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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University football will be looking to wrap up a 2024 campaign marked by a string of close losses with a win on Saturday in Tahlequah, Okla. as the Ichabods will face Northeastern State at 1 p.m.
Craig Schurig's Washburn football team will be looking to close out the 2024 season with a win Saturday at Northeastern State. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn (2-8) is coming off a 28-27 loss to No. 8-ranked Central Oklahoma last time out on Senior Day in Yager Stadium, the Ichabods' second straight one-point loss and third straight defeat by a total of five points.
Veteran Washburn coach Craig Schurig said it would be a big boost to end the season, which includes five one-possession losses overall, on a positive note.
"To be honest, the way we've played, these guys are confident,'' Schurig said. "We've played really well. The Central Missouri game and the Central Oklahoma game, those games came down to one or two plays and you're playing teams that are best in the country.
"We feel pretty good about how we're playing. We've just got to finish and it would be great to play well and hopefully we do. We're on pace to play well down there.''
The 2-8 RiverHawks, who are playing this season as a non-MIAA opponent in football only, lost 35-7 at Mississippi College last Saturday.
The Ichabods are looking for their 12th win in a row over the RiverHawks as Washburn leads the all-time series 12-1 and they are averaging 38.5 points per game in the series.
Wahburn took a 45-14 win over Northeastern State in last season's finale at Yager Stadium.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University women's soccer coach Davy Phillips has announced the signing of 10 high school athletes who will be joining the Ichabods for the 2025 season, including Washburn Rural stars Destiny Higgs and Kate Hinck.
Destiny Higgs, Washburn Rural
Kate Hinck, Washburn Rural
Hinck and Higgs helped lead the Junior Blues to a third-place finish in the Class 6A state tournament last spring.
Hinck was named the Centennial League player of the year last season and both Hinck and Higgs both earned All-City and all-league first-team honors.
Signing capsules:
Bricelyn Betts – 5-1 • Attacking Midfielder • Raymore, Mo. • Raymore-Peculiar HS
Member of the Raymore-Peculiar Panthers soccer team … 2022 Midwest first-team all-conference for club team … daughter of Jeremy Betts and Tricia Trutzel-Betts … has two brothers, Brandt and Brucker, and one sister, Brilee … brother Brandt played soccer at Liberty University … plans to major in kinesiology and biology
Thea Martin – 5-7 • Defender • Lincoln, Neb. • Lincoln Southwest HS
As a junior, earned honorable mention from Omaha World Herald and Lincoln Journal Star … helped Lincoln Southwest Silverhawks win state championship with an 18-1 record … team won district championship and finished state runner-up sophomore year … as a freshman, Silverhawks claimed district championship and were state semifinalists … daughter of Erica and Brad Martin … has one brother, Judson … plans to major in biology
Destiny Higgs – 5-7 • Center Midfielder • Topeka, Kan. • Washburn Rural HS
As a junior, Higgs scored nine goals and had seven assists while earning first-team All-City (TopSports.News), first-team All-Centennial League and second-team All-State honors … helped the Washburn Rural Junior Blues to a 17-4-0 record and a third-place finish at Class 6A State Tournament … recorded eight goals and three assists as a sophomore, earning second-team All-Centennial League selection while team went 15-5-1 and finished third at state … named All-Centennial League honorable mention as a freshman after scoring three goals and adding five assists, contributing to second-place state finish for Junior Blues … daughter of Marcia and Shannon Shaddox and Jerry Higgs … has two brothers, Brian Johnson and Freddy Richter, and one sister, Mya Higgs … undecided major
Lydia Keller – 5-9 • Midfielder • Kansas City, Mo. • Park Hill HS
Earned second-team honors for district soccer and conference honorable mention as a junior … honorable mention for both district and conference as a sophomore … also plays basketball, being named honorable mention for conference … played club soccer for Kansas Rush … daughter of Trent and Haley Keller … has two brothers, Kaden and Collin … both parents are former Washburn athletes, with mom Haley playing softball and dad Trent playing baseball … planning to major in law or radiology
Brooke Willcott – 5-10 • Defender • Holton, Kan. • Holton HS
Club team won 2023 USYS State Championship and was runner-up at Midwest Regionals … team was ranked 1st in the state of Kansas for 2024 … also plays basketball for Holton High School Wildcats … named to Big 7 All-League first-team as a sophomore and was 4A All-State honorable mention pick by Sports in Kansas and KSHSAA Covered … daughter of Jennifer and Sean Willcott … plans to major in business
Kate Hinck – 5-4 • Forward • Topeka, Kan. • Washburn Rural HS
As a junior, scored 28 goals, the second-most in a season in school history … Centennial League Player of the Year … first-team All-City (Top Sports.News), first-team All-State, and first-team All-Centennial League … helped Junior Blues to a third-place finish at Class 6A State Tournament with a 17-4 record … scored 13 goals with seven assists as a sophomore … tallied 13 goals and five assists as a freshman … daughter of Rita Hinck and Dustin Hinck … has one sister, Alyson … plans to major in kinesiology
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University women's basketball hits the road for the second straight weekend to the Quincy Classic, where the Ichabods will take on McKendree at 5 p.m. on Friday and Quincy at 3 p.m. on Saturday.
Junior newcomer Payton Sterk leads Washburn with a 16-point scoring average through two games entering this weekend's Quincy Classic. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Washburn is 0-2 on the year after falling 63-51 on the road to St. Cloud State last Saturday at the Central Region Crossover but Ichabod coach Lora Westling said she saw plenty of positives last weekend and feels like her team is ready to take steps forward.
