Volleyball Drops Five-Setter to Washburn

WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Nov. 16, 2019) - No. 10 Central Missouri was on the verge of an upset of No. 3 Washburn, leading two sets to none, but the Ichabods stormed back to win three straight sets and take a 3-2 win the regular season finale. UCM ends the regular season at 21-8 and 15-5 in the MIAA.

How it Happened
• The Ichabods landed 20 more kills, 71-51 and hit .201 to the Jennies .176.
• The two teams scored points in different ways. Washburn landed 71 kills and served up six aces while the Jennies blocked 19 attacks.
• Washburn's defense was strong all afternoon with 92 digs to the Jens 67.
• The first two sets were unbelievably close and needed to go into extra points. Set one saw 18 tied and nine lead changes. Neither team led by more than two points at any time in the first set. UCM got ahead 10-8 after a block from Hannah Engelken and Rylee Neigenfind, and after that it was a one-point game all the way to 22-21. The Jennies were at set point, 24-22, but a Washburn kill and UCM attack error tied the frame at 24. Still tied at 26, the Jennies got a kill from Neigenfind and an Ichabod attack error to take set one, 28-26.
• Set two saw another 19 ties and five lead changes and again, neither team led by more than two at any point. Tied at 25, the Ichabods gave the set away with a pair of attack errors for a 2-0 Jennies lead. The Jens hit .366 in the set with 16 kills while the Ichabods committed eight attack and three service errors. 
• Washburn jumped on top early in set three and never looked back. They scored four of the first five points and forced a Jennies timeout. Leading by two, 7-5, the Ichabods used a 7-2 run to break the set open and led by seven, 14-7. UCM never got closer than four and the Ichabods went on to a 25-14 win.
• The Ichabods again led early in set four after taking a 3-2 lead and led the rest of the way to a 25-18 win. The Jennies fought back wo get to within two, 18-16, thanks to a 10-4 run, but the Ichabods held off the Jennies rally scoring seven of the final nine points to send the match to a fifth set.
• Washburn led for all of set five, scoring the first four points. The Jennies clawed back to within one, 13-12, but a kill and ball-handling error gave the Ichabods a 15-12 win.

Jennies Stat Leaders
• Sydney Lierz hit .350 with a team-high 15 kills.
• Hannah Engelken blocked 10 Ichabod attacks and picked up six kills.
• Audrey Fisher and Rylee Neigenfind each added nine kills. Fisher six blocks and Neigenfind five.
• Ally Offerdahl passed out 45 assists.
• Abby Skrastins dug out a game-high 28 digs and Jackie Storm added 15.

For the Ichabods
• Genna Berg had a double-double with 25 kills and 22 digs.
• Setter Allison Sadler passed out 60 assists with eight digs.
• Faith Rottinghaus scooped up 28 digs.
• Erica Montgomery, Allison Maxwell and Kelsey Gordon each landed 10+ kills.

News and Notes
• The last time UCM had 15 or more blocks in a match came back in 2007 against Harding.
• Hannah Engelken becomes the first Jennie also since 2007 to record 10 blocks in a match with her 11.
• Rylee Neigenfind picked up career block number 150.
• In the last 17 matches, Washburn leads the Jennies 9-8.

Up Next
• The Jennies earned the No. 3 seed in next week's MIAA Tournament. They will play No. 6 Central Oklahoma Thursday, Nov. 21 at 2:30 pm at HyVee Arena in Kansas City.