By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Missouri Western junior volleyball star Taylor Russell is excited for every match she plays.
But the 6-foot-1 outside hitter admits that she gets even more fired up when she has the opportunity to play in her home town of Topeka.
Former Washburn Rural standout Taylor Russell (3) is congratulated by her Missouri Western teammates after one of her 18 kills in Saturday night's 3-1 win over Washburn. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Russell, a returning All-MIAA first-team pick and AVCA All-America honorable mention honoree, got that opportunity Saturday night and delivered a team-high 18 kills on .444 hitting as the No. 24-ranked Griffons (9-4 overall, 1-1 MIAA) handed No. 1 Washburn (12-1, 1-1) its first loss of the season in a 25-23, 19-25, 25-20, 25-19 Western win.
"Coming back to the hometown, it's like every time we come back here it's a big rivalry between us and Washburn and I think because we have so many Topeka girls on our team it just feels really good to get that win and kind of prove ourselves,'' Russell said.
Russell, who helped lead Washburn Rural to the Class 6A state championship in 2022, said it's fun to get a chance to play in front of a lot of people she grew up around, including her high school coach, Kevin Bordewick.
"We have a lot of fans here,'' said Russell, who has 807 kills in her career. "I don't know if half of them are rooting for us our Washburn, because they are from Topeka, but it's always great to play in this environment.
"I love the loud environment and just seeing all my friends and family here.''
Shawnee Heights product Emily Loy (10) registered 13 kills in Missouri Western's MIAA win over Washburn Saturday night. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Former Shawnee Heights standout Emily Loy, a 6-foot junior rightside hitter who received All-MIAA honorable mention last fall, also came up big for the Griffons Saturday, delivering 13 kills, while former Seaman 5A state champ Brooklyn Gormley, a 6-1 redshirt freshman, also plays for Missouri Western.
Western coach Jessica Fey was an All-American for Washburn during her collegiate career (2009-2012) and also served as an assistant for the Ichabods under Chris Herron for four seasons. Fey was inducted into the Washburn Hall of Fame in 2023.
Russell said Saturday's win was big for her team after a three-set loss at Emporia State on Friday.
"It felt really good,'' Russell said. "I'm glad we were able to go out here and prove ourselves today and show coach we have what it takes to be a great team.
"(Friday) night we might of lost, but that's just a one-time thing and I'm glad we rebounded and turned it around tonight.''
