By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
No. 2-ranked Washburn University volleyball had its eight-match winning streak snapped on Friday night in a 3-2 road loss to No. 23 Missouri Western.
Senior Austin Broadie had 12 kills for Washburn in Friday's five-set MIAA road loss at Missouri Western. [File photo/TSN]
The Ichabods will look to bounce back on Saturday in Maryville, Mo. against Northwest Missouri, with first serve set for 3 p.m.
Friday's match marked the first time in conference play that Washburn (20-2 overall, 9-2 MIAA) played five sets.
After the Griffons (17-5, 9-2) took the first set 25-21 it snapped a 24-set winning streak for the Ichabods going back to the Sept. 27 meeting with Missouri Western, which has handed Washburn both its losses this season.
Set two went in the Ichabods favor, 25-19, with the next two split each way 25-13 for Western and 25-17 for Washburn. The decisive fifth set was won by Missouri Western 15-12 to take the match.
The first set was taken control of by the Griffons as they went on a 6-1 run to lead 9-6. Washburn battled back, tying the match at 13 on a kill by Keilah Rivers and going ahead briefly at 15-14. Another 6-1 burst by Missouri Western pushed them in front 22-18 and the Ichabods were unable to overcome the late deficit, falling by four points.
In the second Washburn got out to an early 6-3 lead, capped off by a Sydney Conner ace. Both teams traded 5-0 runs in the middle of the set, ending with a 15-13 Ichabod lead on an Austin Broadie kill. Washburn finished the set with three straight points and the final two coming on aces by Bella Limback to even up the match.
Missouri Western responded quickly, leading 13-4 in the third set after an 8-0 rally. The Ichabods won four points in a row, two coming on kills by freshman former Washburn Rural standout Layla Collins before the Griffons went on another 8-0 run pushing the lead into double figures. The Griffons would go on to take the set by 12 points.
After an 8-8 tie, Washburn won four straight points in the fourth set, starting and ending with kills from Brynne Topolski to go in front 12-8. The Ichabods held the lead between 2-5 points until going on a late 5-0 run to go up 24-16 after another kill by Topolski. Rivers finished off the set with a kill while the Ichabod defense held the Griffons to just a .071 hitting percentage.
Washburn took the first two points of the fifth set but quickly fell behind, 4-3. The Western lead grew to three points after the switch but the Ichabods battled back, winning three in a row to tie the set at 11. After a 12-12 tie the final three points went to Missouri Western as they took the match 15-12 hitting over .400 in the final set.
On the day the Ichabods hit .163 as a team with 57 kills while the Griffons hit .208 with 58 kills. Washburn held a 82-81 advantage in digs while assists were exactly even at 55 for each team.
Topolski and Broadie led the Ichabods offensively with 12 kills each. Corinna McMullen posted 23 assists with 10 digs while Shawnee Heights product Taylor Rottinghaus scooped up 27 digs.
Former Washburn Rural star Taylor Russell paced Missouri Western with 12 kills and Anna Weberg made 31 digs.
