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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Traditionally, Washburn Rural loads up its early-season non-conference volleyball schedule with quality opponents, with veteran Junior Blues coach Kevin Bordewick figuring that win or lose the tough mathes will make his team better in the long run.
The 2021 campaign has been no different, with Rural taking on a Missouri state champion as well as perennial Kansas powers St. James Academy and Bishop Miege over the first week of the season.
So far the Junior Blues have passed each and every test, however, including an impressive sweep in Thursday's home triangular, improving to 5-0 on the season.
Washburn Rural's volleyball team celebrates a point during Thursday's triangular sweep at Rural. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural opened Thursday night's home opener with a 25-19, 25-14 victory over 25-time state champion Bishop Miege before taking a 25-6, 25-16 win over Gardner-Edgerton.
"Just in a week's time we've had five matches and I think we've had a lot of improvement with every match in some area,'' Bordewick said. "Now we've had some where we kind of regressed a little bit, but I thought against Gardner we were passing well, setting well, defending well.
"That first set against Gardner I thought we were pretty sharp all the way around.''
Washburn Rural senior Katelynn Brogan (9) makes a return as teammate Jada Ingram stands by Thursday night at Rural. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
While happy with the Junior Blues' start to the year, Bordewick knows that there are still plenty of challenges coming up.
"Even over the next two or three weeks we've got Olathe Northwest, Blue Valley West,'' Bordewick said. "We've still got a tough schedule ahead of us so whatever is done is done. We've got to look to the future and that starts tomorrow in practice.''
Washburn Rural junior star Brooklyn DeLeye goes up for a kill Thursday night at Rural. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Bishop Miege, the defending Class 4A state champion, led 9-7 in the first set against Rural, but 6-foot-2 Junior Blue junior star Brooklyn DeLeye, who has orally committed to defending NCAA national champion Kentucky, took over the match at that point.
A DeLeye kill ended a Miege mini-run and then DeLeye delivered five straight service aces during a long service run as Rural opened up a commanding 17-9 lead.
The Stags fought back to get as close as 21-18, but got no closer as the Junior Blues closed out the win on a DeLeye kill and a dink from junior Chloe Carlgren.
Miege hung around for awhile in the second set but Rural turned a 10-7 lead into advantages of 15-7 and 21-11 en route to the 11-point win.
The Junior Blues put on a clinic in the first set against Gardner-Edgerton, ending the rout with a long service run from 5-11 senior Katelynn Brogan.
The Trailblazers put up more of a fight in the second set, but Rural was never seriously challenged after opening up an early 14-4 advantage.
Gardner-Edgerton topped Miege 25-23, 27-25 in the middle match of the night.
MATCH RESULTS
Washburn Rural def. Bishop Miege, 25-19, 25-14; Gardner-Edgerton def. Bishop Miege, 25-23, 27-25; Washburn Rural def. Gardner-Edgerton, 25-6, 25-16.
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TopSports.news
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A 5-foot-9, 195-pound senior running back and strong safety, Alejos was a standout on both sides of the ball for Topeka High in the 2020 season, earning All-City honors at running back while receiving All-Centennial League honorable mention.
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Camden Barta, Seaman
A senior quarterback/free safety, Barta played free safety for the 7-2 Vikings last season and backed up All-City Top 11 quarterback Reid Cowan. Barta is expected to move into the starting quarterback position for Seaman this fall.
Malachi Berg, Topeka West
Still just a junior, Berg is starting his third season as Topeka West's starting quarterback. The 6-3, 195-pound Berg received All-City honorable mention last season and will be looked on to provide leadership for the Chargers this fall.
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Robby Bolin, Washburn Rural
A 6-2, 190-pound senior wide receiver/safety, Bolin was an All-City Top 11 selection last fall, catching 29 passes for 863 yards and eight touchdowns. Bolin received second-team All-Centennial League recognition on offense and honorable mention on defense and also received All-6A honorable mention.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
A layoff of 656 days will end Thursday night for Washburn University's football team, with the Ichadods traveling to Jefferson City, Mo. to face Lincoln in WU's 2021 MIAA season-opener (6 p.m. kickoff).
Washburn has been idle since ending the '19 season with a 57-41 win over Nebraska-Kearney.
Prior to the 2020 season being canceled due to the COVID pandemic, 1895 was the last time the Ichabod football team had a season in which no games counted toward its record.
And although the Ichabods have continued to practice off and on over the last year-plus, Washburn coach Craig Schurig said it's way past time to play a game.
"If you look at all the practices we've had, it was around 25 in the fall, 25 or so in the spring plus the 20-plus we've had now, so that's about 75 practices without a game,'' Schurig said. "That's a lot of practice, so even the coaches are like, 'Yeah, we're ready to play.'
"Usually coaches are like, 'We could use another week,' but we're ready.''
Schurig said he feels like his team is coming off a very productive fall camp.
"We feel like our practices went well,'' Schurig said. "We have a pretty veteran group, so it was pretty smooth. We just feel like we're prepared and hopefully we play well.''
James Letcher Jr. is top returner for Washburn's football team, earning honorable mention All-America honors in 2019 for the 6-5 Ichabods. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden's soccer team had to wait a couple extra days to make its season debut, with Monday's scheduled opener postponed due to COVID-19 protocols at Ottawa.
But the Wilcats quickly made up for lost time, opening up a 3-0 lead on the way to a 3-1 win over Centennial League rival Topeka High Wednesday at Hayden.
"We were all ready to play Monday and just get that first game in,'' said Hayden junior standout Jake Muller, who had a two goals and an assist in the Wildcat victory. "We've been practicing for so long and it's exciting to play, so when that game was canceled it was tough, but we were ready for today.''
Topeka High senior Sergio Ramirez (left) advances the ball as Hayden's Tyler Broxterman defends in Wednesday's 3-1 Wildcat win over the Trojans at Hayden. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Muller got Hayden on the board at the 16:23 mark of the opening half off an assist by junior Chris Hayes, the lone goal of the first half.
The Wildcats then put the game away with two goals within 16 seconds of each other early in the second half.
Muller scored at the 34:39 mark off a pass from junior Nick Padilla and then Muller found Hayes for Hayden's final goal at the 34:23 mark.
"I thought we played really good,'' Muller said. "We still have stuff to work on, but I thought our effort was there.''
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THE PENNANT PLAYER PROFILE
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Things are about to get real for senior Faith Rottinghaus and her Washburn University volleyball teammates and the former Shawnee Heights multi-sport standout couldn't be more excited.
The powerhouse Ichabods, who open the 2021 season at home Thursday against Cameron University, had the entire '20 season wiped out by COVID-19 and Rottinghaus admitted that it's been a tough stretch for everybody in the program.
"It was extremely weird and it was really hard on us all, just kind of mentally taxing,'' said the two-time All-MIAA first-team libero/defensive specialist. "We were continuing to go into the gym and looking forward to getting to play but yet we didn't know if we were going to play or when we were going to play.
"It was a little bit mentally challenging from that aspect of it and to stay in good physical shape was kind of challenging. We really relied on each other and support from our teammates and coaches and motivation from each other.''
Former Shawnee Heights star Faith Rottinghaus, a two-time All-MIAA first-team pick, is stoked to play her final season for Washburn's volleyball team. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
