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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
No. 6-ranked Washburn University volleyball will open its 16th NCAA Tournament appearance Thursday night in Warrensburg, Mo., with the fifth-seeded Ichabods taking on No. 10-ranked and fourth-seeded Winona State in a Central Region quarterfinal match.
Washburn will take a 26-5 record into the 7:30 p.m. match while Winona State is 28-4.
No. 1 seeded and top-ranked Central Missouri will host the eight-team Central Region tournament, with the quarterfinal matches contested on Thursday followed by the semifinals on Friday and the championship match at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
"We can play with anybody in the country and that's the way we feel,'' Washburn coach Chris Herron said. "We feel that way and all these kids feel that way.''
Thursday's quarterfinal will mark the first-ever match between Washburn and Winona State.
"I think it's kind of exciting that we're playing somebody we haven't played,'' Herron said when the tournament pairings were announced. "That's really cool for us and I know our kids will be excited about not playing somebody for the third or fourth time.''
Senior Genna Berg leads Washburn with 385 kills heading into the NCAA Central Region tournament at Warrensburg, Mo. [File photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Ichabods have been idle since dropping a 3-1 decision to No. 4 Northwest Missouri in an MIAA tournament semifinal, while Winona State is coming off a loss in the NSIC tournament championship match.
WU has played 10 matches against teams ranked in the Top 25 this season and has gone 5-5. Six of those matches were against opponents ranked in the Top 10.
Washburn has played 30 matches in the NCAA Tournament and has an overall record of 15-15.
Seven of the eight teams in this year's Central Region tournament are ranked in the Top 15 nationally.
Washburn has won the NCAA regional title twice, first in 2007 against Truman State and then in 2018 against Concordia-St. Paul.
There are 10 current Ichabod players who were on the 2018 roster. Current assistant coach Shayla Conner was also on the 2018 squad.
Washburn had a program-best eight players receive All-MIAA honors this season, including tying a program-best with five first-team selections.
Former Shawnee Heights state champ Faith Rottinghaus is a three-time first-team All-MIAA selection for Washburn's volleyball team, which will play Winona State on Thursday in the opening round of the NCAA Division II Central Region tournament. [File photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Genna Berg, Faith Rottinghaus and Allison Maxwell were all named to the first team for the third time in their careers. Allison Sadler earned her second first-team honor and Kelsey Gordon was a first-time first team selection.
Sydney Fitzgibbons earned second-team All-MIAA recognition while Taylor Antonowich and Jalyn Stevenson received honorable mention.
As a team, the Ichabods lead the MIAA in eight of 12 statistical categories and is ranked in the top-three nationally in kills per set (15.12 kills/set - first in D-II), assists per set (13.70 assists/set - second in D-II), and hitting percentage (.296 percent - third in D-II).
The Ichabods also hold their opponents to a conference-low .140 hitting percentage as well as the lowest in opponent assists (9.7 assists/set), kills (10.7 kills/set), service aces (0.9 aces/set), and blocks (1.4 blocks/set).
Maxwell is the only player in the MIAA and one of six players in the nation who are currently hitting above .400 as she has a .438 attacking percentage.
Berg leads the team with 385 kills and is second in the MIAA with 3.67 kills per set while Maxwell has 329 kills and is second in the conference with 1.10 blocks per set.
Rottinghaus averages 6.55 digs per set (third in Division II) and has 688 total digs (fifth in Division II).
Sadler has recorded a team-best nine double-doubles. She is third in the league with 10.68 assists per set and is second on the team with 2.35 digs per set.
Berg is now seventh on Washburn's all-time kills list with 1,500 in her career.
Herron has posted a record of 557-112 at WU while coaching the Ichabods in all 16 of their NCAA Tournament appearances.
NSIC player of the year Megan Flom leads Winona State with 440 total kills while hitting .419. She also has a team-best 114 blocks, which includes 26 solo stops.
Bre Maloney earned a place on the NSIC first team as she averages 11.22 assists per set.
An Ichabod win on Thursday would place them in the regional semifinal match on Friday against the winner of the Central Missouri/Arkansas Tech quarterfinal.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University's women's basketball team faces a tough test in Wednesday's MIAA opener, with No. 1-ranked Fort Hays State visiting Lee Arena for a 5:30 p.m. contest.
Washburn is 1-4 on the season and fighting a three-game losing streak while Fort Hays State is 5-0.
Through four games, the Ichabods have a 38.6 field goal percentage and average 58.2 points and 40.2 rebounds.
The Ichabods have had a higher field goal percentage than their opponents in four of their five games and WU has also led or tied in rebounds in all but one game.
