The #9 Emporia State volleyball team swept yet another opponent last Tuesday, defeating Southwest Baptist University in the last regular season home game, 3-0.

“Tonight before the game we told them, ‘Hey, our main task is talking,’” said Head Coach Bing Xu. “You have to talk.”

The Hornets did just that. Communication was never an issue for the team, as set number one started with a tie at 10 until the Hornets started a 12-3 run, eventually winning the set with relative ease, 25-17.

The second set of the night proved to be a bit more challenging for the Hornets. ESU jumped out to an early 5-0 lead before SBU would fight back with a 7-point effort to take advantage of the lead, 7-5. Both teams would trade points back and forth, until a supreme effort by senior outside hitter and marketing major Arica Shepard finished the set with back to back kills to win the game, 25-21.

“When it comes down to crunch time, you know you need to go out there and put your heart out on the floor,” Shepard said. “Plus it’s senior year – you have to have no regrets.

Coming in here we knew what we were supposed to do. We knew what kind of a team this was. Coming in here it does help our confidence after the loss last Friday and so hopefully we get two more under our belt before regionals start.”

The third and final set of the evening was a one-sided affair. ESU led the entire set, and was never really threatened by SBU. The Hornets took the set and the match with ease, 25-11.

Several Hornets put up impressive stats in areas in which they weren’t necessarily known for. Versatility played a role in dominating Southwest Baptist.

“There are a bunch of players on the team that might not be able to show it off every single game but have really good capabilities,” Shepard said. “Like Brittany, she did amazing blocking today…it’s awesome to know that everybody’s capable of doing a lot more than what they’re just supposed to do.”

Junior outside hitter and nursing major Brittany Miller led the team in kills on the night with 12, followed closely by Shepard with 11. Shepard pitched in 15 digs to lead the Hornets – senior libero and health promotion major Amy Byfield added 11. Once again, junior setter and business major Ting Liu led the Hornets in assists with 28.

Miller felt whole-heartedly that a game like this one was positive for the team’s experience.

“I think it is definitely a good confidence booster for especially the younger ones,” Miller said. “In these types of games, we try to work on things that we’re not as good at so that when we do have a tougher opponent we can have that confidence to do those types of things. That’s what we tried to do in this game.”

Xu echoed the sentiment.

“I think it builds confidence…we really need to play our game and carry on to the postseason,” Xu said. “They know how important these last three games are, so they prepared well.”

Shepard believes that the team has yet to play their best volleyball.

“You know, we’ve played some really great games, and we’ve played some really bad games throughout the season,” Shepard said. “Hopefully, we’re on a stretch where we’re doing the really good games and we carry it over to next week. We’ve had plenty of talks about how this is crunch time, this is the end of the season, this is when everybody needs to step up and play their best game. So I think that’s come across to a lot of the players and hopefully this continues – we’ll be a lot smoother than in the past.”

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The Emporia State volleyball team avenged their loss against Pittsburg State Friday night by sweeping the Missouri Southern Lions on Saturday night, 3-0. Along with the win, the match was highlighted by Senior Night festivities.

Game one was never really in question for the Hornets. Dominant offensive play set the tone early. Timeout was called by Missouri Southern at 17-12, advantage Hornets. Three more points would be added to the Hornets’ lead before another Lions timeout was called. The Hornets, similar to the first set versus Pittsburg State, had trouble finishing – this time, however the team finished the job by taking the set, 25-19.

Head Coach Bing Xu said that his team was ready for the match.

“I think tonight we prepared well, it was senior night and they were all pumped up and we were ready to go,” Xu said. “Someone comes here, they won’t give it to you. You have to earn it. It won’t be easy. Nothing’s easy.”

ESU came out firing in the second set, jumping out to a 4-1 lead. However, the Lions wouldn’t back down, cutting down the Hornets’ lead to one at 8-7. ESU would pull away from the Lions later in the game, forcing MSSU to call a timeout to regroup at 19-12. The Lions would only score once more in the set, as the Hornets would take a commanding lead in the match by winning set number two, 25-13.

Xu wanted the Hornets to play to their potential and meet the high expectations of the coaching, and even the fans.

