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Created: 02 December 2021

By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news

The No. 5-seeded Washburn University volleyball team got off to a lightning start Thursday night and didn't slow down much the rest of the night, rolling to a 3-1 win over No. 4 seed Winona State in the NCAA Central Region quarterfinals and earning a spot in Friday's semifinals at Warrensburg, Mo.

Washburn, which improved to 27-5 on the season, overwhelmed the Warriors 25-12 in a first-set victory.

Then, after Winona State (28-5) bounced back to a take a 25-19 second-set win, Washburn closed out its victory with 25-16 and 25-17 victories.

Washburn's volleyball team celebrates a point during Thursday's 3-1 win over Winona State in an NCAA Central Regional quarterfinal at Warrensburg, Mo. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics}

With the win the Ichabods advanced to a 7:30 regional semifinal Friday night to face top regional seed and tournament host Central Missouri, which swept Arkansas Tech 3-0 in the quarterfinals. Washburn has split its previous two matches with the Jennies this season. 

The quarterfinal match was back-and-forth to start as neither team held a lead of more than two points until Washburn put together an 18-2 scoring tear to take a commanding 23-9 advantage. Allison Maxwell put the set away with a kill to give the Ichabods a 1-0 lead.

The second set started out similar to the first, but it was the Warriors who put together a 9-2 run to go in front, 17-13. Trailing 19-14, the Ichabods won five of the next six points to pull within one, but that would be as close as it got as Winona State closed out the set with five unanswered points.

The Warriors scored the first two points of the third frame, but Washburn responded with a 9-1 run and never looked back. Genna Berg ended the 25-16 win with her seventh kill in the set.

Winona State took an early lead and was up 9-7 in the fourth set when a kill from Sydney Fitzgibbons sparked an 8-2 run to give the Ichabods a 15-11 lead. The teams traded points until Berg knocked down a kill to make it 21-16 and Washburn went on to claim four of the final five points, capped off by a kill by Kelsey Gordon.

Washburn hit .232 on the night while Winona State was limited to an .084 hitting percentage. The Ichabods led in kills, 52-43, and in digs, 85-71.

Berg led all players with 19 kills and added 14 digs to record her seventh double-double of the season. Maxwell knocked down a dozen kills and Gordon also contributed double-figure kills with 10. Defensively, Gordon and Fitzgibbons were a wall at the net and were a part of seven blocks.

Setter Allison Sadler recorded her 10th double-double with 40 assists to go with 14 digs.

Washburn senior Faith Rottinghaus led all players with 27 digs in the Ichabods' 3-1 win over Winona State in a Central Region quarterfinal Thursday night at Warrensburg, Mo. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]

In the back court, Shawnee Heights product Faith Rottinghaus led all players with 27 digs. Taylor Antonowich scooped up 12 digs and landed two of Washburn's six service aces.

For the Warriors, Megan Flom had 17 kills and a .239 hitting percentage.

Nebraska-Kearney, which knocked off Northwest Missouri in the quarterfinals, will meet Concordia-St. Paul in Friday's first semifinal at 5 p.m.

MATCH RESULT

Washburn def. Winona State, 25-12, 19-25, 25-16, 25-17.

Details

Created: 02 December 2021

By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news

Coaches always preach to players that if they work hard enough good things will happen.

Washburn University women's basketball freshman Alie Fulks, a former Shawnee Heights basketball and soccer standout, is proof of that.

Alie Fulks

Things didn't exactly go the way Fulks envisioned when she originally joined the Ichabods, but the 5-foot-9 guard has no complaints with how things have worked out so far.

The plan was for Fulks to play for the Washburn junior varsity in the 2020-2021 season, but she never got the chance when COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the entire JV season.

But Fulks continued to show up for practice every day with the varsity, got the opportunity to suit up for the Ichabods and even got into two games for Washburn in mopup time.

"At the end of the year I looked back and reflected and I felt like I improved a lot on my game and just as a player in general,'' Fulks said.

Shawnee Heights product Alie Fulks scored the first points of her college career on a 3-pointer in Washburn's 72-50 loss to No. 1-ranked Fort Hays State Wednesday night. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]

Fulks continued to improve over the offseason and has moved into a more prominent role this season, progressing to the point that veteran Ichabod coach Ron McHenry put her in the game in the first half of Wednesday's MIAA opener against the nation's No. 1-ranked Division II team, Fort Hays State.

"I was a little shocked, but as a bench player I'm always ready to hear my name and step into the role that I need to be for the team,'' said Fulks, who played 9 minutes, 13 seconds in the Ichabods' 72-50 loss to the Tigers.