Ron McHenry's Washburn University women's basketball team will be looking to bounce back from a 1-4 start when No. 1-ranked Fort Hays State visits Lee Arena Wednesday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn has struggled at the free throw line to start the season, making 29 of 59 attempts (49.2 percent).
Senior Huner Bentley averages a team-high 10.6 points for Washburn and has gone 8 of 10 from the free throw line while Mackenzie Gamble and Macy Doebele are both averaging 8 points.
Bentley needs 46 more points to hit 1,300 in her career and is 57 points away from moving up to No. 11 on Washburn's career scoring list.
Abby Oliver averages 7.2 points and 5.8 rebounds for the Ichabods while Aubree Dewey leads the team with 15 assists.
The Tigers' 2020-21 season ended with a 72-68 loss in the NCAA Tournament semifinals against No. 20 Central Missouri.
Fort Hays State averages 77.4 points and has a 44.2 field goal percentage.
Second-year freshman Katie Wagner averaging a double-double with 20.4 points and 12.6 rebounds per game while shooting 55.4 percent from the field. She also is the team leader in assists with 16.
Olivia Hollenbeck is averaging 13.0 points for Fort Hays State while Lauren West chips in 12.4 points per game and has made a team-best nine 3-pointers.
Washburn holds a 47-37 series advantage over Fort Hays State, but has lost 10 of the last 11 meetings.
Washburn wraps up its five-game homestand on Saturday, hosting Nebraska-Kearney at 1 p.m.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University's men's basketball team, picked second in both MIAA preseason polls, will open its conference season Wednesday night, hosting unbeaten Fort Hays State at Lee Arena (7:30 p.m. tipoff).
The Ichabods are 3-3 on the season after wrapping up their non-conference schedule with a 79-69 win over Benedictine College last Saturday.
Fort Hays State is 4-0 on the season with wins over Arkansas Tech, Southwestern Oklahoma State, Central Christian and Manhattan Christian.
The Ichabods hold a 98-70 series advantage over the Tigers and have won the last six in a row.
Washburn is 23-9 in MIAA openers and 4-0 in conference openers under coach Brett Ballard.
Junior guard Jalen Lewis leads Washburn with a 15.8 scoring average entering Wednesday's MIAA opener against Fort Hays State at Lee Arena. [File photograph]
Junior guard Jalen Lewis leads Washburn with a 15.8-point scoring average and in minutes played at 30.5 per game, while freshman Michael Keegan is averaging 11.3 points and 4.2 rebounds and recorded career-highs of 17 points and eight rebounds against Benedictine.
Connor Deffebaugh also scored a career-high 17 points against the Ravens and had six rebounds and three assists.
Washburn has played all but two minutes this season without All-America guard Tyler Geiman (ankle), but Geiman could be back in the near future. WU has also been without post Jonny Clausing and guard Tyler Nelson.
Geiman ranks ninth on Washburn's career scoring list with 1,394 in 116 career games while Lewis is No. 4 in made 3-pointers with 210.
Fort Hays State is coming off an 83-34 victory over Manhattan Christian.
All-MIAA returner Jared Vitzum averages 11.3 points and 11 rebounds for Fort Hays State while Kaleb Hammeke averages 10.8 points and Nyjee Wright 10.3.
Washburn will also be at home Saturday, hosting Nebraska-Kearney.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Four Shawnee County high school basketball teams have earned spots in the first Kansas Baskeball Coaches Association state rankings of the season.
Washburn Rural's girls, the 2019 state champion, begin the 2021-2022 season ranked No. 2 in Class 6A behind defending state champion Shawnee Mission Northwest, while Topeka High, last year's runner-up is ranked eighth. Topeka High has advanced to the 6A semifinals the past three seasons, with a pair runner-up finishes in '19 and '21.
Brooklyn DeLeye and the Washburn Rural girls will begin the 2021-22 basketball season ranked No. 2 in Class 6A. [File photo/TSN]
Junior Kiki Smith is a top returner for Topeka High's girls, who are ranked No. 8 in Class 6A by the KBCA. [File photo/TSN]
Silver Lake, which advanced to the state tournament a year ago, is No. 5 in the 3A girls rankings.
Ty Henry (middle) and Seaman are ranked No. 8 in Class 5A to open the 2021-2022 season by the KBCA. [File photo/TSN]
Seaman, which is coming off a 13-9 season, holds down the No. 8 spot in the 5A boys rankings.