“A lot of fans that come here want to enjoy the competition, so we told our girls that they need to come here and give that fight, show your attitude in front of all the fans and play a good game,” Xu said. “That’s what they need to do.”

Senior outside hitter and marketing major Arica Shepard believed that there definitely was a difference maker in why the Hornets we so dominant in this match as opposed to the Pittsburg State match.

“We were definitely a lot smoother today, which I think is the big difference from yesterday,” Shepard said. “When we all play smooth and play together, that is when we can dominate…not all of use are ever playing well at the same time. If we do that, we’re unstoppable.”

Several lead changes started the third and final set until the Hornets pulled away by two points at 6-4 – Missouri Southern called timeout. Emporia State would continue their show of dominance against the Lions, capitalizing on several mistakes on both offense and defense. After a failed attempt at a timeout by Missouri Southern, the Lions would score once more before losing the set on a Shepard kill, 25-18.

Shepard was the only player in double figures for ESU with 18 kills and 11 digs. Xu was happy with her performance.

“That’s the kind of game she is supposed to play,” Xu said. “Sometimes she gets so hyper and wants to kill, kill, kill. But you’re the number one hitter and everyone’s trying to stop you, trying to beat you – you have to be patient.”

Shepard, who was not pleased with her performance versus the Gorillas, said that she made a concerted effort to pick up her play for this match.

“I know last week it wasn’t my best week,” Shepard said. “I had quite a few more errors than I would like to have. I mean, that was my goal this year was to keep my hitting percent up by reducing my errors…this week I turned around and was like, ‘You know, I need to work on this again and not make so many mental errors.’ I feel like this week I definitely got back into the swing with my hitting.”

Junior outside hitter and nursing major Brittany Miller is using the loss against Pittsburg State as a learning experience.

“We can’t do anything about it, so we are learning from it,” Miller said. “Moving forward, we need to continue to work on pushing one point when we only have 24 – that happened yesterday (vs. Pittsburg State). We’re definitely taking every loss and learning from it.”

Shepard, along with the rest of the team, has high expectations for the defending MIAA Champions, who are currently 27-4.

“I expect us to be a lot more consistent in our play,” Shepard said.

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The Emporia State volleyball hosted inter-league and in-state rival Pittsburg State last night, only to lose the match in four sets, 3-1. The loss marked the Hornets’ fourth of the season and third in the MIAA.

The first quarter started out with a 4-0 lead by the Hornets. However, a rare lack of decisiveness by ESU let the Gorillas right back in to the set. The score was 13-9 before the first pause in game play occurred – timeout was called by Pittsburg State head coach Ibraheem Suberu. Another timeout was called by Pitt State after the Hornets defensive prowess proved to be too overwhelming for the Gorillas at the time, as the Hornets led 23-18.

The timeout would rejuvenate the Gorillas for the time being, as Pitt State would make a solid comeback which forced Emporia State head coach Bing Xu feeling uneasy – a timeout was called by Xu with the Hornets still leading, 24-22. The Hornets’ mistakes were capitalized on by Pitt State after the timeout, giving the Gorillas the lead at 25-24, which forced another ESU timeout.

After the timeout, a kill by freshman right side hitter and undecided major Katelyn Schmidtberger gave the Hornets a one point lead, but two defensive mistakes by the Hornets sealed the deal for the Gorillas, giving them the set, 27-25.

The Hornets have been often criticized for not closing out sets when they are capable. Xu said that not finishing, along with the Gorillas’ determination, played a part in the loss of the first set.

“They played a great game…they wanted it more, you can tell,” Xu said. “Especially in the first game, that was kind of a key turning point. We were leading big, but we couldn’t finish.”

Senior libero and health promotion major Amy Byfield agreed with Xu and said that it could be a cause for concern for the team.

“I think we just got off to a slow start,” Xu said. “It seems like every match we play we learn at some point during one of the sets that you can’t start off slow, especially against a team that’s trying to make it to regionals. You just can’t do that at this level.

I think every team we play, it (not finishing) is a legitimate concern because of our track record…it’s a concern, something we focus on in practice, just playing strong the whole time.”

A glimmer of hope came in the second set for the Hornets, as points were traded back and forth between the two teams to start –  it was only when the score reached 11-9 in favor of Pittsburg State that the first break in the set occurred via an Emporia State timeout.

