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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The No. 16-ranked Washburn University soccer team hosts rival Emporia State at Yager Stadium at 6 p.m. on Wednesday evening for Senior Night, looking to wrap up the MIAA regular-season title.
Washburn, 11-2-4 overall and 8-0-3 in the MIAA, can clinch the championship with a win over the Hornets (8-5-4, 5-2-4).
Multi-time MIAA pick Belle Kennedy (12) is one of 10 Washburn soccer seniors who will be recognized before Wednesday's Senior Night match against Emporia State in Yager Starium. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn will recognize seniors Sydney Achilles, Shandon Carr, Londyn Furnish, Alli Harrington, Belle Kennedy, Hunter McWilliams, Lakin Rold, Brooke Powell, Aubrey Tanksley and Shaye Taylor.
"I'm excited that our ladies have earned the chance to compete for something really special on Senior Night,'' Washburn coach Davy Phillips said. "This senior class has been an incredible class for our program. They're the winningest class in WU soccer history (with 57 wins), they played for a national championship, and now get the chance to earn a third MIAA trophy.
"It's a really special class that I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to coach. Thank you, ladies."
Washburn extended its unbeaten streak this past weekend to 13 with a 2-0 win last Friday at Northwest Missouri and a scoreless draw against Missouri Western on Sunday.
"We are looking forward to the opportunity to continue to grow into our DNA in pursuit of another MIAA title,'' Phillips said. "Emporia is a good team and well-coached, and it's always a battle."
During their unbeaten streak, the Ichabods have only allowed three goals.
Washburn moved up three spots to No. 16 in the USC national poll and remained second in the USC Central Region poll.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Class 3A state champion Silver Lake, 4A runnerup Hayden and state qualifiers Washburn Rural in 6A and Rossville in 2A combined to put 12 players on the TopSports.news 2025 All-Shawnee County volleyball first team.
Shawnee County Player of the Year Kylie Hanni, Silver Lake [File photo/TSN]
Shawnee County Coach of the Year Sarah Johnson, Silver Lake. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
Shawnee County Newcomer of the Year Brynn Anderson, Washburn Rural. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Silver Lake, which went 46-1 and ended its season on a 37-match winning streak, is represented on the all-county team by senior Jaiden Wise, juniors Kylie Hanni and Jaylie Whitehead and sophomore Karys Deiter, with Hanni named the county player of the year and Eagles coach Sarah Johnson tapped as the coach of the year.
Hayden, which placed second at state after finishing third in 2024, is represented on the first team by sophomore repeat picks Hailey Schmidtlein and Blakely Walter along with senior Ella Foster, a multi-time all-county selection.
Washburn Rural is represented on the all-county first team by seniors Karsyn Horyna and Stella Kelly and freshman Brynn Anderson, who was named the Shawnee County newcomer of the year after the Junior Blues won the Centennial League championship and advanced to the 6A state tournament for the ninth straight season.
Horyna is a first-team All-Shawnee County repeat pick while Kelly was a second-team pick as a junior.
Rossville junior Nora Burdiek is a first-team all-county repeat pick and is joined on the first team by freshman Kenna Perine.
Rounding out the first team are Cair Paravel Latin senior Karsyn Hastert, Topeka West junior Sydney Van Dyke and Shawnee Heights senior Avery Willey.
All-Shawnee County first-team capsules:
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University soccer coach Davy Phillips puts a talented starting lineup on the field every time the Ichabods take the field.
But the talent doesn't stop there, and Phillips credits the Ichabods' depth for being a big factor in the Ichabods' 11-2-4 start, including a league-leading 8-0-3 MIAA record and 13-match unbeaten streak, entering Wednesday's 6 p.m. regular-season finale against Emporia State in Yager Stadium.
Junior Kylie Hinrichs (19) scored her first career goal, the game-winner, in Washburn's recent 2-1 soccer win over Fort Hays State. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn sophomore Sam Searcey has five goals and three assists on the season for the MIAA-leading Ichabods, [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"The strength is in the collective in this group, truly,'' Phillips said. "We've said it for a couple of years, but I just feel like we got deeper this year. Our depth is definitely a strength of ours.''
Washburn players who primarily come off the bench have accounted for nine of the Ichabods' 28 goals on the season while providing six of the team's 13 assists.
Washburn freshman Bricelyn Betts is mobbed by her teammates after scoring a goal in the Ichabods' 2-1 MIAA win over Fort Hays State. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Sophomore Sam Searcey (Lincoln, Neb.), who has come off the bench in 13 of 17 games, ranks second on the team with five goals and has also contributed a team-leading three assists, while freshman Jules Wardlaw (Olathe West) has a pair of goals, freshman Bricelyn Betts (Raymore, Mo.) has a goal and two assists and junior Kylie Hinrichs (Elkhorn, Neb.) has one goal, a game-winner, for the Ichabods.
"There's zero dropoff and it makes for really hard conversations as a coach explaining to players how fine that line is and why certain players get to start versus not, but if you can get past that and just concentrate on the strength it gives our team being that deep at every position, it's an incredible strength for us,'' Phillips said.
