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By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Four Shawnee County teams earned spots in the 2026 Kansas Volleyball Association Preseason State Rankings, released Wednesday.

Silver Lake volleyball is ranked No. 1 in the KVA Class 3A preseason state rankings after posting a 46-1 record last season, including 37 straight wins to end the season. [File photo/TSN] 

Defending state champion Silver Lake is No. 1-ranked in Class 3A after posting a 46-1 record last season and ending the year with 37 straight victories.

Hayden is second-ranked in 4A after posting a runnerup state finish last fall while Rossville is No. 3 in 2A and Washburn Rural No. 7 in 6A. Both the Bulldawgs and Junior Blues were state qualifiers last season. 

KVA PRESEASON STATE RANKINGS

Class 6A

1. Blue Valley West

2. Mill Valley

3. Olathe Northwest

4. Blue Valley

5. Manhattan

6. Blue Valley North

7. Washburn Rural

8. Garden City

9. Olathe West

10. Lawrence Free State

Class 5A

1. St. Thomas Aquinas

2. Maize South

3. St. James Academy

4. Andover Central

5. Blue Valley Southwest

6. Great Bend

7. Kapaun Mt. Carmel

8. Bishop Carroll

9. Lansing

10. De Soto

Class 4A

1. Andale

2. Hayden

3. Clay Center

4. Bishop Miege

5. Eudora

6. McPherson

7. Circle

8. Wellington

9. Rock Creek

10. Paola

Class 3A

1. Silver Lake

2. Hoisington

3. Holton

4. Hesston

5. Halstead

6. Beloit

7. Cheney

8. Ellsworth

9. Wichita-Trinity Academy

10. Riley County

Class 2A

1. Ellinwood

2. Valley Heights

3. Rossville

4. Jefferson County North

5. Oakley

6. Hillsboro

7. Moundridge

8. Inman

9. Conway Springs

10. Thomas More Prep-Marian

Class 1A Division I

1. Little River

2. Centralia

3. Goessel

4. Wabaunsee

5. Quinter

6. South Gray

7. St. John-Hudson

8. Sylvan-Lucas

9. Greeley County

10. Rural Vista

Class 1A Division II

1. Linn

2. Hanover

3. Axtell

4. Cheylin

5. Marais des Cygnes Valley

6. Wheatland-Grinnell

7. Victoria

8. Argonia

9. Hutchinson Central Christian

10. Western Plains

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

No. 8 nationally-ranked Washburn University will open its 2026 season with four matches across three days in the Washburn Invitational in Lee Arena.

No. 8-ranked Washburn volleyball will open its 2026 season with four matches in the Washburn Invitational Thursday through Saturday. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Washburn, coming off a 27-5 record last fall, will open its 57th season at 6 p.m. Thursday against Oklahoma Christian. The Ichabods will face Arkansas Tech at 2 p.m. and William Jewell at 7 o'clock on Friday before closing out the weekend with a 2 p.m. Saturday match against Westminster University.

"We did get to compete against other teams (Rockhurst, Drury and Southwest Baptist) in scrimmages, but I'm ready to actually put the jersey on and play against other people,'' said senior libero Taylor Rottinghaus.

"Obviously preseason it's not the real deal, but it's exciting to see us come out and attack other teams and it's fun to just see that before we actually get out and play for real. We've been working really hard this week at practice and we're ready to showcase what we have (Thursday).''   

Oklahoma Christian went 19-10 last season while Arkansas Tech was 15-12, William Jewell 4-23 and Westminster 17-10. 

Last season Washburn went 4-0 in the Washburn Invitational. The Ichabods have won their last 23 matches played at home in regular-season tournaments.

Washburn is back in Lee Arena this season after going 12-1 in Whiting Fieldhouse in 2025 while renovations were completed in Lee Arena.

"I'm so excited to play in Lee Arena,'' Rottinghaus said. "It's definitely a different atmosphere up in Whiting but it's also an amazing atmosphere down in Lee. We've seen other sports do it and I'm just ready for it to be our turn.''

This is the first season since 2021 that the Ichabods will open its season at home. Washburn has won its last seven season-openers.