KANSAS BASKETBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION STATE RANKINGS
GIRLS
Class 6A
1. Shawnee Mission Northwest; 2. Washburn Rural; 3. Olathe North; 4. Shawnee Mission West; 5. Blue Valley North; 6. Derby; 7. Dodge City; 8. Topeka High; 9. Wichita Heights; 10. Olathe Northwest.
Class 5A
1. St. Thomas Aquinas; 2. Andover Central; 3. Salina Central; 4. Lansing; 5. Maize; 6. Bishop Carroll; 7. St. James Academy; 8. Maize South; 9. Kapaun Mt. Carmel; 10 Emporia.
Class 4A
1. Bishop Miege; 2. McPherson; 3. Labette County; 4. Andale; 5. Louisburg; 6. Paola; 7. Clearwater; 8. Wellington; 9. Eudora; 10. Wamego.
Class 3A
1. Hugoton; 2. Cheney; 3. Nickerson; 4. Goodland; 5. Silver Lake; 6. Phillipsburg; 7. TMP-Marian; 8. Hesston; 9. Eureka; 10. Haven.
Class 2A
1. Sterling; 2. St. Mary's Colgan; 3. Garden Plain; 4. Valley Heights; 5. Smith Center; 6. Hillsboro; 7. Trego Community; 8. Wabaunsee; 9. Atchison County; 10. Moundridge.
Class 1A-Division I
1. Little River; 2. Burlingame; 3. St. John-Hudson; 4. Spearville; 5. Pretty Prairie; 6. Centralia; 7. South Central; 8. Doniphan West; 9. Victoria; 10. Osborne.
Class 1A-Division II
1. Central Plains; 2. Hanover; 3. Lebo; 4. Golden Plains; 5. Hutchinson Central Christian; 6. Dighton 7. Wheatland-Grinnell; 8. St. John's-Beloit; 9. Bucklin; 10. Attica.
BOYS
Class 6A
1. Free State; 2. Shawnee Mission Northwest; 3. Wichita Heights; 4. Blue Valley Northwest; 5. Blue Valley West; 6. Blue Valley North; 7. Derby; 8. Lawrence; 9. Olathe South; 10. Blue Valley.
Class 5A
1. Maize; 2. Basehor-Linwood; 3. Bishop Carroll; 4. Andover; 5. Blue Valley Southwest; 6. Kapaun Mt. Carmel; 7. Hays 8. Seaman; 9. Maize South; 10. St. James Academy.
Class 4A
1. Bishop Miege; 2 Louisburg; 3. Tonganoxie; 4. Rose Hill; 5. McPherson; 6. Abilene; 7. Buhler; 8. Wamego; 9. Parsons; 10. Holton.
Class 3A
1. Hesston; 2. Galena; 3. TMP-Marian; 4. Royal Valley; 5. Wichita Collegiate; 6. Nemaha Central; 7. Hugoton; 8. Cheney; 9. Wichita Trinity; 10. Haven.
Class 2A
1. Hillsboro; 2. St. Mary's; 3. Wabaunsee; 4. Lyndon; 5. Inman; 6. Valley Falls; 7. Ellinwood; 8. Jefferson County North; 9. Erie; 10. Trego Community.
Class 1A-Division I
1. Olpe; 2. South Gray; 3. Troy; 4. Little River; 5. Meade; 6. Centralia; 7. Wichita Classical School; 8. Solomon; 9. Frankfort; 10. Osborne.
Class 1A-Division II
1. Hanover; 2. Northern Valley; 3. Wheatland-Grinnell; 4. Pawnee Heights; 5. Axtell; 6. Elyria Christian; 7. Waverly; 8. Logan-Palco; 9. Attica; 10. South Barber.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
City players earned nine of 12 first-team spots on the All-Centennial League boys soccer team, led by player of the year Porter Schafersman of Washburn Rural.
Schafersman, a senior, was one of four Washburn Rural players named to the first team after the Junior Blues posted a 19-1-0 record, a second-place finish in Class 6A and captured a 27th straight league championship (outright or shared), with seniors Wyatt Arnold and Joe Morse and junior Easton Bradstreet also earning first-team honors.
Washburn Rural senior Porter Schafersman has been named the Centennial League player of the year after helping lead the Junior Blues to a 19-1-0 record and a second-place finish in Class 6A. [File photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Seaman puts seniors Pablo Font and Gavin Wilhelm on the 12-player first team, while Hayden junior Jake Muller, Highland Park junior Villamy Diaz and Topeka High senior Sergio Ramirez also earned first-team recognition.
Topeka High freshman Chris Brown was voted the Centennial League newcomer of the year while Rural's Brian Hensyel was selected league coach of the year.
