Box Score

Central Oklahoma UCO 30-4

Washburn WU 28-5

Central Oklahoma UCO

30-4

Final

Nov. 18, 2016

Washburn WU

28-5

Set Scores
Team	1	2	3	F
Central Oklahoma UCO	22	15	15	(0)
Washburn WU	25	25	25	(3)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | 11/18/2016 6:50:00 PM

Washburn Hands UCO Tough Loss In MIAA Tourney

KEARNEY, Neb. (Nov. 18) – Now comes the waiting game.

No. 12-ranked Central Oklahoma suffered a stunning three-set loss to No. 11 Washburn in the semifinals of the MIAA Volleyball Championship here Friday night, putting its season in serious jeopardy.

Nothing went right for the Bronchos, who committed uncharacteristic hitting errors all night while the Ichabods came up big in every category in claiming a 25-22, 25-15, 25-17 victory to move into Saturday's finals against either Central Missouri or Nebraska-Kearney.

It was only the fourth loss of the season against 30 wins for UCO, which may miss the NCAA Division II Volleyball Championship despite its lofty national ranking. The Bronchos entered the match rated ninth in the Central Region poll and appeared to need a win over Washburn – seventh in the region – to have any chance of claiming one of the eight qualifying spots.

Eight teams from each of eight regions across the county fill out the 64-team national tournament bracket, with that announcement set for Monday evening.

"It's a tough loss and hard to explain," head coach Edgar Miraku said. "We got off to a pretty good start in the first set, but then started struggling and couldn't seem to get it back on track. Washburn's a great team and they just pounced on us when we got down.

"I'm not sure what's going to happen, but I hope we get the chance to play again because I have a lot of faith in my team. Our region is just so strong. I'm proud of our girls for what they've done this season and I know we deserve to be in the national tournament."

The Bronchos had their two lowest-scoring sets of the season in the match and finished with 25 attack errors in hitting just .096, its third-worst total of the year.

Taylor Bevis led UCO with 13 kills and 10 digs, while Ijeoma Njenje and Alexis Washington added six each. Dominique Lipari had 11 digs and Katy Davis distributed 35 assists.

The opening set was tied at 8 when UCO seemingly took control with a 7-1 scoring spree. Njenje and Fulani Petties had two kills apiece to key that surge as the Bronchos went up 15-9 and it was 16-11 after Njenje went cross-court for another kill.

WU went on a 6-1 run to pull even at 17-all and Bevis had UCO's next three kills to keep it deadlocked at 18, 19 and 20. Petties' hard shot off an attempted block tied it again at 21, but the Ichabods scored four of the next five points to take the win.

Nothing went right for the Bronchos in the second set, with an opening service error giving WU a lead it never relinquished as UCO made seven attack errors.

The offensive attack was even worse in the final set, with the Bronchos committing 10 hitting mistakes. It was tied at 4-all early before the Ichabods scored five straight points to take control and UCO had no answer.

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