The Ichabods were picked to finish in a tie for first in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll. Washburn received a league-high five first-place votes and 134 total points, tied with Nebraska-Kearney for the top spot.

Washburn recorded its 24th straight winning season in 2025 with a 13-3 record in the MIAA, securing a share of the MIAA regular-season championship.

Rottinghaus, a former Shawnee Heights standout, earned All-MIAA second-team honors for the third straight season in 2025.

A senior, Rottinghaus recorded a team-high 468 digs and was second on the team with 30 service aces while adding 121 assists. As a junior she had six matches with 20 or more digs. She finished sixth in the MIAA in total digs while ranking seventh in the conference in digs per set.

With 1,481 career digs, Rottinghaus ranks ninth on the Ichabod all-time chart in total digs. Her career digs per set mark of 4.70 is fourth in program history. 

Brynne Topolski, a rightside hitter, is back for her junior season after playing in all 32 matches off the bench last year. She earned All-MIAA second-team recognition after recording 270 kills, second most on the team, while hitting .270. She also added 54 blocks with 53 digs and six assists. Topolski had 11 matches with 10-plus kills and nine hitting .400 or better. 

Junior Keilah Rivers returns to the outside hitter rotation after receiving All-MIAA honorable mention last season while playing in all 32 matches and making 30 starts. She finished third on the team with 222 kills and had six matches with 10-plus kills and two double-doubles. 

Autumn Gibbs, a senior, played in all 32 matches while making eight starts and finished third on the team with 274 digs. She also served 26 aces and added 49 assists while compiling 11 matches with double-digit digs.

Eight new Ichabods will suit up in 2026 with six incoming freshman and a pair of transfers. 

The freshman class includes Brooklyn Benoit (Wichita), Morgan Sears (Overland Park), Hayden Meats (Olathe), Kalyn Sampson (Sedgwick), Avery Willey (Shawnee Heights) and Finley Rieke (Tonganoxie). 

Coming to Washburn as transfers are Emma Siron (Sedalia, Mo.) and Lauren Tyler (Rogersville, Mo.). 

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By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Phil Frost took a two-stroke victory in Tuesday's Topeka Golf Association Bill McDonald Champions Stroke Play championship at Shawnee Country Club while Jeremiah Nelson was named the TGA 2026 Player of the Year.

Phil Frost took the TGA Bill McDonald Champions Stroke Play championship by two strokes Tuesday at Shawnee Country Club. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Jeremiah Nelson was crowned the TGA 2026 Player of the Year Tuesday at Shawnee Country Club. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Frost, who competed in the 50-54 age division, shot identical rounds of 71 Monday at Topeka Country Club and Tuesday at SCC to win the overall gross title by a pair of strokes over seven-time overall champion Dave Carson.

Phil Frost won the TGA Bill McDonald Champions Stroke Play championships Tuesday at Shawnee Country Club after being named the TGA Player of the Year in 2025. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN] 

Carson, who won the 60-64 age division title, carded rounds of 72 and 72 to finish at 144 in the city event for players aged 40 and over while Mark Elliott finished third overall at 145 (66-79) and won the 65-69 age group championship.

Dave Carson finished second overall and won the 60-64 age division title in Tuesday's TGA Bill McDonald Champions Stroke Play tournament at Shawnee Country Club. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Mark Elliott finished third overall and won the 65-69 age group gross title in Tuesday's TGA Bill McDonald Champions Stroke Play tournament at Shawnee Country Club. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Jim Sanders, competing in the 75 and over division, was the overall net champ (including handicap) at 132, carding rounds of 67 and 65.

Awards were presented Tuesday in multiple age divisions for low gross and net scores.

The Champions event is named in honor of Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Famer Bill McDonald, who was in attendance for Tuesday's tournament.

Nelson, the City Match Play champion, earned the 2026 TGA Player of the Year honor by a 496-441 margin, over Adam Head while Jack Donovan finished third with 381 points.

TGA BILL McDONALD CITY CHAMPIONS STROKE PLAY TOURNAMENT

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