TOPEKA, Kan. — The No. 15-ranked Washburn Ichabods tallied a 3-0 victory over the Northwest Missouri State University volleyball squad Saturday at Lee Arena.

The Ichabods won by set scores of 25-17, 25-16 and 25-13. Washburn is 20-6 overall and 7-3 in MIAA play. Northwest is 7-14 overall and 4-4 in league matches.

Northwest was unable to erase the Ichabods' early separation in the first set, falling 25-17 despite 14 team kills and five from Gabrielle Gartner. Earlier, Natalie Herrington put the Bearcats in front with a kill from Mya Karrick, but WU answered with four straight points for a 4-1 lead and later pushed the margin to 9-3. Gabrielle Gartner and Abby Bulthuis helped Northwest keep finding sideouts, and Ellery Luhring's kill followed by an Ichabods attack error brought the score to 14-8. Sophia Gartner added two late kills and Gartner put away another at 24-16, but WU closed the set on the next point.

The Bearcats battled through the middle of the second set and pulled even several times, but the Ichabods broke from a 13-13 tie and closed the set with the final five points to take it 25-16. Earlier, Herrington delivered back-to-back service aces to tie the set at 5-5, and Karrick continued to distribute the attack with assists on kills by Sophia Gartner, Gabrielle Gartner and Bulthuis. Sophia Gartner gave Northwest a 10-9 lead with a kill from Karrick and added another kill for an 11-10 edge, but WU answered each time. After Bulthuis tied the set at 13-13, the Ichabods scored four straight points to move ahead 17-13, and although Chloee Hayes and Sophia Gartner added kills later, the Bearcats could not cut into the margin before the 25-16 finish.

Northwest started the third set with kills from Sophia Gartner, Herrington and Bulthuis to move in front 4-1, but WU answered with a 7-0 stretch and pushed ahead 8-4. Gabrielle Gartner helped the Bearcats break that run and later added two more kills, while Bulthuis and Sophia Gartner also found points as Northwest worked against a growing Ichabods margin. After WU extended the set to 23-9, the Bearcats put together their late response with a Gabrielle Gartner kill and back-to-back service aces from Elle Heckenlively. Bulthuis and Herrington combined on a block at 24-12 before the Ichabods closed the third set, 25-13.

Sophia Gartner led Northwest with 12 kills. Gabrielle Gartner finished with 10 kills, 13 digs and one block assist. Karrick recorded 32 assists, six digs and one block assist. Ellery Luhring collected a team-high 19 digs and added two assists.