"I really do believe in this group, I like this group,'' Westling said. "We just have a little ways to go when it comes to some of these fundamental things that kept us from winning the two games last weekend. We'll get there. What I like about them is they're hungry to get better, so we're just going to keep grinding away.''
"I feel like we've got a lot of room to grow,'' WU junior Gabi Giovannetti said. "We're just really positive this week because it is so early in the season. We're 0-2 and we need to bounce back and we will, but we can only be positive and watch film and work on what we need to work on.''
The Ichabods are coming off a 13-16 season in 2023-24, finishing 10th in the MIAA with an 8-14 record and advancing to the first round of the MIAA Tournament.
Both Washburn opponents enter the weekend undefeated, with McKendree coming in at 1-0 and Quincy 2-0.
The 2024 Quincy Classic will take place in Quincy, Ill. on the campus of Quincy University inside the Pepsi Arena.
The Ichabods are scoring 61.5 points on 41.4 percent shooting overall and 33.3 percent from behind the 3-point arc.
Washburn's matchup with McKendree will be the second in program history while the Ichabods will face Quincy for the sixth time.
Junior Payton Sterk paces Washburn in scoring at 16.0 points per game while shooting 41.9 percent overall and 37.5 percent on 3-pointers. She is averaging a team-high 35.0 minutes and also adds 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. The transfer is dishing out a team-best 4.0 assists as well. She is the only WU player to score in double figures of both games this season.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
No. 10-ranked Washburn University men's basketball returns to the greater Kansas City, Mo. area for the third time this season when the Ichabods will have their first true road game of the season at Rockhurst on Friday night in Mason-Halpin Arena (7 p.m. tipoff).
Sophomore Brayden Shorter scored a game and career-high 26 points in Washburn's 97-57 win over Ottawa on Tuesday. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Ichabods are 3-0 this season after a 97-57 win over Ottawa on Tuesday in their home opener. The win gave the Ichabods their 500th all-time win in Lee Arena.
Sophomore Brayden Shorter finished with a career-high 26 points against the Braves, pacing four Ichabods in double figures on 10 of 19 shooting, including 4 of 9 from deep.
Senior Andrew Orr had 14 points on a perfect shooting night and added four steals while senior Jacob Hanna had 13 points followed by senior Michael Keegan's 12 points, game-high nine rebounds and five steals
Sophomore Jack Bachelor had a career-high 10 assists while adding nine points.
Even though Washburn has won its first three games by an average of 25 points, including a win over the defending national champions, Ichabod coach Brett Ballard said his team needs to be wary of the Hawks.
"They're dangerous,'' Ballard said. "We've struggled over there. We've taken some good teams over there and struggled. It's a small gym. They've got a new coach, they'll be well-coached and I know they've got guys that will play hard and have a chip on their shoulder, Kansas City kids that are playing other Kansas City kids, so it will be a battle.''
Rockhurst is 2-0 this season with wins over Davenport (64-54) and Purdue University Northwest (80-75) and Friday's game with the Ichabods will be the home-opener for the Hawks.
The Ichabods lead the all-time series 33-31 with Rockhurst but will be looking to snap a four-game losing streak to the Hawks in Kansas City. Washburn's last win against the Hawks on Rockhurst's home court came on Dec. 4, 2003 in a 69-54 win.
Washburn won the last meeting played in Topeka last season, 82-66, and is 21-9 in meetings in Topeka but has gone 10-21 in games played in Kansas City against the Hawks.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
No. 24-ranked Washburn University volleyball embarks on its final weekend of the regular season with a road trip to face No. 10 Central Oklahoma at 6 p.m. on Friday and the first-ever MIAA matchup between the Ichabods and Arkansas-Fort Smith at 12 p.m. on Saturday.
Chris Herron's No. 24-ranked Washburn volleyball team will close out its regular season with a pair of weekend road matches. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The Ichabods are 19-5 on the year overall and 10-4 in the MIAA. Washburn wrapped up its home schedule with a 3-0 sweep over Fort Hays State on Senior Day last Saturday.
Senior Jalyn Stevenson is Washburn's team leader with 268 kills while hitting .202 across her 24 starts. She is also second on the squad in digs with 278 and in service aces with 31. Stevenson is ninth in the MIAA in total kills, 16th in total digs and ranks fifth in total aces. She is top-20 in both kills and aces per set as well. Stevenson has 10 double-doubles on the year.
Stevenson ranks 14th in program history with 1,259 career kills. She will move into 13th with 35 more kills. She is also seventh on the program charts in aces and 19th in digs. She needs three aces to move up to 5th.
Alex Dvorak leads the Washburn defense with 118 blocks on the year while starting all 24 matches. She sits third on the team in kills with 190 and leads the team with a .371 hitting percentage. The junior is second in the MIAA in both total blocks and blocks per set. She ranks 13th and 20th in each category nationally, respectively. She is also 29th in the nation and third in the conference in hitting percentage.
Shawnee Heights product Taylor Rottinghaus has a team-high 461 digs across 24 matches. She has chipped in 74 assists and served 23 aces. The sophomore is 35th in the nation and seventh in the MIAA in digs per set while ranking sixth among conference players in total digs. She has 20-plus digs in five of the last seven matches, including a career-high 40 against Nebraska-Kearney.
Corinna McMullen paces Washburn with 567 assists through 24 matches with 22 starts. She is also third on the team with 213 digs while serving a team-high 38 aces. The junior is third in the MIAA in aces per set while ranking eighth in both assists per set and total assists. She has 12 double-doubles on the year, including each of the last five matches.
McMullen is 11th in program history in total assists with 1,997. She is tied for 12th in program history in service aces with 120. She needs three more aces to move into 10th.
