ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Griffon Volleyball is set to begin the 2023 postseason in the quarterfinal round of the MIAA Tournament this Thursday vs. No. 5-seed Washburn at Civic Arena.

WHERE TO WATCH
Fans can watch all Griffon Volleyball (20-9, 13-7 MIAA) matches for a subscription fee on the MIAA Network.

NOTABLES

• Missouri Western is the No. 4 seed.
• Five Griffons earned All-MIAA honors on Tuesday, Nov. 15. 
• Leading MWSU with 326 kills, freshman outside hitter Holly Heldt is fifth in the league. Freshman right-side hitter Taylor Russell is 10th (295), senior middle hitter Danielle Moje is 16th (243) and sophomore middle hitter Emma Salker is 17th (242). Missouri Western has the most representation in the MIAA's top-20 kills list.
• Junior setter Nessa Johnson is third in the MIAA with 1,035 assists. Her 9.95 assists per set rank fourth in the conference.
• Johnson also has the fourth-most service aces in the conference with 35. Heldt is third with 41. 
• Missouri Western is holding opponents to a .149 hitting percentage, the best mark in the MIAA.
• Opponents have only recorded 1,1,08 assists vs. MWSU, the third least in the conference.
• The Griffons have given up the third-least number of kills in the MIAA with 1,202 against them.
• With 177 blocks given up, the Griffons are the second least-blocked team in the MIAA.
• Freshman libero Anna Weberg is second in the MIAA with 561 digs and is second with 5.39 per set. Heldt is 13th with 347 digs and 14th with 3.34 per set. Johnson is 17th at 324 digs and 18th at 3.12 per set.
• Weberg's 5.39 digs per set rank her 12th in Division II.
• Junior middle hitter Lily Kurz is third in the MIAA With 103 blocks and is second with 14 solo blocks.
• Missouri Western leads the nation with 19.35 digs per set.
• The Griffons are second in the country with 39.9 team attacks per set.

111/16 - SCOUTING WASHBURN | 7:30 PM
Currently receiving six votes in the AVCA Top-25 Poll, the fifth-place Ichabods (17-10, 11-9 MIAA) come to town for their third matchup with MWSU this Thursday at Civic Arena. Washburn ended the regular season winning three straight, last defeating Newman 3-0 at Wichita, Kansas. The 'Bods are 2-0 in neutral-site matches this season, while MWSU is 5-2. Western is 2-0 vs. Washburn this fall, beating the 'Bods 3-0 on Sept. 29 in Topeka, Kansas, before winning again 3-2 on Oct. 28 in St. Joseph.

Who to Watch
Graduate right-side hitter Rachel Schwensen is one of the most deadly hitters in the MIAA, holding the second-best hitting percentage at .301, putting her on the All-MIAA First Team. She is also 17th in the conference with 242 kills. Junior outside hitter Jalyn Stevenson leads the team and is eighth in the MIAA with 313 kills, making the All-MIAA First Team. Leading the 'Bods behind the service line is sophomore setter Corinna McMullen, who made the all-conference second team thanks to a league-high 46 aces this season. Freshman libero Taylor Rottinghaus made the All-MIAA Second Team with 393 digs, the seventh most in the MIAA.

Head Coach
In his 22nd season at Washburn, Chris Herron is 616-135 as an Ichabod and 691-164 overall as a head coach. He is 33-7 vs. MWSU overall and 0-0 vs. the Griffs in postseason play.

Rivalry Record Rabbit Hole
Dating back to 1976, MWSU is 47-42 vs. Washburn. This will be the first neutral-site matchup between these teams since Aug. 1, 1995, when Washburn won 3-1 in St. Louis. Meanwhile, Western has won three straight in this series, the program's longest winning streak against the 'Bods since winning four in a row from 1997-99.

Last Time Out
Box Score
In a five-set classic, MWSU defeated then-No. 25-ranked Washburn on Oct. 28 in the MWSU Fieldhouse. Russell ripped into Washburn with 24 kills, four shy of the program's single-match record. Heldt notched a double-double with 11 kills and 10 digs, as did Nessa Johnson with 49 assists and 15 digs. 

ON THIS DAY IN GRIFFON VOLLEYBALL HISTORY
Nov. 16 | Box Score 
The 2019 Griffons ended their regular season strong, sweeping Central Oklahoma on MWSU's Senior Night at the MWSU Fieldhouse. Kelly Tharp led all Griffons with 14 kills, and Lauren Murphy collected a double-double with 38 assists and 13 digs. The Griffons held the Bronchos to a hitting percentage of just .172.