ranks 3rd in the conference in aces per set.
>> Maddie Rosenfeld leads the team with a .265 hitting percentage while making 70 kills (1.75 per set). She has started in all 11 matches and also leads the team with 30 blocks.
>> Washburn leads the all-time series between the two teams 53-26 and have won the last two meetings.
>> The Ichabods hold a 20-10 edge in matches played in Maryville, Mo.
>> The series began on Nov. 1, 1976 with a 2-1 win for Washburn in Topoeka.
>> The last meeting came on Nov. 1, 2025 and was a 3-0 win for the Ichabods, they won both meetings last season.
MILESTONE MARKERS
>> With 1, 671 career digs, Taylor Rottinghaus is 6th on the Ichabod all-time charts in total digs. Her career digs per set mark of 4.69 is 4th in program history.
>> With 80 career service aces she is tied for 28th in program history.
>> Brynne Topolski's career .259 attacking percentage is 21st on the Ichabod all-time charts. She ranks 45th in Ichabod history in career kills with 554.
>> Shannon Frakes is 23rd in program history with 639 career assists.
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
>> Washburn returns back home for a pair of home matches beginning against Arkansas-Fort Smith on Friday, Sept. 25 beginning at 6 p.m.
>> Senior night for the Ichabods will take place on Saturday, Oct. 24 against Northwest Missouri State beginning at 2 p.m.
>> The MIAA Tournament is hosted in St. Joseph, Mo. at the Civic Arena from Thursday, Nov 12 to Saturday, Nov. 14.