The Gorillas were forced to call a timeout after big momentum plays in favor of Emporia State led to the Hornets widening their lead, 22-18. A kill by freshman middle hitter and undecided major Caitlyn Murray ended the set, with the Hornets taking the game

The third set was an uneventful one. Points were traded back and forth throughout the game until Xu called timeout when Pittsburg State increased their lead to two points at 20-18. Xu called another timeout to regroup his team at 22-24 in favor of PSU. The Hornets never looked shakier on set point for the Gorillas, as two teammates attempted a hit on each of the three attempts. A defensive breakdown caused the set to end 25-22 with Pitt State taking the game.

It appeared as though the Hornets were unraveling at the seams.

“We just always need to come out strong every time,” Murray said. “Sometimes we underestimate people, and then we get down and we’re like ‘Oh my gosh, what do we do?’ So then we kind of freak out and things fall apart.”

Set number four started off sloppy for the Hornets – mental errors led to a 6-3 Pittsburg State lead early. Solid offensive output put the Gorillas up by as much as five, but the determination of the Hornets would shine through, bringing the game to a tie at 14-14. However, the Hornets’ momentum would only last for a short time as PSU widened the gap at 20-16 before an ESU timeout.

The timeout would not give Emporia State the extra boost they need, as PSU won the set 25-22.

Although the loss comes at an important time for the Hornets in regards to MIAA standings, Xu is ready to move on to the next opponent.

“We need to move on,” Xu said. “One game at a time, just keep playing.”

Junior right side hitter and nursing major Brittney Miller led the Hornets in kills on the night with a career-high 25, followed by senior outside hitter and marketing major Arica Shepard with 15. Shepard also contributed 24 digs. Junior setter and business major Ting Liu added 58 assists, 13 digs and seven kills. Byfield’s 21 digs on the night made her the new ESU career leader in digs with 1,944.

The Hornets will host Missouri Southern for Senior Night at 7 p.m. tonight at W.L. White Auditorium.

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The Emporia State volleyball team faced off against MIAA opponent Truman State University last Wednesday night, only to lose the match in four sets, 1-3.

The Hornets started off on a roll early in each of the first two sets, but couldn’t finish what they started as they saw Truman capture two early wins.

“We just got down and we beat ourselves in the first two games,” said freshman middle hitter and undecided major Caitlyn Murray. “We weren’t ready – we thought we were, but we just didn’t come out ready. The second two games we finally figured it out, but we decided to fight back a little too late.”

Truman State proved why they’re a Top 20 team in the AVCA polls, showcasing their stellar defensive abilities and consistent offensive output throughout the match against the Hornets. Senior outside hitter and marketing major Arica Shepard said that the team knew about Truman’s capabilities coming into the match.

“They’re always a consistent team,” Shepard said. “We know that coming in that we can’t let them in at all. They’re going to bring what they have every single time. They never let go. When they come in, we just have to act like they’re the number one team in the nation and play like that.”

Head coach Bing Xu felt that his team was prepared for the match, but thought that perhaps mental hindrances were the cause of the Hornets’ breakdowns.

“We know their style, they play very strong defense…they tested our composure,” Xu said. “From our side, I think some of our players expect too much out of themselves… they think, ‘Hey, they can’t block me, they can’t beat me.’ Every team can block, every team can dig.”

After Xu reached deep into his bench and substituted players that had yet to see much action, the Hornets picked up their play a bit for the third game, as they won 25-21. Several younger players stepped up big for the Hornets, aiding in the team’s blocking defense as well as kills. Murray saw her playing time increase significantly during the last two sets.

“It (playing more) was really exciting, and I was on, so that was even more exciting,” Murray said. “The whole team just started to fit more together. It was just a little too late in the game.”

Shepard was happy to see the younger players positively contribute to the team’s comeback effort.

“They came out there and they played with really great intensity, and they brought a lot of emotion out on the court, which is what we needed right then,” Shepard said. “It helped out tremendously. I just wish we could have pulled it through.”

After winning a decisive third set, the Hornets rally fell short in the fourth and final set, with Truman taking the last game, 25-23.

