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Washburn soccer rides hot streak into MIAA road games
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn University women's soccer team is on a legitimate hot streak, posting four wins and a tie over its last five games while not allowing a single goal.
The Ichabods, 5-2-2 overall and 2-0-1 in the MIAA, will be looking to continue their run with road games at Missouri Southern (6 p.m.) on Friday and at Pittsburg State (1 p.m.) on Sunday.
Freshman Leah Henke has a team-high five goals on the season for Washburn soccer. [File photo/TSN]
Former Washburn Rural star Kate Hinck has scored two goals this fall for 5-2-2 Washburn soccer. [File photo/TSN]
"That's kind of what we talked about as a team is the callouses of success and how hard work prepares you for more hard work and success,'' Washburn coach Davy Phillips said. "There's a difference between trying to get a team there and then once you've reached that level, 'OK, here's the benchmark, now it's just maintaiing the benchmark.' ''
Washburn graduated a strong senior class off the team that won back-to-back MIAA titles and advanced to the NCAA tournament both seasons, but Phillips is very pleased with the progress his Ichabods have made this fall.
"They're doing a really good job,'' he said. "I had to become more patient with them the last few weeks and allow them the space to go and make decisions. I think I was trying to stifle that a little bit and it's funny how trust works because once you give them the freedom and they do it, inherently you develop more trust throughout the process.
"It's working through the unknown until it's the known.''
Washburn freshman Leah Henke starred again last Friday night in a 3-0 Ichabod win over Nebraska-Kearney, assisting on fellow freshman Kate Hinck's opening goal and then scoring the game's final goal in the second half after Shaye Taylor scored off an assist from Aubrey Tanksley to give WU a 2-0 halftime advantage.
Henke is tied for third in the conference for goals scored with five.
Freshman Lili Everley is third in the conference in shutouts with four on the season in addition to an 0-0 tie and is a two-time MIAA goalkeeper of the week.
No. 9 Washburn volleyball faces MIAA home tests after big road sweep over Hornets
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn volleyball improved to 15-1 on the season with a 3-0 MIAA sweep over Emporia State on Tuesday. [File photo/TSN]Fort Hays State enters Friday's match 13-4 overall and 2-3 inside the MIAA, while the Lopers are a perfect 18-0 and 5-0 in the MIAA entering the week.
The Ichabods enter the weekend with a 15-1 record overall and a 4-1 mark in the MIAA after completing a three-match road trip with a 3-0 sweep over Emporia State on Tuesday.
"We played great, I thought we played really well,'' Washburn coach Chris Herron said.
Senior Austin Broadie said Tuesday's win should give the Ichabods momentum going into this weekend's matches.
"It does for sure,'' Broadie said. "Maybe it will make people a little bit scared of us if they look and check what happened (Tuesday), so it's a lot of momentum.''
Broadie leads the Washburn offense with 185 kills (3.49 per set) while hitting .384, third best on the team. She has started all 16 matches and has logged 33 blocks with 38 digs.
Broadie has nine double-digit kill matches and ranks 20th nationally in hitting percentage and third in the MIAA. She is second among conference players in kills per set.
Bella Limback is slashing a team-high .546 with 103 kills (2.02 per set) while playing and starting in all 16 matches. She has also added 57 blocks, a team high and served seven aces. She has hit over .400 in all but two matches this season with two double-digit kill efforts. Limback leads the nation in hitting percentage and is fifth in the MIAA in total blocks and fourth in blocks per set.
Alex Dvorak is second on the team with 55 blocks (1.08 per set) on the season while starting all 16 matches. Offensively she has made 99 kills (1.94 per set) along with hitting .438, second best on the team. She has recorded five or more blocks in seven matches. The senior ranks fourth in the nation and second in the MIAA in hitting percentage. She is also fifth in the MIAA in blocks per set.
Corinna McMullen has started all 16 matches this season to lead Washburn with 341 assists. She has also chipped in 17 service aces while ranking second on the team with 133 digs. The senior has delivered nine matches of 20-plus assists and six double-doubles.
Taylor Rottinghaus leads the team with 210 digs (3.96 per set). She has chipped in 66 assists while serving a team-high 19 aces. The junior has two matches with at least 20 digs. She ranks eighth in the MIAA in digs per set and 10th in total digs.
Brynne Topolski is second on the Ichabods with 127 kills while hitting .284. She has come off the bench in all 16 matches while making 33 blocks with 26 digs. She has four matches with double-digit kills.
Washburn leads the nation with a .308 team hitting percentage and the Ichabods are ninth nationally and second among MIAA teams with 2.59 blocks per set.
On the defensive side Washburn is limiting opponents to a .109 hitting percentage, good for fourth nationally and first in the MIAA.
The Ichabods are dishing out 13.81 assists per set on offense, good for third in the nation and second in the MIAA.
Washburn knocks down 14.70 kills per set to rank fourth in NCAA D-II and second among MIAA programs.
Coming off bye week, Ichabod football on the road to face Gorillas
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn sophomore linebackers JC Heim (9) and L.J. Minner Jr. rank one-two in the MIAA in tackles entering Saturday's 2 p.m. game at Pittsburg State. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics] The Ichabods are 1-4 this season and looking for their first conference win after falling 31-24 last time out to Nebraska-Kearney in Topeka.
Pittsburg State is 4-2 overall and 3-1 in MIAA play after topping Nebraska-Kearney in its last game, 23-6. The Gorillas are ranked 15th in the AFCA Coaches Poll and seventh in the d2football.com poll.
Washburn sophomore linebacker JC Heim leads the MIAA tackles with 13.6 per game and sophomore L.J. Minner Jr. is second with 10.2 tackles per game, with the duo ranking second and 13th, respectively, in the NCAA Division II national rankings.
Jake Zeller is fourth on the NCAA D-II active punting average chart at 41.7 and he is seventh in total punt yards (5,746). Zeller is second in the MIAA and 14th in the national rankings in punting average at 42.3 yards per punt.
D.J. Bell is second in the MIAA and 25th in the nation in all-purpose yards at 128.6 yards per game.
Zahmari Palode-Gary leads a one-two Pittsburg State rushing punch in rushing at 75 yards per game and Cleo Chandler, Jr. averages 71 yards per game.
