This past week, the Hornet volleyball team played in three straight road games and were victorious in all three. Emporia State had to work hard for the first game as they came back to defeat Missouri Western 3-2, after finding themselves down 2-1 on Friday.

Meg Schwartz led the team defensively with 29 digs in the match. The Hornets captured their fourth straight victory as they defeated Northwest Missouri 3-1 on Saturday.

Tuesday ESU swept Southwest Baptist 3-0, thanks to 47 team kills – 13 of which came from sophomore Paige Vanderpool. Schwartz had 23 digs in the match. The Hornets record is now 18-8. They will return to William Allen White Auditorium this weekend as they take on Pittsburg St. this Friday and Missouri Southern on Saturday.

ESU soccer earns postseason bid

The Hornet soccer team earned their first ever post-season appearance this weekend with a 2-0 win over Missouri Western.

Both goals came in the first half for ESU as freshman Mallory Walden scored her third goal of the season in the 18th minute. Soon after, Walden scored her fourth goal of the season in the 24th minute.

In the goal, Nikki Schmitz had her fifth shutout of the season, witch ties for the second most ever by a Hornet. She is also tied for second in ESU history with six career shutouts.

The Hornets’ record is 3-9-5. They finished fifth in the MIAA this year, which was their best finish since 2004. The Hornets will play Northwest Missouri at 6 p.m. today in Kansas City, Mo.

Send article as PDF to

Freshman defender Ashlyn Parker and UCM #23 Becky Lackey battle for control of the ball Sunday afternoon at the pitch. The Jennies defeated the Hornets 1-0. Chris Franklin/The Bulletin

The women soccer team battled an unrelenting wind along with Fort Hays State last Thursday at the ESU Pitch and fell to the Lions 3-2. The Hornets were down by three goals at the half after playing against the wind. However, they came up one short in the second half and lost by one.

“I was proud of them after they played the second half, I really was,” head coach Bryan Sailer said. “They could have been deflated after that first half, but they played really well.”

In the first half, the Hornets played tough but were unable to keep the Tigers from generating three goals. The first two goals were scored off of long shot attempts that ended in open net opportunities.

In the 27th minute, Fort Hays junior midfielder Nicole Randall’s attempt bounced off the crossbar as it sailed over Hornet goalkeeper Natalie Hoernig’s hands. The ball dropped suddenly, and Tiger midfielder Becca Andres headed the ball in.

Four minutes later, Hoernig found herself in the same situation. Randall had another shot opportunity that went high and ricocheted off of Hoernig’s hands. As Hoernig fell, Tiger forward Cindy Benitez scored off the rebound.

Fort Hays concluded their scoring as forward Hailey Davey scored on a one-on-one opportunity in the 35th minute.

ESU came out in the second half with a refocused mentality.

“Honestly, we just had nothing to lose and we all knew we played not to our best the first half and we decided we’d just come out and take it to them in the second half,” said junior forward Ashley Hill.

The second half was more favorable to the Hornets as the wind was on their side. Hill scored her first goal of the season in the 55th minute.

As the half was nearing its close, senior defender Jessica Decker scored and off corner kick by freshman midfielder Mallory Walden. As the ball careened off of players in the box, Decker’s foot found the ball and the ball found the back of the net.

Though ESU outshot the Tigers, they still found themselves on the losing end.

“This is the fourth game that we’ve out shot teams by a good margin that we’ve lost,” Sailer said. “It’s getting old…we had 17 shots to four in the second half. I thought we bombarded them more in the second half than they did to us in the first half… but we allowed more goals. All that matters is the goals.”

The Hornets are now 1-6-4. The Hornets will conclude their home season against Truman at 12 p.m. Oct. 16 at the ESU Pitch.

Brandon Schneeberger

Send article as PDF to

The Hornets hosted 12-ranked Central Missouri Sunday at the ESU Pitch in a close game. The Hornets fell 1-0 as UCM scored in the 85th minute of the game.

ESU was able to stop 18 of 19 shots on goal by a strong UCM squad that has only been held to one goal or less twice this season.

Junior goalie Nikki Schmitz tied an ESU record held by Megan Martin with 16 stops. ESU got three of their four shots on goal in the second half, the closest from senior defender Jessica Decker who came within inches of scoring in the early stages of the second half. Today the team will travel to Bolivar, Mo. to play Southwest Baptist.

