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By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Already a three-time Class 5A state singles medalist, including a runnerup finish a year ago, Seaman senior star Emma Sweeney will be looking to close out her outstanding prep career with a state title in Friday and Saturday's state tournament at the Andover District Tennis Complex.

Seaman senior tennis star Emma Sweeney enters this weekend's Class 5A state tournament at Andover as the No. 1 singles seed with a perfect 28-0 record. [File photo/TSN]

Sweeney has put together a banner 28-0 campaign so far with a sweep of city, United Kansas Conference and 5A regional titles for the second straight season and earned the No. 1 seed for this weekend's state event.

"Obviously I'm nervous, but I'm just trying to switch my focus onto the right things and just focusing on the things I control, my ground strokes, my intensity, my footwork, my attitude and just go out there and give it my all,'' Sweeney said.

Sweeney said it seems like only yesterday that she was getting ready for her first state meet.

"It literally flies by every single year and with it being my last year with my teammates I just want to have fun and just leave it all out there,'' she said.  

As a team Seaman is coming off its fifth straight United Kansas Conference title as well as a regional team championships and will be aiming for a third straight 5A team trophy after finishing third in 2024 and second a year ago.

Seaman seniors Cadence Speer and Camryn Lux won a Class 5A regional doubles title last Saturday for the team-champion Vikings. [File photo/TSN] 

Three-time regional champ Sweeney and the regional championship doubles team of seniors Camryn Lux and Cadence Speer led the way last Saturday at Kossover as the Vikings topped St. James Academy for the regional crown.

Seaman also got third-place finishes from junior Lilli Wiens in singles and from sophomores Brenna Prokop and Kallie Zurmely in doubles.

Lux and Speer are 28-4 on the season and the No. 3 seed for state while Prokop and Zurmely are 22-7 and seeded seventh. Wiens is the No. 15 singles seed with a 22-12 record.

Not only will Seaman's three seniors be closing out their prep careers this weekend, but it will also be the final tournament for Viking coach Jamie Robinson, who is retiring from coaching after a highly-successful run at the school.

"He's been great,'' Sweeney said. "He just works with every single girl and what they need specifically as a player and he also just knows how to coach you and how to adjust for each girl.

"He just has really helped us grow and help us love the sport.''

Topeka West will be represented at state by the senior doubles team of Mariana Bernard and Kailyn Bidwell, who are 12-16 on the season and the No. 19 state seed after qualifying with a sixth-place regional finish.

The 5A state tournament will start at 9 a.m. Friday and continue on Saturday with a 9 a.m. start.

Class 6A at Wichita Riverside Tennis Complex

Washburn Rural enters Friday and Saturday's state meet at Wichita with a ton of momentum after sweeping city, Centennial League and Class 6A regional team championships.

Washburn Rural senior doubles players Julia Katzer and Halle Owen enter the state tournament with a 28-4 record after sweeping city, Centenial League and regional titles. [File photo/TSN]

Junior Blue seniors Julia Katzer and Halle Owen won Friday's regional doubles title after winning city and league titles and are 28-4 on the season, earning the No. 5 state seed.

Rural's doubles team of junior Annie Henderson and freshman Kinley Ladd (22-6) finished second to teammates Katzer and Owen at regionals and are the No. 7 doubles seed while sophomore singles player Bridget Hoopes (17-10) was the singles runnerup at regionals and is the No. 9 state seed.

Freshman Karmyn Faul (27-6) posted a third-place singles finish in the regional meet and is seeded 15th for state.

The first round of state competition will begin at 9 a.m. both Friday and Saturday.

Class 4A at Kossover Tennis Center

Hayden finished third in Class 4A last season after winning the state championship in 2024 and the Wildcats are coming off a regional team title Saturday at Chanute while qualifying their entire team for state at the Kossover Tennis Center.

Hayden juniors Sophia Wichman and Hailey Caryl are coming off a Class 4A regional doubles title for the team-champion Wildcats. [File photo/TSN]

Wildcat juniors Hailey Caryl and Sophia Wichman won the regional doubles championship and will take an 17-4 record into the state meet as the fourth seed.

Hayden sophomore Lana Hull, 20-4, is the No. 7 singles seed while sophomore Ava Scheer (5-4) is the No. 20 singles seed and the doubles team of senior Kaelyn Gerdel and sophomore Elliott Gould (14-10) is the 21st seed for this weekend's tournament.

Hull was the regional runnerup while Scheer finished fifth in singles and Gerdel and Gould placed fifth in doubles.  

The first round of state competition will begin at 8:50 a.m. Friday and 9 a.m. on Saturday.

