TOPEKA, Kan. – The final box score indicated a 3-2 Washburn victory over Oklahoma Baptist (2-4) on Saturday evening. Despite the close defeat, one in which the Bison had a 2-0 match lead, this contest showed this version of coach
Anna Howle's 2023 program could hang with just about anyone.
Key Leaders
- RS Jh'Kyah Head: Tallied a career-high 12 kills and added four block assists.
- MB Avery Hellmuth: Notched nine kills and a match-high six blocks.
- S Emily Boyer & Rylee Martin: Paced the OBU offense with 22 assists each.
- L Maci Langford: Registered a match-high 32 digs
- MB Allie Stricker: Tallied six kills with a team-high .357 attack mark.
- Defensively, OBU held 2022 All-American Jalyn Stevenson to 10 kills and a .000 attack mark.
First Set
The host Ichabods led early before a mini spurt from the Bison allowed them to stay in front. Tied at 7-all, OBU scored four straight which included a block assist and kill by freshman
Lauren Safrit. The Bison, who were marvelous defensively allowing Washburn to hit a miserable .020 this set, continued to pull away and led by as many as eight, 23-15, after an
Emily Boyer ace.
Second Set
OBU continued to put pressure on the 17th-ranked team a set later.
Jill Leslie had four kills to lead while Hellmuth and Safrit each contributed three. As a team, they posted solid numbers in the serve/receive game notching three aces and erring on just one Washburn serve. The green and gold shook off a 6-6 tie and jumped ahead 12-8 following a Safrit kill. That point forced a timeout by Washburn. That didn't matter though, as the Bison continued to stay in front and never allowed the hosts to get closer than two points. By the end, Hellmuth's kill helped OBU claim a 25-19 victory.
Third Set
There were 12 ties in the third stanza. In the latter sequences, OBU trailed 21-20, 22-21 and 23-22. They tied those deficits each time, however it was Washburn that would find the necessary points to force a fourth set. Rachel Schwensen and Taryn Pridgett secured those kills to bring the match count to 2-1 OBU. Offensively, the Bison never really got in sync enough as they did prior and ended up hitting .106.
Fourth Set
Washburn raced out to a 6-1 advantage and never looked back, going up as many as 11 points in the fourth. The Ichabods hit .345, its best mark of the evening, and were led by Schwensen and Pridgett who each tallied four kills.
Fifth Set
The winner-take-all final stanza had the Bison leading 11-10 following a Leslie kill. However, a setting error, two more attack errors and two kills from Schwensen helped Washburn win. There were some long rallies in the final moments that OBU could not capitalize on as well.
On The Horizon
Tomorrow, OBU will play twice more with plenty of motivation to leave with a 3-1 record. At noon they'll face Northwest Missouri State and then close with a 4 p.m. match against Missouri Western State.
