GRIFFON VOLLEYBALL MIAA TOURNAMENT PREVIEW
When: Tuesday, Nov. 14, 7 p.m. vs Washburn
Where: St. Joseph, Missouri
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ST. JOSEPH – For the first time in program history, Griffon volleyball claimed a share of the MIAA regular season championship. MWSU knocked off No. 5 Nebraska Kearney on Saturday, Nov. 11 to claim its share of the title.

Missouri Western has won 11 consecutive matches and 15 of the last 16 matches entering the MIAA Tournament including three wins over teams ranked inside the top 16 of the AVCA Coaches poll. The Griffons are the second seed in the MIAA tournament due to a head-to-head sets won tiebreaker to top seed Nebraska Kearney.
Missouri Western and Washburn are no strangers to each other in the MIAA tournament. For the third straight season, the two teams square off in the first round. Washburn needed five sets to beat the Griffons in 2015 and swept them in 2016 with both matches in Topeka, Kansas. However, the script is flipped this season as MWSU will host the, seven seed, Ichabods in the MWSU Fieldhouse.
 
MISSOURI WESTERN
Missouri Western is 22-9 on the season and 16-2 in the MIAA … Lauren Murphy ranks 16th in Division II for assists (1,126) and 12^th in assists per set (11.92) … Stephanie Doak is third in the MIAA for kills per set (3.80) and third for total kills (414) … Kayla Ruff ranks fourth in the conference for digs per set (5.15) and fifth in total digs (582) … Ali Tauchen is fourth in the league for total blocks (122), block assists (105) and fifth for blocks per set (1.08) and sixth in solo blocks (17) … Rachel Losch ranks seventh in the MIAA for kills (214) and eighth for hitting percentage (.286)
 
As a team, the Griffons are 25th in Division II for team assists (1,248) … MWSU is third in the MIAA in digs per set (17.83) and kills (1,525) … fourth in the league for hitting percentage (.223), kills per set (13.50), assists per set (12.77) and digs (2,015) … fifth for service aces (128) … Missouri Western beat Washburn 3-1 on Oct. 21 in the MWSU Fieldhouse
 
WASHBURN
The Ichabods are 18-13 on the season and 8-10 in the MIAA … MWSU won the first match of the season, 3-1, in St. Joseph, Missouri… Washburn leads the MIAA in blocks per set (2.32), total blocks (274) … second for digs per set (18.07) and digs (2,108) … fourth in the MIAA for assists (1,422) and kills (1,518)  

UP NEXT
If Missouri Western wins, it will advance to the MIAA semifinals on Friday, Nov. 17. Opponent, location and time will be announced at a later date.