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By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

No. 15-ranked Washburn University volleyball continues its season-long four-match road swing Thursday and Friday, facing No. 8 Missouri Western and Fort Hays State in a pair of non-conference matches with both being played at the MWSU Fieldhouse in St. Joseph, Mo.

The Ichabods will face the Griffons at 6 p.m. on Thursday before facing the Tigers at 6 p.m. on Friday.

No. 15 Ichabod volleyball in on the road to face Missouri Western and Fort Hays State Thursday and Friday in St. Joseph, Mo. [File photo/TSN]

Washburn is 18-4 on the year after sweeping Newman 3-0 last Saturday.

Missouri Western enters Thursday's match with a 16-2 record while Fort Hays State is 14-8 so far in 2026.

Junior Brynne Topolski leads Washburn with 233 kills (3.15 per set) while also hitting a team-high .289. She has added 106 digs along with 42 blocks, second most on the team.

The Lincoln, Neb. native has recorded double-figure kills in 13 matches with one double-double. She is sixth in the MIAA in kills while ranking 10th in the conference in points per set and hitting percentage.

Junior Emma Siron is second with 222 kills while hitting .207. She has served a team-high 25 aces and also registered 186 digs with 25 blocks. Siron ranks third on the team with 121 assists as well.

The Sedalia, Mo. native has tallied 10 double-digit kill matches with nine double-doubles. She is fifth in the MIAA with 3.63 points per set while ranking seventh in the MIAA in kills per set.

Senior Shawnee Heights product Taylor Rottinghaus has recorded a team-high 342 digs (4.82 per set) and has seven matches with 20-plus digs. Rottinghaus has also added 59 assists with 19 aces served. She ranks fifth in the MIAA in digs per set.

Sophomore Brooklyn Morrisey is second on the Ichabods with a .282 hitting percentage. She has slashed 139 kills and leads the team with 74 blocks. The Lenexa native has recorded five double-digit kill matches and has six or more blocks in five matches.

Morrisey ranks ninth in the MIAA in blocks per set while ranking 12th in the conference in hitting percentage.

Washburn Hall of Famer and former assistant coach Jessica Fey is in her fifth season leading Missouri Western, where she has a 92-46 career record.

Former Washburn Rural state champion Taylor Russell ranks second for the Griffons with 185 kills and is hitting .322 with 56 blocks. Russell is eighth in the MIAA in hitting percentage, 12th in blocks per set and 16th in kills per set.

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By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

The Washburn University women's soccer team is set for its final two home games of the regular season this weeekend, hosting Central Oklahoma at 6 p.m. on Friday and Northeastern State on Sunday at 1 p.m. for the Ichabods' Senior Day.

Washburn freshman Avery McCorry and sophomore Leah Henke, celebrating a goal against Nebraska-Kearney, have combined for 13 goals on the season for the No. 19-ranked Ichabods. [File photo/TSN]

Washburn is 10-1-2 on the season overall and a conference leading 6-1-1 in the MIAA while UCO is 6-4-3, 3-1-3 in 2026 and Northeastern State 6-4-3, 2-3-2. 

Washburn defeated Rogers State 4-0 last Friday before tying Emporia State 1-1 on Sunday, with both of those games on the road.

"I feel like we have been improving every week and even just like every practice,'' said Washburn senior Mackinly Rohn, a former Washburn Rural standout who has started all 13 games with two goals and an assist. "We've been taking what's been happening on the weekends and just making ourselves get better every day.

"I think we are definitely progressing in the way we should be for the end of the season. I love this team. I feel like our chemistry is just undeniable and it definitely shows on the field and this team just really feels closeknit, on and off the field.''

Freshman Avery McCorry leads Washburn with seven goals and has also contributed a pair of assists while sophomore Leah Henke has six goals and three assists and sophomore Bricelyn Betts has five goals and four assists.

Sophomore goalkeeper Lili Everley has a miniscule 0.33 goals against average.

Washburn is 3-13-3 all time vs. Central Oklahoma and tied the Bronchos 0-0 each of the last two matches.

Central Oklahoma lost to Central Missouri 2-0 last Friday and tied Missouri Southern 1-1 on Sunday. 

The Ichabods are 4-7-3 against Northeastern State all-time. The Ichabods won 4-0 on Oct. 17, 2025 in the most recent matchup.

Northeastern State fell to Missouri Southern 1-0 last Friday, before tying Central Missouri 1-1 on Sunday.

The Ichabods will travel to MIAA contender Central Missouri next Friday at 6 p.m. UCM is second in the MIAA with 17 points, two behind Washburn at 19.