TOPEKA, Kan. — Well, they did it again.

For the second time this season and the third time ever, Griffon Volleyball swept a ranked team, beating No. 15 Washburn in three sets (25-20, 25-15, 25-12) Friday on the road at Lee Arena.

The Griffon (10-4. 3-2 MIAA) offense was paced by Holly Heldt, who finished with 11 kills on the day, and by Taylor Russell, who had 10 while hitting .321. Defensively, MWSU had two players reach double figures in digs as Anna Weberg had 18 and Nessa Johnson had 16. From the front row, Lily Kurz contributed five blocks.

This is Head Coach Jessica Fey's second win over her alma mater Washburn (9-3, 3-2 MIAA). Both times, Washburn was ranked. Fey now has three wins over ranked teams in her two seasons at MWSU.

SET 1 | The Griffons opened up a strong lead, winning the first set 25-20. Missouri Western never trailed by more than five points and grabbed the advantage for good at 21-20 in a set that showcased two lead changes before the Griffons took over in the second half of the stanza.

SET 2 | Missouri Western built on a set-one win by earning a 25-15 victory in set number two. The Griffons grabbed control of the set lead early on at 6-5 and never trailed. Missouri Western opened its biggest lead of the stanza, 10 points, to close out the set, totaling 15 kills in the process. The Missouri Western offense also got a boost from three aces in the stanza. Missouri Western's front row had a solid defensive performance, blocking four Washburn attacks in the stanza.

SET 3 | Missouri Western took the third set to win in straight sets. The Griffons led from the opening point on in the set to secure a 25-12 victory. Missouri Western opened up as much as a 16-point lead at 22-6 before finishing off the set, collecting 17 kills while only notching two attack errors in the process. The Missouri Western offense also got a boost from four aces in the stanza.

GAME NOTES

• Johnson had a match-high three aces in the win.
• Missouri Western State attackers were helped by a match-high 34 assists from Johnson. Her 16 digs marked her ninth double-double of the season and second in a row.
• Missouri Western has won three straight matches, sweeping each opponent in the process.