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No. 6-ranked Ichabods complete regular-season road slate with sweep over Tigers
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After dropping a four-set MIAA match Friday night at No. 3-ranked Nebraska-Kearney, No. 6 Washburn University volleyball bounced back on Saturday afternoon to finish its regular-season road schedule with a 3-0 sweep over Fort Hays State.
Washburn sophomore Brynne Topolski (3) posted a match-high 13 kills in Saturday's 3-0 MIAA sweep at Fort Hays State. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabods will return to Whiting Fieldhouse next Friday to face Central Oklahoma in a 6 p.m. ranked matchup.
Washburn, 22-3 overall and 11-3 in the MIAA, started hot against the Tigers with a 25-12 win in the first set and built a 2-0 advantage in the match with a 25-23 win in the second set over the Tigers (15-11, 4-10).
The Ichabods then closed out the match with a 25-17 win in the third set to surpass last season's win total.
After Fort Hays State opened the match with a quick start, Washburn used a 5-0 run to lead 8-5 after a kill from sophomore Brynne Topolski. The Ichabods created separation with four points in a row, starting with a kill by senior Austin Broadie.
Defensively, the Ichabods held the Tigers to a minus-.024 hitting percentage while winning the final seven points to take the 13-point first-set victory.
Washburn trailed briefly in the second set before using an early run to go in front, this time with a 6-0 burst capped off by an ace from junior Taylor Rottinghaus to make it 9-4.
Fort Hays State pulled within two with a 5-1 run that was answered by four in a row for the Ichabods.
The Tigers scored six in a row to tie things up at 21-all, but kills from Broadie and Topolski gave Washburn an advantage and three points later sophomore Keilah Rivers ended the set with a kill.
In the third set the Ichabods jumped out to a 10-5 lead with three kills by Topolski in a 5-0 run.
The score got within two points before Washburn scored four straight starting with senior Corinnna McMullen sneaking over a kill. The Ichabods hit a clean .400 in the set to finish off the sweep.
Washburn finished the match hitting .280 overall with 52 kills while Fort Hays State registered 30 kills and an .098 hitting percentage. The Ichabods led in digs 65-45 and had a 40-28 advantage in assists.
Topolski led the Washburn offense with 13 kills while hitting .458 and adding five digs. Rivers added 10 kills and hit .364 with six scoops.
McMullen delivered a double-double with 18 assists and 14 digs while Rottinghaus had a team-high 15 digs in the back row.
Gracie Rains led the Tigers with 10 kills and Kirsten Evans had a match-high 17 digs.
Hornets finish with 28 unanswered points to top Ichabods in Turnpike Tussle, 45-17
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After rallying from a 14-0 deficit to forge a 17-17 halftime tie with Emporia State Saturday at Yager Stadium, Washburn University football had a golden opportunity to take its first lead of the game early in the third quarter after driving to a 1st-and-goal situation.
Washburn sophomore Cam Robinson (middle) rushed for a team-high 70 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 45-17 MIAA loss to Emporia State. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
But after the Ichabods (2-8 overall, 1-8 in the MIAA) had an apparent 3-yard Keller Hurla touchdown run wiped out by a holding penalty and missed a 34-yard field goal, Emporia State took control with 28 unanswered points to take a 45-17 MIAA victory.
"Having the ball 1st and goal, you've got to punch it in,'' Washburn coach Zach Watkins said. "And whether it's penalties or execution, you've got to be able to punch it in and being up seven with a windy day it's a whole different game. But you're forced to kick a field goal and then you miss a field goal.''
Emporia State (5–5 overall, 4–4 MIAA) took an early lead with a 13-yard blocked punt return from Kingsley Bennett and a 35-yard touchdown pass from Jamison Sarver to Diego Cearns, but Aidan Battle got the Ichabods on the board with a 36-yard field goal late in the first quarter to cut the Hornets' lead to 14-3.
Lucas Oitker capped an 81-yard drive early in the second quarter with a 16-yard touchdown run and Cam Robinson powered in from 3 yards out just before halftime to tie the game.