Men take 1st, women 2nd at Haskell XC invitational

The women cross country team once again had a strong showing by senior Katie Mona last Saturday. She won her third straight individual championship at the Haskell Invitational while helping ESU women place second as a team.

She finished almost a full minute ahead of the second place finisher. The Hornets also had a strong finish by Courtney Maddux, who placed 14th, Amy Feldkamp who placed 16th and Kristen Sponsel, who finished in 26th.

The men’s team took home the first place prize and their second overall team championship of the season.

Asher Delmott led the way for the men finishing fourth overall. ESU also had strong finishes from Jacob Bull, ninth, Morgan Riggs, 11th, Ryan Hahn, 19^9th, and Trey Brokaw, 22nd.

Up next for the cross country team is the MIAA championships on Oct. 22 in Joplin, Mo.

Women volleyball sweep Missouri Southern 3-0

The women continued their strong play as they stretch their record to 12-6 on the year with a win against Missouri Southern last Saturday.

The women used 10 blocks and took advantage of more than 20 errors by MSSU to complete the sweep 3-0. The scores were 25-10, 25-16 and 25-22 respectively.

Katie Deutschmann continued her strong play as she hit 750 for the match and stretched her string of double-doubles to three games.

Paige Vanderpool ended the night with seven kills and 15 digs. Meg Schwartz continued her strong defensive play with 15 digs, making it 23 matches in which she has had double digit digs.

Send article as PDF to

Freshman midfielder Mallory Walden kicks the ball away from an opposing defender. The hornets lost 2-1 against Missouri Southwestern State on Sunday at the Pitch. Jon Coffey/The Bulletin

Though they struck early on, the Emporia State soccer team was unable to finish their match this weekend with a victory.

The Hornets led early over Missouri Southern before allowing two goals later in the first half. Neither team scored in the second half and the Hornets fell 2-1.

“These one goal losses are tough,” said Bryan Sailer, head coach. “Today it was different because we got in on the break. We got in close a couple times. The goalie came up with some nice saves. I just felt we were a step slower at times today.”

The first half saw all the scoring action, despite the rather conservative play from each team. The Hornets scored first in the 12th minute when sophomore forward Catie Hyde received a pass from sophomore midfielder Mindi Lozenski. The pass led to a breakaway opportunity and Hyde chipped into the upper right hand section of the goal over the goalie’s outstretched arms.

“I saw the ball just going slowly across,” Hyde said. “So I just figured I could get there in time, and I just knew if I could get my foot on it, it would get past her. So I stretched and got it.”

Despite scoring first, the Hornets could not keep Missouri Southern from striking back. In the 33rd minute, junior forward Candis Clark scored followed by sophomore midfielder Kelly White who scored 10 minutes later.

White’s goal came off a rebound shot by junior midfielder Alicia Vonderheid, who chipped the ball over the arms of Emporia State junior goalkeeper Nikki Schmitz. White then scored on an empty net opportunity.

The second half saw ESU pick up the aggression to no avail. After registering just four total shots and one on goal in the first half, the Hornets managed 15 shots in the second half, nine on goal.

The Hornets outshot Missouri Southern 2-1 in both total shots and shots on goal, but were unable to find the back of the net in the second half.

“It was overwhelming,” Sailer said. “It was the second time this year I think that we’ve outshot a team… doubled their shots and the second one we’ve come out with a one goal loss.”

Perhaps the best opportunities for ESU came in the 65th minute. Freshman forward Jordan Foutch had her shot blocked, which led to a rebound opportunity by senior midfielder Sarah Anderson. Anderson’s shot was wide left.

Just two minutes later, Hyde found herself with another breakaway opportunity but was unable to capitalize. The Hornets continued to control possession, but ultimately fell to Missouri Southern 2-1.

ESU is now 1-4-4 for the year. The next home game for the Hornets will be at 4 p.m. today against Fort Hays State University at the ESU Pitch.

Brandon Schneeberger

Send article as PDF to

Senior defender Jessica Decker kicks the ball away from Washburn players during the Turnpike Tussel. The Hornets beat Washburn, 1-0, last Thursday at the pitch. Jon Coffey/The Bulletin

Coming off their win against Washburn in the Turnpike Tussel last Thursday, the women’s soccer team tied with the Lions of Lindenwood on Sunday at the Pitch.

After regulation and two overtimes, neither team was able to put one in the goal.

In defensive and physical contest, both teams racked up a combined 23 saves and 25 fouls. The Hornet record now stands at 1-3-4.

