Lady Blues top Bearcats, will host MIAA semis and final this weekend
Oct. 31, 2006

Box Score | Season Statistics

Junior rightside hitter Tessa Jones had 16 kills to lead the Lady Blues to a 3-1 (30-24, 28-30, 30-25, 30-20) win in the first round of the MIAA postseason tournament Tuesday night at Lee Arena. Washburn will host two semifinal matches Friday and the championship match Saturday at 2:30 p.m. Friday’s action will begin with Truman taking on Pittsburg State at 4:00 p.m. and then WU will host Central Missouri at 6:30 p.m.

Jones hit .364 and led two other Lady Blues with double-figure scoring. Junior outside hitter Bailey Saal had 11 kills and 12 digs for her seventh double-double of the year and junior middle hitter Mandi Cox had 13 kills.

Junior libero Erica Cowhick had 37 digs and moved into third at Washburn in career digs with 1,559 in her three years. She is 20 away from second and 68 away from the all-time Washburn record.

Freshman setter Kate Hampson had 55 assists, 12 digs and she hit .417 with five kills and no errors in 12 attempts. She also led WU with five blocks, including four solo efforts, the third most in a single-game since rally scoring began in 2001. Sophomore outside hitter Bobi Riley tied a career-high with four service aces and Hampson had three.

The Lady Blues took the first game with a .271 attack percentage but then ran into a hot-hitting NWMSU offense. The Bearcats hit .353 with 21 kills and just three errors in the second game. Washburn came back in the next two and held Northwest to under .200 hitting the rest of the way. Sarah Trowbridge led NWMSU with 22 kills and 21 digs.