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Washburn volleyball installed as No. 6 seed in Central Region Tournament
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University volleyball is heading to the NCAA Tournament for the 19th time in program history as the Ichabods earned the No. 6 seed in the Central Region.
Washburn heads to Kearney, Neb. on the campus of the No. 1 seed in the region and host of the eight-team tournament, Nebraska-Kearney.
Washburn's volleyball team reacts to being installed as the No. 6 Central Region seed for the NCAA Tournament in Kearney, Neb. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The No. 7-ranked Ichabods will face the third seed and No. 4 nationally-ranked Wayne State College at 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 4, in a regional quarterfinal.
The Ichabods are 26-4 on the year and finished 13-3 in the MIAA regular season, finishing tied for first with Nebraska-Kearney and Missouri Western to earn a share of the regular-season championship.
Washburn is coming off a runnerup finish Saturday in the MIAA Tournament, dropping a 3-0 decision to No. 3 Nebraska-Kearney.
WU soccer outlasts top seed Minnesota State in PKs to advance to NCAA Sweet Sixteen
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University soccer advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen Sunday after outlasting top seed Minnesota State 4-2 in penalty kicks in Mankato, Minn.
Washburn soccer celebrates after Sunday's 4-2 penalty kick win over top seed Minnesota State in Mankato, Minn. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
"We have talked about the character in the team all year long, in overtime and the shootout, our character got to show a little bit,'' Washburn coach Davy Phillips said. "We get another chance to grow together, continue to train together, and to play in meaningful games together.''
The Ichabods would come out controlling the match with their pressing style of soccer and would open the scoring in the 12th minute of the match, with MIAA freshman of the year Leah Henke converting after a save from the Mavericks' goalie after a shot by Grace Peterson.
Both teams took seven shots in the half, and both goalies had two saves at the break.
The Ichabods would come out with four shots in the opening 12 minutes of the second half, looking for a crucial second goal, but in the 60th minute, the Mavericks would find the equalizer through Maille Mathis, tying things up at 1-1.
The last 30 minutes of the match were back and forth between the teams. The Ichabods would take 13 shots in the second half while Minnesota State took six, and both had three shots on goal.
In the two 10-minute periods of overtime, the Mavericks would be in control, but could not find the back of the net as Washburn freshman goalkeeper Lili Everley would make four saves over the two OT periods to force penalty kicks.
Washburn went up 1-0 in PKs on a conversion from Shaye Taylor, but Minnesota State pulled even on a shot from Maddix Archer.
Both keepers came up with saves before Lakin Rold put WU up 2-1.
After a Maverick miss, Mackinly Rohn put the Ichabods in front 3-1.
Courtney Kovacs converted for Minnesota State to cut the Maverick deficit to 3-2 but Washburn freshman Kate Hinck found the back of the net to end the match.
With the win, Washburn advances to the Sweet Sixteen for the second time in school history.
The Ichabods are now 2-2 in penalty kicks in the NCAA tournament.
Everley made nine saves, breaking her season/career high that she previously set on Friday in a 2-0 win over Missouri Western.
Henke scored her 11th goal of the season, moving into a tie for fourth with Khloe Schuckman, who scored 11 goals during the 2023 campaign when the Ichabods were NCAA finalists.
Washburn will take on the Huskies of St. Cloud State in the Sweet Sixteen at 1 p.m. Sunday in St. Joseph, Minn.
State champion Washburn Rural tops 2025 All-City boys soccer team with five first-team picks
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural, which captured the Class 6A state championship, leads the 2025 Topeka All-City boys soccer team with five first-team picks.
The Junior Blues are represented on the 16-member first team, selected by city coaches, by seniors Draden Chooncharoen (midfield), Brandon Hamilton (defense), Liam Morrison (defense) and Dylan Willingham (forward) and junior Brodye Kocher-Munoz (forward) while Rural coach Brian Hensyel was voted the city coach of the year after the Junior Blues posted a 19-1-1 record.
Draden Chooncharoen, Washburn Rural
Brandon Hamilton, Washburn Rural
Liam Morrison Washburn Rural
Dylan Willingham, Washburn Rural
Brodye Kocher-Munoz, Washburn Rural
Hamilton, Morrison and Willingham are all first-team repeat picks.
Shawnee Heights, Topeka High and Topeka West all put three players on the All-City first team, while Cair Paravel Latin and Seaman both put one player on the team.
Camden Granado, Shawnee Heights
Jason Slay, Shawnee Heights
Mason Haas, Shawnee Heights
Shawnee Heights is represented on the All-City team by seniors Camden Granado (forward) and Jason Slay (defense) and junior Mason Haas (midfield), with Granado and Haas first-team repeat picks.
Neri Diaz-Mayorga, Topeka High
Neri Diaz-Mayorga, Topeka High
Topeka High put three players on the All-City team -- seniors Neri Diaz-Mayorga (midfield) and Billy Lutz (goalkeeper) and junior Carlos Acosta-Martinez (midfield).
Lutz is a repeat first-team selection while Diaz-Mayorga made the first team in 2024 for Highland Park.
Valentin Del Real, Topeka West
Diego Gonzalez-Talavera, Topeka West
Giancarlo Valenzuela, Topeka West
Topeka West is represented on the first team by sophomore Valentin Del Real (midfield), junior Diego Gonzalez-Talavera (forward) and senior Giancarlo Valenzuela (midfield), with Del Real and Gonzalez-Talavera first-team repeaters.
Nathan Keys, Cair Paravel
Cody Quy, Seaman
Cair Paravel put senior Nathan Keys (forward) on the All-City team while Seaman is represented by senior Cody Quy (forward).
Willingham was named the Centennial League player of the year this fall for the second straight season while Rural's Chooncharoen, Hamilton, Kocher-Munoz and High's Acosta-Martinez and Diaz-Mayorga were also first-team picks.
Shawnee Heights' Granado was named the United Kansas Conference player of the year while Haas and Slay and Topeka West's Del Real, Gonzalez-Talavera and Valenzuela were all named to the All-United Kansas Conference first team.
2025 TOPEKA ALL-CITY SOCCER
