By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The NCAA Volleyball Tournament begins for No. 7-ranked Washburn volleyball at 11 a.m. Thursday in Kearney, Neb., with the Ichabods facing off with No. 4-ranked Wayne State in a Central Region quarterfinal.
No. 7-ranked Washburn volleyball will open its NCAA Tournament bid at 11 a.m. Thursday against No. 4 Wayne State. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn is making its 19th appearance in the NCAA Tournament as the No. 6 seed in the Central Region and will face the No. 3 seeded Wildcats.
Wayne State College enters the tournament with a 27-4 record on the year after going 19-1 in the NSIC regular season. The Wildcats fell 3-1 to No. 11 St. Cloud State last time out in the semifinal round of the NSIC Tournament on Nov. 21.
The Ichabods head into the national tournament with a 26-4 record overall after posting a 13-3 mark inside the MIAA. Washburn dropped a 3-0 decision to Nebraska-Kearney in the MIAA Tournament championship on Nov. 22.
Washburn remains No. 7 in the most recent AVCA poll released on Nov. 24. The Ichabods received 886 total points in the poll.
MIAA Player of the Year Austin Broadie leads Washburn with 326 kills (3.23 per set) while hitting .312, third best on the team. She has started all 30 matches and also has racked up 67 blocks with 64 digs. The senior has 16 double-digit kill matches and ranks fifth in the MIAA. She is fifth among conference players in points per set and kills per set.
Bella Limback is slashing a team-high .457 with 202 kills (2.04 per set) while starting all 30 matches. She has also added 115 blocks (1.16 per set), also a team high, and served 13 aces. She has hit over .400 in 20 matches this season with four double-digit kill efforts. She is second in the nation and MIAA in hitting percentage. She is also is fifth in the MIAA in blocks per set and 31st in the nation.
Corinna McMullen has started all 30 matches this season and leads Washburn with 631 assists (6.36 per set). She has also chipped in 30 service aces, tied for the most on the team, while ranking second on the team with 265 digs (2.65 per set). The senior has delivered 17 matches of 20-plus assists with 12 double-doubles. She ranks eighth in the conference in assists per set.
Taylor Rottinghaus leads the Ichabods with 430 digs (4.26 per set). She has chipped in 112 assists while serving 30 aces as well, tied for the most on the team. The junior has five matches making at least 20 digs. She ranks seventh in the MIAA in digs per set and in total digs.
Delaney Miller leads Wayne State with 387 kills (3.83 kills per set) while hitting .292. She has played in 30 matches making 14 starts and is adding 50 digs with 22 blocks.
Molly Romano leads the Wildcats with 1,249 assists (11.25 per set) while starting in all 31 matches. She has added 273 digs (2.46 per set) along with making 96 kills and serving 21 aces. She is 9th in the nation in assists per set.
Anna Borner is the libero for the Wildcats. stacking a team-high 423 digs (3.81 per set) while playing in every match. She has also served 33 aces and ranked 9th in the NSIC in digs per set.
Channatee Robles is second on the team with 384 kills (3.46 per set) while starting in all 31 matches. She has served a team-high 49 aces while scooping up 347 digs (3.13), second most on the team. She is fourth in the NSIC in service aces.
Wayne State leads the all-time series with Washburn, 12-4.
The series began on Oct. 9, 1976. The two teams have not met since Oct. 10, 2003 when the Ichabods won a 3-0 match in Topeka.
With a win in the quarterfinal round, Washburn will face the winner of the match between the No. 7 seed Central Oklahoma and No. 2 seed Concordia-St. Paul on Friday, Dec. 5.