But the Hornets regained control in the second half, scoring 28 unanswered points, including a pair of pick sixes, to pull away.
Emporia State broke the 17-17 tie with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Sarver to Bennett with 4:42 left in the third quarter and tacked on 21 points in the fourth quarter.
Sarver scored on a 2-yard run before Landon Boss returned an interception 43 yards for a score and Kaliel Boyd had a 29-yard pick six to close out the scoring with 4:27 remaining.
"I felt like we needed to stop being our own worst enemy,'' Emporia State coach Garin Higgins said of the Hornets' second-half rally. "I felt like we had kind of lost the momentum there at halftime and we needed to get it back.
"So that was kind of the message at half, we're got one more half, we've got 30 minutes and we need to quit shooting ourself in the foot and start executing better on both sides of the football.''
Washburn finished with 336 yards of total offense, including 137 rushing and 199 passing yards.
Robinson led the way with 101 all-purpose yards (70 rushing, 24 receiving, 7 punt return), while Oitker added 94 total yards (63 rushing, 31 receiving) and his third rushing touchdown of the season.
Washburn quarterback Logan Madden passed for 156 yards in Saturday's 45-17 loss to Emporia State in Yager Stadium. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Quarterback Logan Madden completed 14 of 34 passes for 156 yards, with Nathan Lewis Jr. catching two passes for a team-best 51 yards, including a 37-yard grab. Aden Canty added two receptions for 39 yards.
Defensively, the Ichabods were led by JC Heim, who tallied 13 tackles, and Kamble Haverkamp, who added 10 stops. L.J. Minner Jr. also contributed 10 tackles and had an interception to set up Washburn's first touchdown drive.
Washburn punter Jake Zeller averaged 51.2 yards on five punts, including a 63-yarder.
Emporia State's defense shut out Washburn in the second half Saturday on the way to a 45-17 MIAA victory in Yager Stadium. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Emporia State held a 447-336 edge in total yardage, with Sarver throwing for 219 yards and the two TDs while Cearns rushed for 136 yards on 26 attempts.
Boss led the Hornets with 12 tackles.
The Ichabods will wrap up the season next week at Missouri Southern while Emporia State will be at home to host Fort Hays State.
EMPORIA STATE 45, WASHBURN 17
No. 16-ranked Ichabod soccer to host rival Hornets in MIAA quarterfinal
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The No. 16-ranked Washburn University soccer team will face Emporia State for the second time in five days Sunday, with the Ichabods and Hornets squaring off in a 1 p.m. MIAA Tournament quarterfinal in Yager Stadium.
Washburn, 11-2-5 overall, 8-0-4 in the MIAA, and Emporia State, 8-5-5, 5-2-5, battled to an 0-0 deadlock Wednesday at Yager Stadium, setting up Sunday's rematch.
Belle Kennedy
Leah Henke
Washburn extended its unbeaten streak to 14 games with Wednesday's tie and the Ichabods finished second in the MIAA regular-season standings while Emporia State is the No. 7 tournament seed.
The Ichabods only allowed three goals in the MIAA regular season and only three goals during their current unbeaten run.
WU freshman Lili Everley has nine shutouts on the year, which is tied for 13th in the nation.
Emporia State comes into Sunday's match after having postec scoreless draws in its last three games.
Emporia State is led in goals by freshman Ella Favot with six goals. Hornets goalkeeper Mackenzi Goen made seven saves against the Ichabods on Wednesday.
Washburn leads the all-time series 20-18-5.
The winner of Sunday's game will advance to Thursday's MIAA semifinals at the Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita against the quarterfinal winner between No. 3 seed Central Missouri and No. 6 Central Oklahoma.
Ten Ichabods earn All-MIAA recognition
Washburn senior midfielder Belle Kennedy has been named the MIAA Defensive Player of the Year while freshman forward Leah Henke was named the conference Freshman of the Year as 10 members of the Ichabods earned all-conference recognition.
Kennedy, a Washburn Rural product, was also named to the All-MIAA first team for the third straight season while Henke and junior defender Lindsey Maul were also first-team picks.
