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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
LIBERTY, Mo. -- Washburn soccer took to the road for the first time in the 2022 season and came away with a record-tying 7-3 non-conference road win over William Jewell.
Five different Ichabods scored in the game led by two goals each from Jaedyn Johnson and former Washburn Rural All-Stater Belle Kennedy.
Former Washburn Rural star Belle Kennedy scored the first two goals of her college career in Sunday's 7-3 Washburn University soccer win at William Jewell. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Washburn's seven goals tied the program record set two other times, most recently in a 2012 match against Nebraska-Kearney. Washburn also recorded 24 shots in the game, the most in a single game since it took 25 against Missouri Western in 2019. Seventeen of those shots came on goal, the most in a single game since the 2007 season.
William Jewell recorded the first shot of the game before the Ichabods took the next six but were unable to score early on.
Lux Sands
In the 25th minute, the Cardinals got on the board first with a goal into the top right corner of the net from from freshman Lux Sands, a former Topeka High standout who scored her first college goal.
In the 39th minute, Khloe Schuckman got alone on the right side and was able to get a shot just above the goalie's reach to tie the game at one.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Editor's note: Shawnee County varsity coaches in all fall sports are encouraged to report their game/event results by email to
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Washburn Rural volleyball opened its 2022 season with a statement win over St. Thomas Aquinas in a battle between two of the state's storied programs in Saturday's St. James Academy Volleyball Slam.
Brooklyn DeLeye and Washburn Rural opened the 2022 volleyball season with a win over Class 5A power St. Thomas Aquinas on Saturday. [File photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
The Junior Blues begins the season ranked No. 3 in Class 6A by the Kansas Volleyball Association while Aquinas is top-ranked in 5A in the KVA preseason poll.
Washburn Rural is coming off a 41-2 season and a fourth-place finish in the 6A state tournament while Aquinas finished third in 5A last season.
The Junior Blues took a 25-21 first-set win over the Saints and closed out the victory with a 25-20 victory.
"I thought for the first match we did pretty well against a really good team,'' said Rural coach Kevin Bordewick, who has led the Junior Blues to seven state championships. "We talked about whether we win or lose, this match will show us a lot of things we have to work on, and it did.''
The Volleyball Slam is regarded as one of the area's premier events and Bordewick said the Junior Blues did a good job of handling the surroundings.
Kentucky commit Brooklyn DeLeye, the reigning 6A player of the year, had a big opener for Rural, but Bordewick said the entire team made solid contributions.
"We had a great student section that gave us a lot of energy and we had three girls who made their varsity debut that handled the big-time atmosphere and pressure really well,'' Bordewick said.
"If we keep working we can have a really special season.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural put together an outstanding 8-2 football season last fall while earning a share of the Centennial League championship.
But the way the year ended -- a 42-10 second-round Class 6A playoff loss -- has stoked the Junior Blues' fires to take that next step this fall.
Washburn Rural coach Steve Buhler returns a wealth of experience from last season's 8-2 team that earned a share of the Centennial League title. [File photo/TSN]
"I think we thought about the 8-2 after awhile in the springtime, but this group was really disappointed with how we played against Free State,'' said Rural coach Steve Buhler, who is starting his 10th season at the school. "They were a really good team so we noticed there were some things we're going to have to do to get better and get past this round that we've been at for the last couple of years.
"This group's really hungry and they're still young and we're ready to go. It's been fun.''
Returning 30 lettermen, including six starters on offense and eight on defense, Rural would appear to have the firepower to make a deeper 6A run in 2022, but Buhler said the Junior Blue have to take care of business every single week, beginning with Friday night's season-opener at Wichita East.
"The first thing it taking that next step is is you've got to put yourself in a good position to take that next step, which means being in those top four seeds, so all the games that lead up to it are really important,'' said Buhler, who has a 165-93 career coaching record. "If you still break it down by those goals that everybody likes to, about being a league champion and things like that, those things lead you to the position to move on.
"We've talked a lot with the kids about you can't sit there and wait for the playoffs, you've got to focus on the weeks leading up to it and take care of the playoffs when they get here.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
KEARNEY, Neb. – No. 2 ranked Washburn University volleyball wrapped up its season-opening weekend with a perfect 4-0 record as the Ichabods added a 3-0 win over Midwestern State and a 3-1 victory over Sioux Falls on Saturday's final day at the University Nebraska-Kearney Fall Classic. Washburn will play one last non-conference tournament next weekend in Cleveland, Tenn. hosted by Lee University, Sept. 2-3.
The Ichabods swept Midwestern State, 25-14, 25-13, 25-22, and took a 19-25, 25-16, 25-20, 25-11 victory over Sioux Falls.
Jalyn Stevenson
Kealy Kiviniemi
Midwestern State (0-3) scored the opening point of the match, but that would be its only lead of the first set as Washburn quickly jumped in front, 11-5. The Ichabods claimed six of the final seven points in the 25-14 win and Kealy Kiviniemi had three kills during that stretch.
Similar to the first set, the Mustangs got the first point and led 3-2 in the second set when the Ichabods benefited from four consecutive errors to go in front, 6-3. Midwestern State pulled within a point after a pair of Washburn errors, but the Ichabods got back on track and created some space with a 7-2 run that included two blocks, three kills, all from different players, and two service aces.
With the Ichabods holding an 18-12 advantage, Halle Meister landed a kill to start a 7-1 run to secure the second-set victory.
MSU also got the first point of the third set and jumped out to a 4-1 lead.
Bella Limback recorded a kill and the Ichabods scored five unanswered points to take their first lead of the game, 6-4.
The Mustangs continued to fight back and took the lead at 8-7, 10-9 and 13-11 before Washburn reclaimed the lead with a 5-1 run and never trailed again.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Three Shawnee County teams earned spots in the Kansas Volleyball Association rankings released on Friday.
Leading the way is Washburn Rural, which is ranked No. 3 in Class 6A.
Reigning Class 6A player of the year Brooklyn DeLeye and the Washburn Rural volleyball team begin the 2022 season ranked No. 3 in the KVA preseason rankings. [File photo/TSN]
The Junior Blues, who opened the 2022 season Saturday, are coming off a 41-2 season and a fourth-place state finish.
Seaman also begins the year with a top-five state ranking, with the Vikings No. 5 in 5A.
The Vikings finished fourth in the 5A state tournament last season, posting a 27-13 record.
Perennial state power Silver Lake is No. 7 in Class 3A after posting a 28-9 record in 2021.
KANSAS VOLLEYBALL ASSOCIATION
