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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University volleyball got off to a bit of a slow start in last Thursday's season-opening match against Sioux Falls (S.D.), dropping the first two sets in two-point nailbiters.
After opening the season with a 3-0 start in the Kansas City Classic, Washburn volleyball will attempt to continue that hot streak Friday and Saturday in Colorado. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
But Chris Herron's Ichabods turned the tables in a hurry, dominating the final three sets to knock off the Cougars before taking 3-0 sweeps over Winona State and William Jewell the next two days to finish off a perfect 3-0 performance in the Kansas City Classic.
"After we lost the first two sets, most of the time I'm kind of a lunatic at that point, but I just said, 'Look, here's the deal. When we came here, what did we have to do do? We had to win three sets, right? So let's just win three sets now,' '' Herron said.
"We made some changes. We had a couple of kids that I gave them the opportunity to start and they didn't respond very well so we took them out and put in two freshmen (Emery Keebaugh and Brynne Topolski) and those two kids, I don't want to say they ignited us, but man, they played well. Both of them played exceptionally well and kind of solidified the rest of the offense.''
Now the Ichabods will be looking to continue their hot start in Friday and Saturday's Mountaineer Volleyball Classic in Gunnison, Colo.
"I really feel good going into this weekend about not just the kids that played the vast majority of time, but what's happened was this week in practice there's been a huge uptick,'' Herron said. "The kids that didn't play say, 'Well, I want to play,' and the kids that didn't play also see, 'OK, here's the level of competition and I need to get to that level of competion and now I can see what he's been saying all along. Now I just need to go ahead and buy in, basically.' ''
The Ichabods will play four matches over the two-day tournament, beginning with a match against host Western Colorado at 11 a.m. (Mountain time) on Friday before finishing the day against Fort Lewis College (7 p.m. MST).
Washburn will face Western New Mexico (11 a.m. MST) and Texas A&M-Kingsville (3 p.m. MST) to wrap up the tournament.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka High reigned supreme in Tuesday's Topeka West tennis quadrangular at Kossover Tennis Center, with the Trojans topping city foes West, Shawnee Heights and Highland Park.
Topeka High won 11 of 12 matches on the day, taking 4-0 wins over Shawnee Heights and Highland Park and a 3-1 win over Topeka West.
Madeline Deters went 3-0 in No. 1 singles in Tuesday's Topeka West quadrangular, helping Topeka High go 3-0 as a team on the day. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Hailey Caryl teamed with Ava Ritter to go 3-0 in No. 1 doubles in Tuesday's Topeka West quadrangular, helping Topeka High go undefeated on the day. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Ava Ritter teamed with Hailey Caryl to go 3-0 in No. 1 doubles in Tuesday's Topeka West quadrangular, helping Topeka High go 3-0 as a team. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
High No. 1 singles player Madeline Deters, the No. 1 doubles team of Hailey Caryl and Ava Ritter and the No. 2 doubles team of Cora Ambrose and Sophia Ambrose all went 3-0 on the day while No. 2 singles player Gabby Falk went 2-1.
Host Topeka West finished second in the quad, taking a 4-0 win over Highland Park and a 3-1 win over Shawnee Heights.
West's Kailyn Bidwell went 3-0 in No. 2 singles for the Chargers.
TOPEKA WEST TENNIS QUADRANGULAR
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden's girls tennis team dominated its six-school home invitational Tuesday at Kossover Tennis Center, with the Wildcats winning the championship in three of four divisions.
Hayden two-time state champion Emily Sheetz (left) congratulates No. 1 doubles partner Izzy Glotzbach after a point in Tuesday's Hayden Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Hayden's No. 1 doubles team of senior Emily Sheetz, a two-time state doubles champion, and junior Izzy Glotzbach took the tourney title with a hard-earned 9-7 win over Marysville while the Wildcats made it a sweep of the doubles championships with an 8-3 win over Marysville by Hayden's No. 2 team of juniors Avery O'Bray and Grace Funk.
Hayden junior Grace Funk returns a shot during Tuesday's Hayden Invitational tennis tournament. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Hayden junior Avery O'Bray, making a return in Tuesday's Hayden Invitational, teamed with Grace Funk to win the No. 2 doubles title. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The Wildcats also got a championship from Taryn Bell in No. 2 singles, with Bell taking an 8-3 win over Marysville in the tournament final.
Hayden played without two-time state singles champion Ainzley Zulueta.
Cair Paravel also competed in Tuesday's tournament, with Madilyn Poole pacing the Lions with a fourth-place finish in No. 1 singles.
CPLS earned a fifth-place finish in No. 2 doubles and finished sixth in No. 2 singles and No. 1 doubles.
HAYDEN INVITATIONAL
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After giving birth to her and husband TJ's fifth child on Aug. 13, Corrinne McGreevy took time away from her duties as Hayden's volleyball coach to focus on her newborn son.
But McGreevy knew that the Wildcat program was in excellent hands in her absence, turning the reins over to her high school coach, Jesica Farmer-Walter.
Hayden senior Bella Reid (12) records a kill in Tuesday's win over Emporia. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Freshman Sophia Wichman (3) is congratulated by her Hayden teammates after delivering a kill against Topeka High. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
McGreevy was back on the bench Tuesday night, tag-teaming the coaching duties with Farmer-Walter as Hayden earned straight-set victories over Centennial League foes Emporia (25-15, 25-18) and Topeka High (25-12, 25-18) at High.
"Farmer has been such a lifesaver,'' McGreevy said. "I mean she has got them all ready. She has all the lineups and everything and I just come in and she kind of lets me do my thing and it's been awesome. She's been the backbone.''
When McGreevy comes back on a full-time bases, Farmer-Walter, who coached Hayden to five state titles, will serve as assistant coach for her former star.
"It's come full circle,'' McGreevy said. "She went from yelling at me all the time and making me run all the time to now we're sitting on the sidelines best friends coaching together.''
The young Wildcats, who have just two seniors on the roster, are now 4-1 on the season after Tuesday's triangular sweep, with their lone loss coming against perennial Class 6A power Washburn Rural in three sets.
"I'm so proud of them,'' McGreevy said. "The young ones have stepped up and our junior, sophomore and senior leaders, they've all just really came together and support each other and they've done a great job.''
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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
A 3-2 loss to Eudora on Tuesday kept the Hayden boys soccer team out of the win column, but was a sign of improvement and effort for the team to build on.
Hayden soccer coach Klaus Kreutzer talks to his team after Tuesday's 3-2 non-league loss to Eudora. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]
Trailing 3-1 at the intermission, the Wildcats shut down the visiting Cardinals’ offense and scored a goal with 5:50 remaining to raise the temperature of the final minutes.
“The effort was good. We just didn’t make very good decisions at times,” Hayden coach Klaus Kreutzer said. “I told the guys their effort was good, but we have to play with that effort and intensity when we’re close, not to get close. We have to have that intensity the whole game.”
Junior Uriel Cruz led the fight for the Wildcats, scoring in each half. His goals were assisted by senior Evan George and junior Lane Neuman.
