-
The team gathers in a huddle during a timeout to discuss strategy. Players listened carefully to the coach before returning to play.
-
Junior outside hitter/middle blocker Natalie Hedlund spikes the ball back over the net to the opponent’s court. Hedlund’s return helped keep the play alive in the fast-paced exchange.
-
The Ichabods volleyball team celebrate a sweep as they clinch their eighth-straight win of the season. Washburn completed the match with a 25-12 victory in the third set and finished the tournament undefeated.
-
Junior defensive specialist/libero Taylor Rottinghaus slides for a dig during a back-row exchange. Rottinghaus tallied 10 digs and earned a spot on the all-tournament team.
-
Sophomore outside hitter Brynne Topolski finds open space for a crucial kill late in set one. Topolski’s kill started a deciding run as Washburn took the opening set 25-22.
-
Senior setter Sydney Conner delivers an ace to clinch the sweep in the third set. Conner’s serve capped Washburn’s five-point run to finish the match.
-
Senior middle hitter Austin Broadie rises for a kill during the matchup against William Jewell. Broadie finished with a team-high 17 kills, hitting .607 to lead the Ichabods.
-
Senior setter Corinna McMullen sets the offense during the Invitational finale. McMullen led the team with 23 assists as Washburn controlled the pace of play.
-
Sophomore outside hitter Keilah Rivers leaps for a kill during a Washburn rally. Rivers contributed key points as the Ichabods built their lead in the third set.
The Washburn volleyball team sweeps William Jewell, securing 3-0 wins and remains undefeated at the Washburn Invite on Sept. 13. The Ichabods set the tone early, winning 25-10 in the first set before securing 25-16 and 25-20 victories in the next two sets for the win.
Head coach Chris Herron attributes the team’s win to strong offense and adaptability.
“Our offense is really good. I mean, most of the time when we hit 0.388 and they hit 0.128, you gotta be happy with your offense. So I think that’s the biggest difference,” Herron said. “And for the block, we had 10 and they had 4. I mean, so anytime you out-hit and out-block them, usually you’re gonna win the battle.”
Senior middle hitter Austin Broadie hit a team-high 17 kills, finishing the tournament in style. She explains their team strategy aimed at starting the game strongly and serving well, but acknowledges they didn’t execute it initially. The key lesson from the game was learning to fight through adversity and persist until victory.
Broadie was named the MVP of the match for her exceptional contributions on the court.
“Our strategy was to come out strong. We wanted to serve well and then just start off strong, which we didn’t do but we turned it around,” Broadie said. “I think that we learned to do a good job of fighting through when you’re down, to just come back, keep going and then eventually win.”
Sophomore outside hitter Brynne Topolski emphasizes the struggle they had with maintaining their flow during the game. Looking ahead, the team plans to focus on defense, blocking, serving and passing in their next practice.
“We learned sometimes we struggled and we got down and we had a tough time getting back up and finding our flow,” Topolski said. “So just finding our flow is one of the biggest things that we need to work on. We’re really working on defense and our blocking right now and so I think that’s one thing we’re going to really focus on going into next week’s practice, as well as serving and passing big things.”
Washburn moves to 8-0 with the victories, the first time they have done so since the 2022 season that began 11-0. Next, the Ichabods will travel to Warrensburg beginning Friday, Sept. 19 for the final regular season tournament that will also wrap up non-conference play.
The volleyball team’s undefeated streak, now at 8-0, highlights not only the strength of their offense but also their ability to adapt and overcome challenges.
Edited by Anushma Dahal and Ojashwi Shrestha