A perfect example of that bench strength was on display in Washburn's most recent home game, a 2-1 win over Fort Hays State, as Betts and Hinrichs both recorded their first career goals while Searcey provided the assist on both goals.
"It's kind of crazy how we have such a good second lineup that it's almost like you barely see a dropoff when we go in, which is really unique at this level,'' Hinrichs said.
Betts said the key for the players coming off the bench is to provide energy and a spark when possible.
"It's just like there'a already momentum going and we just want to keep it going,'' Betts said. "Energy coming out and making a difference is definitely what we really strive to do and something that Davy emphasizes really heavily.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural soccer took care of business Monday night at McElroy Field, rolling to the Class 6A state semifinals with a 5-1 quarterfinal romp past Garden City.
Washburn Rural's soccer team celebrates Monday's 5-1 Class 6A quarterfinal win over Garden City at McElroy Field. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Now the 17-1-1 Junior Blues will get the opportunity to avenge their lone loss of the season in Wednesday's 6 p.m. state semifinal on the road against Blue Valley West, which rallied from a 2-0 halftime deficit to take a 3-2 double-overtime early-season victory over Washburn Rural.
Needless to say, the Junior Blues are looking forward to the challenge ahead.
"We're glad to get the win (tonight) and know that we're playing two more times,'' Washburn Rural coach Brian Hensyel said. "We'll be ready Wednesday. This team has been playing great for quite sometime, we've been scoring goals and we feel really confident in our chances.''
Hensyel said the earlier loss to Blue Valley West (17-2), which advanced to the semifinals with a 2-0 quarterfinal win over Blue Valley, provided a wakeup call for the Junior Blues.
"It was probably the turning point,'' Hensyel said. "It was just the third game and I think we thought we were going to be really good and that first half we were really good and dominated the game and then just gave it away.
"Blue Valley West is a good team obviously and one of the best teams in Kansas City and we felt like on that night we just handed them a win in the second half. I think we've gotten a lot better since then and we had a feeling we were going to see them again because they're a really good team, so (Wednesday) will be fun.''
Washburn Rural senior Draden Chooncharoen (23) had a goal and an assist in Monday's 5-1 Class 6A quarterfinal win over Garden City. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Rural never trailed in Monday's quarterfinal after senior Draden Chooncharoen scored at the 25:35 mark of the first half.
"(Hensyel) always talks about getting out early, the first 15 minutes you've got to have a goal, so getting that first goal and having energy and making them play from behind that gave us a good starter for the game,'' said Chooncharoen, who also had an assist in the win.
Junior Myles Didde scored Monday's second goal in Washburn Rural's 5-1 Class 6A quarterfinal win over Garden City. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Junior Myles Didde made it a 2-0 game just over five minutes later and an own goal at the 12:20 mark put Washburn Rural in command 3-0 at the half.
Senior Dylan Willingham, Washburn Rural's single-season and career scoring record-holder, scored two goals on penalty kicks in Monday's 5-1 Class 6A state quarterfinal win over Garden City at McElroy Field. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Garden City (15-3-1) got on the scoreboard 6:44 into the second half on a goal from junior Saul Ortega, but Washburn Rural star Dylan Willingham converted penalty kicks with 12:40 and 3:50 remaining to account for the final margin.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Eight Shawnee County standouts from Class 3A state champion Silver Lake, 4A runnerup Hayden and 2A participant Rossville have earned All-State Tournament recognition from the Kansas Volleyball Association.
Kylie Hanni, Silver Lake [Photo by Scott Paske/KSHSAA Covered]
Jaylie Whitehead, Silver Lake [Photo by Jesse Bruner /Special to TSN]
Jaiden Wise, Silver Lake [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
Silver Lake, which completed a 46-1 season with the 10th state volleyball championship in school history Saturday at the Hutchinson Sports Arena, is represented on the All-3A state tourney team by 5-foot-3 junior setter Kylie Hanni, 5-5 junior libero Jaylie Whitehead and 5-8 senior outside hitter Jaiden Wise.
Ella Foster, Hayden [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Hailey Schmidtlein, Hayden [Photo by Scott Paske/KSHSAA Covered]
Mallory Tanking, Hayden [Photo by Scott Paske/KSHSAA Covered]
Blakely Walter, Hayden [File photo/TSN]
Hayden, 33-10 after a three-set loss to Andale in the championship match at Hutchinson, is represented on the All-4A state tournament team by 5-4 senior libero Ella Foster, 5-11 sophomore rightside hitter/middle blocker Hailey Schmidtlein, 6-0 junior outside/rightside hitter Mallory Tanking and 5-9 sophomore setter Blakely Walter.
Schmidtlein and Walter earned all-state tournament honors for the second straight season.
Nora Burdiek, Rossville [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]]
Rossville 5-11 junior outside hitter Nora Burdiek was named to the 2A all-state tournament team after leading the Bulldawgs to a 1-2 record in pool play at Dodge City.