“It was definitely a tough one to tie, since we won the other day against such a good team,” senior defender Jessica Decker said. “Our balls just didn’t fall in the net today.”

The game began with ESU controlling possession. Both teams managed four shots on the goal.

In the 45th minute, Decker took things into her own hands with a deep shot on goal. The shot was directed towards the upper left hand corner of the goal. Despite the good placement, Lion goalie Whitney Calvin deflected the ball. Sophomore forward Nikki Sanders was unable to capitalize off the rebound and her shot was blocked.

Minutes later the same scene was repeated. Freshman midfielder Morgan Wheeler placed her shot in the upper right hand corner of the goal, but Calvin denied the shot. Sanders had an open goal opportunity, but she was again denied by the Lion defenders.

“It’s ball watching,” said Bryan Sailer, head coach. “It’s not just one person… it’s everybody, and I did it too as a player. But it’s hard to get beyond that sometimes. It’s so close. It’s a game of inches. (If) that one (shot) was underneath the bar and came straight down another inch, it’s probably in the goal.”

The second half saw more even action as the physical battle escalated. ESU failed to make good use of foul shot opportunities and the game went into overtime without a goal from either team.

The overtime saw both defenses clamp down as neither team registered a serious threat for a goal. Hornet goalie Nikki Schmitz recorded her 11th save of the game in the second overtime, one block shy of her career high of 12.

“Our back four (defenders) helped a lot. They were amazing,” Schmitz said. “My goal is just get nothing in, and that’s what I did.”

Sailer seconded the stout defense of the afternoon.

“Nikki’s (Schmitz) been outstanding,” Sailer said. “Our defense is pretty tight. They came at us a couple times in the second half with I thought a different speed on the outside which caught us off guard a little bit, but our center backs did a good job of keeping them away from our goal and not letting them in on the keeper one-v-one.”

The next game is at 2 p.m. against Missouri Southern on Oct. 2 at the ESU Pitch.

Brandon Schneeberger

Send article as PDF to

“We kept our cool for the most part,” said head coach Bryan Sailer. “We kept pushing. I think we outshot them quite a bit in the second half. We at least pressed. We went for it today. It feels good. I have more words honestly when we lose than when we win because I’m so elated at the effort. I don’t know what to say. It was just a great push, and a great team effort altogether.”

It was a tale of two halves for both teams as Washburn clearly controlled the first half of the game. The Hornets (1-3-3) managed only one shot on goal and four shots total in the first half. The Lady Blues had five solid opportunities to score, but junior goalkeeper Nikki Schmitz denied their chances with five saves.

The Hornets regrouped at halftime, making Schmitz’s job much easier.

“We had a halftime talk saying all we need is one goal and that’s what we did,” Schmitz said. “We pushed hard. We deserved this win. We got it.”

The second half told a much different story as the Hornets consistently controlled possession. Fifteen minutes into the half, Hyde scored a goal off a pass from sophomore midfielder Hannah Carlson. However, the point was denied due to a foul on ESU in the box.

Hyde had another opportunity to score on a breakaway but was denied a goal by Lady Blue goalkeeper Mallorie Monhollon. A shot by Nikki Sanders minutes later would also be stopped by Monhollon, who had seven saves in all for the day.

ESU finally got the goal they were looking for off a corner kick in the 85th minute. As the ball bounced around the box, Hyde received a pass from freshman midfielder Shannon Thomas and scored the game cinching goal. The Hornets held on for a one goal victory.

“I just saw the ball come in, and I just wanted to put it all on the line just to get it there, and I knew that if it went in, then we’d have the game,” Hyde said.

The win is the first victory for the Hornet soccer this season and is the first in Sailer’s campaign as head coach. The Hornets will look to build from this success as they face off against Missouri Southern at 2 p.m. Oct. 2 at the ESU Pitch.

“It feels amazing,” Hyde said “After last year’s loss to them within like the last fifteen minutes of the game, it’s unreal.”

Brandon Schneeberger

Send article as PDF to

The Emporia State soccer team added one more tie to their record this season as they traveled to Fort Hays State last Thursday. The Hornets fared well with Fort Hays both on the scoreboard and on the stats sheet as they managed to generate eight shots all on goal to nine shots by Fort Hays.

Unlike previous games this season, it was the Hornets who struck first as Mallory Walden scored her second goal of the season on a header in the 12th minute. Sarah Anderson received the assist off a corner kick. The Tigers answered back in the 56th minute, and the game ended in a 1-1 tie.

