Jadyn Baum & Peyton Goehring, Washburn Rural, celebrate a TD during the win over Wichita South.

[Photo: Doug Walker/Special to TSN]

Washburn University's junior Jack Bachelor tied a career high 25 pts. in win over Augusta.

[File Photo/TSN]

Seaman senior Kinsley Smith named All-United Kansas Conference defensive player of the year.

[File Photo/TSN]

Washburn Rural Cross-Country Team - Class 6A State Champions.

[Photo: Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports]

Washburn freshman Kate Hinck (7) advances the ball in Wednesday's game with Emporia State.

[Photo: Rick PetersonTSN]

Silver Lake Valleyball Team - Class 3A State Champions.

[Photo: Charles Spurlock/TSN]

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Key Performers of the Week

Rising Stars Intro 002AA

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

No. 8-ranked Washburn University volleyball will be looking to build momentum for postseason this weekend when the Ichabods cap the regular season with a pair of home matches, hosting No. 7 Central Oklahoma at 6 p.m. on Friday and at 2 p.m. Saturday against Arkansas-Fort Smith for Senior Day.
"That's basically what you're trying to do right now,'' Washburn coach Chris Herron said. "Any momentum that you have you try to keep and then build on it.
"This weekend has huge implications all throughout the conference. You say you've played in big games, but this is truly two big games.'' 
 
WashburnVBjube2025 1No. 8-ranked Washburn volleyball will close out its regular season this weekend with a pair of matches in Whiting Fieldhouse. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn is 22-3 overall and 11-3 in the MIAA while Central Oklahoma enters the week on a six-match winning streak and is 25-3 on the year and Arkansas-Fort Smith is 13-14 overall after losing its last eight matches.
This weekend's matches are the Ichabods' final tuneup for the MIAA Tournament, which will begin on Friday, Nov. 20, in St. Joseph, Mo.
Before the match on Saturday Washburn will recognize its six seniors -- Austin Broadie, Sydney Conner, Alex Dvorak, Kali Henry, Bella Limback and Corinna McMullen.
 

Broadie is a five-year member of the Ichabods, playing in 114 total matches. She has 938 career kills, a .265 career hitting percentage and 232 total blocks in her career. 

McMullen has been with the Ichabods for four years, playing in 114 career matches. She has tallied 2,664 assists with 1,057 digs and served 153 aces. 

A four-year member of the WU program, Limback has played in 102 career matches. She has 548 career kills while hitting .327 and has made 294 career blocks. 

Conner is in year four with the Ichabods, playing in 112 total matches. She has dished out 1,866 career assists, served 74 aces and scooped 765 total digs. 

Henry is a four-year member of the Washburn program, appearing in 65 career matches with 42 total digs, 16 aces and 12 assists. 

Dvorak has been with the Ichabods for two seasons, playing in 51 career matches. She has 377 kills while hitting .396 and made 223 total blocks as an Ichabod. 

Broadie leads the Washburn offense with 273 kills (3.29 per set) while hitting .334, third best on the team. She has started all 25 matches and also has logged 52 blocks with 53 digs. The senior has 13 double-digit kill matches and is third in the MIAA in hitting percentage and third in the conference in points per set and fourth in kills per set. 

Limback is slashing a team-high .472 with 162 kills (2.00 per set) while playing and starting in all 25 matches. She has added 95 blocks (1.17 per set), also a team-high and served 12 aces. She has hit over .400 in all but eight matches this season with three double-digit kill efforts. She leads the nation in hitting percentage and is fourth in the MIAA in blocks per set.

Dvorak, sidelined for the season with a knee injury, ranks second on the team with 74 blocks (1.07 per set) while starting in all 22 matches she played in. Offensively she recorded 137 kills (1.99 per set) along with hitting .462, second best on the team. She recorded five or more blocks in nine matches. The senior ranks second in the nation and second in the MIAA in hitting percentage among qualified hitters. She is also seventh in the MIAA in blocks per set. 

McMullen has started all 25 matches this season and leads Washburn with 527 assists (6.43 per set). She has also chipped in a team-high 29 service aces while ranking second on the team with 219 digs (2.67 per set). McMullen has delivered 14 matches of 20-plus assists with 10 double-doubles. She ranks eighth in the conference in assists per set. 

Junior libero Taylor Rottinghaus leads the team with 344 digs (4.14 per set). She has chipped in 99 assists while serving 26 aces, second most on the team. Rottinghaus has three matches with at least 20 digs. She ranks seventh in the MIAA in digs per set and 11th in total digs. 

Freshman Brooklyn Morrisey has played in 10 matches, including two starts in WU's past two outings after the injury to Dvorak. She has made 18 kills (1.06 per set) while hitting .229. She has added 14 blocks and seven digs. 

Washburn is fourth in the nation and leads the MIAA with a .294 team hitting percentage.

On the defensive side Washburn is limiting opponents to a .134 hitting percentage, good for 15th nationally and first in the MIAA. 

The Ichabods are dishing out 13.66 assists per set on offense, good for sixth in the nation and first in the MIAA. 

Washburn knocks down 14.64 kills per set to rank seventh in D-II and tops among MIAA programs. 

Serving up 1.84 aces per set, the Ichabods are first in the MIAA. 

Mikah Perdue leads the Central Oklahoma offense with 270 kills (2.87 per set) while starting all 28 matches. She also leads the team with a .291 hitting percentage while also making a team-best 83 blocks. 

Kaitlyn Parrott has a team-high 550 digs (5.85 per set) while playing in all 28 matches. She has served a team-high 40 aces while dishing out 51 assists. 

Lindsey Houran has a team-high 1,042 assists on the year while starting in all 28 matches. She has served 25 aces, made 65 kills and is third on the team with 321 digs (3.53 per set). 

Washburn leads the all-time series over Central Oklahoma 17-15. The Ichabods have gone 9-4 against the Bronchos in Topeka. 

The most recent meeting came last season in the NCAA Central Region semifinals with a 3-2 win for Central Oklahoma. 

Lydia Pitts leads Arkansas-Fort Smith with 278 kills (2.78 kills) while hitting .205. She has started in all 27 matches while adding 21 service aces, 57 blocks and 260 digs (2.60 per set), second most on the team. 

Abbey Jackson has a team-high 374 digs (3.78 per set) while playing in all 27 matches. She has served 13 aces while assisting on 70 kills. 

Scarlette Young controls the passing attack with 575 assists (5.75 per set). She has started in all 27 matches and served a team-high 43 aces. 

Washburn leads the all-time series 3-0 over Arkansas-Fort Smith with the two teams never meeting in Topeka before.

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