​TOPEKA (KSNT) — Last season, Washburn volleyball earned a share of the MIAA regular season title and made it to the NCAA Central Regional semifinals. This season, the Ichabods expect nothing less.“I can confidently say that we’re hungry for more as a good team is, and we’re trying to find that line between good and great,” Washburn senior Libero Taylor Rottinghaus told 27 Sports. “We want that so bad that we’ve made it a goal to own it, and we want to do that so bad that we’re going to put the work in on the court with practice, with the games, all of it.”In 2025, Washburn finished 27-5 and 13-3 in MIAA play. Heading into this season, the squad looks a little different after losing key All-American playmakers. “You know, any time that you remove pieces and add pieces, you’ve changed the makeup of the team, and so every single year is just a little bit different,” Washburn head coach Chris Herron said. “And so we’re starting to see, you know, which direction we’re going in and what the makeup of the team is going to be like.”One of the key leaders on this year’s squad, who has been for the last couple of seasons, is Shawnee Heights’ own Taylor Rottinghaus. Last season, the libero led the team with 468 digs.“Well, she’s the best athlete we have on the team; that’s just plain and simple. She’s the fastest kid. She has no fear whatsoever,” Herron told 27 Sports. “She’s very personable.”The Ichabods are led by longtime head coach Chris Herron, who has led the program to seven MIAA titles and 19 trips to the NCAA tournament. Herron enters his 25th year at Washburn heading into this upcoming season. “Here we talk about, you know, a lot of things about what has made this program successful,” Herron said. “You know, at the end of the year, you know, we want to hang names and hang numbers. And so, if we do that, that means we’ve had a great year, so looking to build on last year and just keep it going.”Washburn volleyball opens up its season inside Lee Arena on Aug. 27 at 6 p.m. against Oklahoma Christian University. For more sports news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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