Hornet volleyball falls to Truman

It took Truman five games, but they finally defeated the Emporia State volleyball team last Saturday, 3-2, winning the final match 15-12. The Hornets were down two matches to one before winning the fourth by two points. Every game on the day was decided by no more than three points. ESU started the day losing the first match 25-22 before answering back with a 25-23 victory. The third match saw Truman win by an identical 25-22 score. The Hornets then won the fourth 25-23 before falling in the final match.

Katie Deutschmann, Paige Vanderpool and Amanda Gerety all registered double-doubles for the Hornets on the day. ESU will look to improve from the defeat as they take on Missouri Western at 7 p.m. on Sept. 23 at White Auditorium.

Mona finishes 10th overall for XC

The Emporia State cross country teams traveled to Lincoln, Neb. this weekend to compete in the Woody Greeno Nebraska Invitational. The men finished 14th overall out of 28 total teams. Asher Delmott finished 40th overall with a time of 26:20.7, and Jacob Bull finished 87th out of over 300 runners.

Katie Mona had the best finish for ESU on the day finishing 10th overall, as she was the second non-Division I runner to cross the finish line at 21:49.0. The ESU women placed 20th overall out of 25 teams. The Hornet runners will compete this Saturday at the Tabor Invitational in Hillsboro.

Send article as PDF to

Freshman forward Jordan Foutch uses her head during Saturday’s game against Missouri Western. The Hornets lost to the Griffons, 2-1. Chris Franklin/The Bulletin

The Hornet soccer team was pitted against the Griffons of Missouri Western this Sunday in what was the first MIAA Conference game of the year for both teams.

It was the Griffons who scored the first two goals of the game. Emporia State was unable to fully come back and fell 2-1.

“It hurts going down… two (goals) early, but we fought and got one back at the end of the first half,” said sophomore midfielder Hannah Carlson. “Unfortunately it came down to the last minute, and we were still trying to get another one. So it does get kind of crazy in there, but that’s the kind of urgency and effort we need to see throughout the whole game really.”

The first half saw all of the scoring action as Griffon midfielder Katie Kempf scored the first goal in the 28th minute. Mallory Walden had an opportunity to tie the game up, but her chip shot was high off the mark. The Griffon’s added to their lead when forward Ashley Juravich scored on a pass across the center by Kempf.

“The first was really unfortunate,” said head coach Bryan Sailer. “It was an unfortunate lucky goal. The second one was really our center back stepping back and they split in behind, and they had a good finish on that one. We had better chances than them, we just didn’t score.”

Much like their last home game, ESU responded well to an early deficit. Two minutes after the Griffons scored their second goal, midfielder Hannah Carlson answered with a goal of her own. The shot came off a foul restart that occurred just outside the goal box in the 45th minute.

“I’ve been hitting the wall usually on those situations, so I just focused and tried to find the net,” Carlson said.

The Hornets kept the pressure on in the second half, outshooting the Griffons 9-4. Despite the effort, they were unable to find the equalizer. The best opportunity of the game came in the final six minutes of play when Ashley Hill broke away from her defender but was unable to get it the shot by the outstretched arms of Griffon goalkeeper Kelly Voigts.

Carlson had an opportunity to repeat her first half feat in the final minute of play. On another foul restart just outside the box, Carlson was given the go-ahead for the tying goal but missed wide right. Despite the losing effort, Carlson still sees improvement.

“We’ve improved tremendously, and the effort is at such a higher level this year,” Carlson said.  “We’ve been consistent throughout the season with the effort, and I truly believe that we’re going to start putting them in and winning some games because it’s right there and we have our opportunities. We just have to capitalize on them.”

The Hornets will look to gear up this week for the first Turnpike Tussle of the season against Washburn. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. on Sept. 22 at the ESU Pitch.

Brandon Schneeberger

Send article as PDF to

After tying the score at one, the Hornets let the game slip away, 2-1, despite controlling possession.

“We had spurts,” said head coach Bryan Sailer. “We had some good moments. We really played good after that first goal. I think we came out a little maybe overhyped that first half. We don’t concede very easily. Those two goals are the most we’ve given up all year.”

The first half saw both defenses dialed-in as neither team was able to register any serious goal opportunities. ESU was outshot 7-3 in the half but managed to stick with the Riverhawks as each team took three shots on goal.

