By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Coach Chris Herron knows that No. 6-ranked Washburn University volleyball is going to miss senior middle hitter Alex Dvorak, out for the season with a knee injury.
And Herron said the Ichabods feel even worse for Dvorak, who will end her All-American career on the sidelines.
Washburn star middle hitter Alex Dvorak will miss the remainder of the 2025 season with a knee injury, forcing other Ichabods to pick up the slack. [File photo/TSN]
"It's awful,'' Herron said. "When she broke the news to our team (Tuesday), a lot of tears were shed.''
But Herron also knows that the Ichabods can't afford to dwell too long on the injury to their friend and teammate and have to focus on continuing to build momentum for their late-season push.
"It's tough, because when something like this happens, you want the world to like stop for just a second and be sorry with you, but life goes on and even though you say it's not fair, it's just what it is, so we've got to go on,'' Herron said.
"We're going to do a lot of reminding them that you've got to pick up that slack and somebody's got to fill that position, so we're trying to figure that out this week.''
Herron said that the rest of the team, and particuarly the middle hitters, have embraced the task of stepping up their game in the absence of Dvorak, who was injured in last Friday's loss at Missouri Western.
"We've already had the other middles come in and get extra work,'' Herron said. "Everybody feels that they need to pick up that slack and I've seen evidence of that.''
Nebraska-Kearney enters the week on a five-match winning streak and is 23-2 overall and 10-2 in the MIAA while Fort Hays State is 15-9 overall and 4-8 in the MIAA.
Senior Austin Broadie leads the Washburn offense with 251 kills (3.30 per set) while hitting .344, third best on the team. She has started all 23 matches and also has logged 50 blocks with 49 digs. The senior has twelve double-digit kill matches and ranks third in the MIAA in hitting percentage. Broadie is third among conference players in kills per set and points per set.
Bella Limback is slashing a team-high .493 with 147 kills (1.99 per set) while playing and starting in all 23 matches. She has also added 85 blocks (1.15 per set), also a team-high, and served 12 aces. She has hit over .400 in all but six matches this season with three double-digit kill efforts. Limback leads the nation in hitting percentage and is fourth in the MIAA in blocks per set.
Corinna McMullen has started all 23 matches this season and leads Washburn with 482 assists (6.43 per set). She has also chipped in a team-high 29 service aces while ranking second on the team with 196 digs (2.61 per set). The senior has delivered 13 matches of 20-plus assists with nine double-doubles. She ranks sixth in the conference in aces per set and seventh in assists per set.
McMullen needs seven more aces to become the all-time program leader.
Taylor Rottinghaus leads Washburn with 311 digs (4.09 per set) and has chipped in 95 assists while serving 25 aces, second-most on the team. The junior has three matches making at least 20 digs. She ranks seventh in the MIAA in digs per set and 11th in total digs.
Washburn leads the nation with a .297 team hitting percentage as a team.
The Ichabods are 14th nationally and third among MIAA teams with 2.49 blocks per set.
On the defensive side Washburn is limiting opponents to a .129 hitting percentage, good for 11th nationally and No. 1 in the MIAA.
The Ichabods are dishing out 13.68 assists per set on offense, good for seventh in the nation and second in the MIAA.
Washburn knocks down 14.57 kills per set to rank ninth in D-II and second among MIAA programs.
Serving up 1.95 aces per set, the Ichabods are first in the MIAA.
Carly Purdy leads Nebraska-Kearney with 279 kills (3.58 per set) while hitting .251. She has started in 22 matches while playing in all 25. She also has 57 digs and 37 blocks. She is first in the MIAA in kills per set.
Peyton Neff controls the UNK offense with 889 assists (11.25 per set) while starting in all 25 matches. She has served 15 aces and made 48 kills while scooping 200 digs (2.53 per set). She ranks second in the MIAA and ninth in the nation in assists per set.
Ellie Spang leads the back row defense with 352 digs (4.40 per set), playing in all 25 matches. She has served a team-high 21 aces and assisted on 70 kills. She is fifth in the MIAA.
Abby Rose has played and started in 24 matches, hitting a team-high .329 with 151 kills (2.19 per set). She also leads the team with 56 blocks and has added 55 digs. She is fourth in the MIAA in hitting percentage.
Nebraska-Kearney leads the all-time series with Washburn, 33-16. Washburn is 4-11 against the Lopers in Kearney.
Gracie Rains has started in 11 matches while playing in all 24 to lead Fort Hays State with 225 kills (2.78 per set). She is hitting .228 while adding 45 digs and 19 blocks.
Kirsten Evans paces the Tigers with 330 digs (3.79 per set) while serving as libero in all 24 matches. She has served a team-high 34 aces with 72 assists. She is fifth in the MIAA in aces per set and eighth in total digs.
Abrey Galt has started in 18 of 24 matches and leads the team with 517 assists (6.15 per set). She has added 35 kills, 22 aces and scooped 197 digs (2.35 per set).
Washburn has a 50-24 edge in the all-time series after winning the last three meetings. The Ichabods are 21-9 against the Tigers on the road.
Washburn will head into the final week of the regular season at home, taking on Central Oklahoma at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 14, before a Senior Day meeting and regular-season finale against Arkansas-Fort Smith at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15.
