By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
A soccer run to the NCAA Division II Final Four and first-team All-Americans Austin Broadie and Belle Kennedy headline the TopSports.news Top 10 list of Washburn University women's sports stories for 2025.
Davy Phillips' Ichabods won the Central Region championship to advance to the soccer Final Four before dropping a 2-1 decision to Franklin Pierce in the national semifinals while Washburn senior volleyball star Broadie and WU senior soccer star Kennedy both earned first-team All-American honors for the first time in their careers.
The Ichabod volleyball team earned a share of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association regular-season championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament while Ichabod softball coach Brenda Holaday and Phillips became the winninest coaches in Washburn history in their respective sports.
Here's a look at TopSports.news' Top 10 Washburn women's stories of 2025:
Washburn soccer advanced to the NCAA Division II Final Four to cap the 2025 season. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
1. SEMIFINAL SOCCER RUN -- Washburn soccer posted a final national ranking of No. 4 from the United Soccer Coaches after posting a 14-4-6 record on the year and winning a Central Region championship to advance to the Final Four for the second time in three seasons. The Ichabods' run at the title ended with a 2-1 loss to Franklin Pierce in the national semifinals.
Washburn fifth-year senior Austin Broadie (23) was named the MIAA Player of the Year and a first-team AVCA All-American in 2025. [File photo/TSN]
2. ENDING THINGS WITH A BANG -- Ichabod fifth-year senior Austin Broadie ended her Washburn volleyball career as a first-team American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American after being named the MIAA player of the Year for the 2025 season. A Wichita Trinity product, Broadie led the Ichabods with 348 kills while hitting .302 on the season. Broadie also recorded 72 blocks and 72 digs for 25-7 WU.
Washburn senior Belle Kennedy (12) earned first-team All-America honors this fall for the Ichabods. [File photo/TSN]
3. ENDING THINGS WITH A BANG PART II -- Former Washburn Rural soccer star Belle Kennedy, a senior midfielder, was named a United Soccer Coaches first-team All-American after helping lead Washburn to its second NCAA Division II Final Four in three seasons. Kennedy was named the MIAA Defensive Player of the Year while being named to the all-conference first team for the third time. Kennedy finished her Ichabod career with 12 goals and four assists.
Washburn volleyball earned a share of the MIAA regular-season title before advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
4. ADDING ANOTHER CHAPTER TO PROUD TRADITION -- Washburn volleyball, a consistent MIAA and national power under longtime coach Chris Herron, posted a 27-5 record in 2025 while garnering a share of the MIAA regular-season championship with a 13-3 record and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Division II Tournament while ending the season with a No. 8 national ranking. In addition to first-team All-American Broadie, Ichabod junior Bella Limback was a first-team all-conference pick and earned All-America honorable mention.
Brenda Holaday became Washburn University softball's all-time career wins leader in 2025. [File photo/TSN]
5. LEADING THE PACK -- Already the career win leader at Washburn Rural, Ichabod softball coach Brenda Holaday became Washburn's all-time victory leader early in WU's 31-21 2025 season. Holaday, who took over the No. 1 spot at Washburn from her former Washburn Rural star Lisa Carey (256 wins), enters the 2026 campaign with a 283-172 record and eight straight winning seasons.
Davy Phillips became Washburn soccer's career wins leader with a 2-0 NCAA Central Region win over Missouri Western. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
6. LEADING THE PACK PART II -- Washburn soccer coach Davy Phillips became WU's career wins leader when he picked up victory No. 91 in the Ichabods' 2-0 victory over Missouri Western in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Phillips, who led the 14-4-6 Ichabods to their second Final Four appearance in three seasons, will enter the 2026 season with 93 career wins.
Washburn women's basketball posted a five-win improvement last season and is off to a 9-3 start this winter. [File photo/TSN]
7. CONTINUING THEIR CLIMB -- Lora Westling's Washburn women's basketball team continued to make progress in Westling's third season at her alma mater, finishing the season with an 18-13 record to make a five-win improvement. Current seniors Yibari Nwidadah and Payton Sterk were second-team All-MIAA picks last season. The Ichabods have continued their climb in the early stages of the 2025-2026 campaign, taking a 9-3 record into the holiday break after posting a 6-6 record at this stage a year ago.
8. VAULTING TO SUCCESS -- Then-Washburn freshman track and field standout Isabel Demarco De Quadros earned All-America honors with a seventh-place finish in the pole vault in the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Pueblo, Colo., clearing 4.17 meters (13 feet, 8.25 inches). The Ichabods' Naiuri Krein earned second-team All-America recognition with a ninth-place finish in the heptathlon with a total score of 5,112 points.
Washburn soccer standout Leah Henke was named the MIAA Freshman of the Year while also earning first-team all-conference honors. [File photo/TSN]
9. ROOKIE OF THE YEAR -- Former Bishop Carroll star Leah Henke turned in one of the best soccer seasons in Washburn history as a freshman, scoring 10 goals on the year as the Ichabods advanced to the NCAA Division II Final Four. Henke was named the MIAA Freshman of the Year while also earning first-team all-conference recognition. Henke recorded 12 goals on the season, putting her fourth in program history for goals in a single season.
10. NET GAIN -- Washburn women's standout Renske Ubachs captured the ITA Central Region singles championship and teamed with Daniela Tijaro to advance to the semifinals in the ITA Cup doubles competition before the Ichabod duo dropped a tough three-set decision to Barry, which took a 6-3, 2-6, 10-5 victory.