Perhaps the best opportunity for the Hornets to score a goal in the opening half came to sophomore midfielder Hannah Carlson, who had her shot blocked by a Riverhawk defender.

Neither team wasted time after the break-in action. Northeastern State managed to score a goal in the forty-sixth minute of play. A 35-yard bomb from Riverhawk midfielder Renee Valcarcel gave them the edge early in the second half.

Before either team could soak in the momentum change, freshman midfielder Jordan Foutch beat the keeper off her line and scored off a chip shot to earn her first goal as a Hornet.

“I was just open, lucky open” Foutch said, “and I told coach earlier today, I was like, ‘Coach, I’m going to get one today,’ so I got one.”

The Hornets continued to rally throughout the second half as they controlled the possession for a majority of the period. Sailer was pleased with the second half effort from his team.

“After the goal, that next 20 to 30 minutes, we controlled 90 percent of the ball,” Sailer said. “It was good. It was really good – maybe our best moment so far. Of course we got the goal, and we had other chances to, just couldn’t get the second one.”

Although they controlled the possession for the most part, the Hornet defense was unable to keep the Riverhawks from striking again. In the eighty-second minute, Riverhawk forward Rachel Sordahl scored on a turnaround shot from the left side of the box to give her team the edge they needed to win the game.

What may have been the equalizer for ESU came off a header by sophomore forward Catie Hyde. The shot was in line with the goal, but Riverhawk goalie Deb Hill came away with a great save.

Each team registered 11 shots. The Riverhawks managed to get six shots in the goal to ESU’s five. The Hornets (0-2-1) will look to rebound from the loss on Sept. 13 as they travel to Wayne State in Wayne, Neb. The next home game for ESU is at 1 p.m. on Sept. 18 against Missouri Western.

Sophomore midfielder Hannah Carlson fights to keep the ball in her possession against a Northeastern opponent. Thursday evening’s game was this seasons home opener. Jenny Pendarvis/The Bulletin

Brandon Schneeberger

Send article as PDF to

Senior psychology major Jessica Decker keeps a close eye on the ball at soccer practice Tuesday. Decker has played for Emporia State since her freshman year. Jenny Pendarvis/The Bulletin

Much like any sport, the defensive intensity a team brings to the game is a determining factor of their success. This year, the Emporia State soccer team will have confidence and experience in the form of senior defender Jessica Decker.

“She’s special,” said head coach Bryan Sailer. “She’s always in the right spot, always in the right position. Her leadership has been great. I mean she saves us a lot of times. She anchors our defense. She mentally understands where to be and how to play the game.”

Decker, a psychology major, began playing soccer at an early age along with other sports, but eventually stuck to soccer and volleyball at Emporia High School. Though volleyball was of high interest for her, she decided to continue in soccer as she earned first team All-League, All-Region and All-State honors her senior year.

“Pretty much the whole time growing up I knew I wanted to play soccer further than just high school,” Decker said. “I love volleyball, but it would be hard to play two sports in college. One sport was enough for me.”

After high school, Decker contemplated attending Washburn University in Topeka before finally making the commitment to ESU.

“I looked at Washburn,” Decker said. “I was pretty dead set on going there, but then I knew a lot of the players that were older than me here at ESU, and I just liked them so much more that I came here, and being home was a little bit easier.”

Though this year will not be Decker’s first season, she is accepting a leadership role due to the defense starting three freshman defenders along with her. Despite the newcomers, the Hornet defense allowed only two goals in last weekend’s tournament, thanks in large part to Decker’s leadership.

“I think she leads by example more than anything, and if our players follow her example then we’re in good shape,” Sailer said, “she’s adapted well to it. She likes being a mentor in a sense. She likes that role, and she’s very good at it.”

After receiving an honorable mention her freshman season, Decker earned second team All-MIAA honors her past two seasons as a Hornet. That type of experience will be pivotal this year for the ESU defense – an area of the team in which she believes the Hornets have strength.

“Defensively, we’re not looking bad,” Decker said. “In our last tournament we held each team to one goal. So we’re looking pretty solid in the back even though we have three freshmen.”

Junior psychology major Ashley Hill recognizes Decker’s improvement as a leader on the defensive end of the field.

“(She’s improved) mainly as a leader,” Hill said. “She came out not only action wise, but vocally she’s gotten better at leading the team. She helps (the freshmen) when they have questions, and she just leads them and keeps the back sturdy.”

Brandon Schneeberger

Send article as PDF to