"For sure I was excited to get in there and just help in any way I could with the team. It sucks with the loss, but it's really exciting to hear my name called and get out there and get in the fight with my teammates.''

The highlight of the night came with 4:35 remaining when Fulks canned a 3-pointer from the top of the key for the first points of her college career.

"It was exciting, but we were down pretty good so the first instinct is to get back on defense and try to keep going,'' Fulks said.

Now the goal for Fulks, who continues to see spot duty for the junior varsity, is to keep moving forward.

"Looking back and looking at where I am now, I've just come so far and I'm looking forward to keep improving and helping the team out.'' 

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Created: 02 December 2021

By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news

City swimmers combined to win seven events in Wednesday's season-opening Topeka West Invitational at the Capitol Federal Natatorium, led by double individual winner Luke Perkins of Shawnee Heights and three-event gold medalist Jack Miranda of Washburn Rural.

Shawnee Heights junior Luke Perkins was a double individual winner in Wednesday's season-opening Topeka West Invitational. [File photo/TSN]

Perkins won the 200-yard individual medley and the 100 butterfly and also swam on the T-Birds' second-place 200 medley and 200 free relays while Miranda won the 200 freestyle and swam on the Junior Blues' winning 200 free and 400 free relays. Miranda also finished second in the 500 freestyle.

Shawnee Heights Guillaume Humblet was the champion in the 100 freestyle while Washburn Rural's Brogan Meier won the 500 free as the Junior Blues finished second as a team behind Olathe Northwest. Humblet also finished second in the 100 breaststroke.

Rural's Nathen Trachta swam on the Junior Blues winning 200 free and 400 free relays while Meier swam on the 400 free relay and Cordell Dimick and Will Powell swam on the winning 200 free relay.

Topeka High's Jaxon Cowdin posted a third-place finish in one-meter diving.

TOPEKA WEST INVITATIONAL

Team scores

Olathe Northwest 472.5, Washburn Rural 321.5, Manhattan 276, Lansing 217, Shawnee Heights 206.5, Seaman 174, Turner 146.5, Topeka High 133.5, Junction City 126, Emporia 66.5, Hayden 61, Bishop Seabury 37.

Individual results

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Details

Created: 01 December 2021

By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news

Washburn University's men's basketball team gave itself a chance in Wednesday's MIAA opener against Fort Hays State, but couldn't get over the hump in a 68-58 loss at Lee Arena.

After trailing by 11 points with 55-44 with 6:16 remaining, the Ichabods battled back to within three points (57-54) on a 3-pointer from Isaiah Thorne with three minutes left and were still within four (62-58) inside the final minute before the Tigers scored the final six points.

"Our defense has been pretty solid in all these games and has kept us in it,'' Washburn coach Brett Ballard said. "We've got to find a way to score the ball.

"We're just not generating enough easy baskets at the rim and then our 3-point shooting in the real games so far has been brutal. We've got to knock down some shots.''

Washburn, which fell to 3-4 overall and 0-1 in the MIAA, outscored the Tigers 45-44 from the field but Fort Hays State connected on 24 of 34 free throws to outscore the Ichabods, who were 13 of 19, by a decisive 11 points at the line.

 The Ichabods jumped out to a 6-0 lead and would go on to lead 14-10 before the Tigers (5-0, 1-0 MIAA) used a 7-0 run to take a 17-14 lead.

After Washburn regained the lead at 20-17 with 8:33 to play in the opening half, the Tigers used an 11-3 run to push their lead to 28-23 and took a 36-29 advantage at halftime.
 
The Ichabods cut Fort Hays State's lead to 41-38 with a 9-3 run before the Tigers eventually stretched their advantage to double digits.

Fort Hays State finished the game with an 11-4 spurt, hitting nine of 11 free throws down the stretch to snap Washburn's six-game winning streak over the Tigers.

Freshman Andrew Orr scored a career-high 14 points for Washburn while hitting all seven of his field goal attempts and Orr added six rebounds and two blocks.

Freshman Michael Keegan had 13 points, seven rebounds, three blocks and two assists while Thorne had a career-high six assists to go with seven points.

Washburn was still without All-America point guard Tyler Geiman as well as Jonny Clausing and Tyler Nelson against the Tigers.
 
The Tigers were led by Nyjee Wright with 15 points and Jared Vitztum with 14.
 
Washburn finished 21 of 52 from the field, hitting 3 of 14 shots from 3-point range.

The Tigers were 19 of 53 from the field and were six of 23 on 3s.
 
The Tigers had a 38 to 31 rebounding advantage, turning 12 offensive rebounds into 11 second-chance points.

The Ichabods return to action on Saturday hosting Nebraska-Kearney at 3 p.m. in Lee Arena. 

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