The match, according Murray, will hopefully serve as a reminder of how important the little things are in preparing for tough opponents like Truman.

“This just kind of wakes us up a little bit and tells us that we need to come out ready and be mentally prepared,” Murray said. “We can’t underestimate anybody, so just have to come out and be ready and concentrate.”

Shepard believes that the team has to move forward and use the experience as a learning tool.

“We just have to use it (the loss),” Shepard said. “We have to use it like all of our losses before – we have to take this to the next game and know what not to do again. I don’t know if we just need to keep the intensity up at the very beginning – usually we’re pretty strong – but this game we just let it go.”

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Right Side hitter Katelyn Schmidtberger spikes the ball past Fort Hays State University defenders Saturday night at White Auditorium. The Hornets beat the Tigers 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-14). Kellen Jenkins/The Bulletin.

The Emporia State University volleyball team took care of business in a big way last Saturday night, sweeping the Fort Hays State University Tigers, 3-0.

After defeating the Washburn Lady Blues the previous night, the Hornets were confident, but not too confident in their ability to stifle the Tigers’ attempt at victory.

“Before the game, we had a meeting, we told (the players), ‘Hey, don’t ever, ever underestimate your opponents, no matter who we play,” said Head Coach Bing Xu. “We’ve got to play our own game, keep at our own pace. They did that tonight.”

Junior right side hitter and nursing major Brittney Miller agreed.

“We know Washburn’s always big and everyone’s up on that game, but we know we have no room to slack and come and play a game like this and mess up,” Miller said. “We try to bring the same emotion to every game – every game’s a big game for us. That’s what we’re trying to work on.”

Junior middle hitter and biology and Spanish major Katelyn Kaiser noted the importance of consistent preparation, no matter the opponent.

“We prepare for every team the same way,” Kaiser said. “We try to be a consistent team when we play every team, it doesn’t matter if we’re playing West Texas A&M or Ft. Hays State. We just try to play consistent.”

The game was never really in doubt for the #8 ranked Hornets – the only hiccup came in the second set when the Tigers started off strong with a 5-2 lead. Xu called a timeout and had a pep talk with his team.

“I just told them, at that time, we were following their pace,” Xu said. “We need to pick up our pace…one point at a time. You can’t give up any easy, cheap points to the other side.”

“(Xu) just told us to wake up,” Kaiser said. “If we let a team like this have momentum, then we’re not going to win. We picked it up, though.”

Although the stats highlighted the Hornets’ dominance, Xu believed the game was harder than it appeared.

“Ft. Hays, they’re not an easy game, even though the score seems like, ‘Hey, you guys beat them pretty badly,’ but they’re not an easy game,” Xu said. “We have to perform. Right now, it’s all about our side of business.”

The win puts the team in a favorable position to compete and possibly win the MIAA Championship. Miller said she likes where the team is headed now.

“I feel like we’re at that point in the season where we’re kind of picking it up…as a team, I think we’re working really good together, and that’s what’s giving us a lot of wins,” Miller said. “I feel like we’re getting there. We still have work to do, as always, but we’re doing good.”

Middle Hitter Brianne Boner and Right Side hitter Katelyn Schmidtberger jump to block a spike by Fort Hays State University’s Brandi Bertrand Saturday night at White Auditorium. The Hornets beat the Tigers 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-14). Kellen Jenkins/The Bulletin.

Right Side hitter Brittney Miller spikes the ball past Fort Hays State University defenders Saturday night at White Auditorium. The Hornets beat the Tigers 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-14). Kellen Jenkins/The Bulletin.

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The stakes were high for the #8 Emporia State Hornets as they hosted the #7 Washburn Lady Blues last Friday night. The Hornets walked away with a pivotal victory in five sets, 3-2.

Middle Hitter Brianne Boner blocks a spike by Washburn’s Hillary Hughes Friday night at White Auditorium. The Hornets won the “Turnpike Tussle” taking down the No. 7 ranked Lady Blues 3-2 (25-23, 25-21, 18-25, 26-28, 15-13). Kellen Jenkins/The Bulletin

The significance of the match was well known by the over 2,000 fans in attendance, along with freshman setter and undecided major Katelyn Schmidtberger.

“I knew this game coming in was going to be a great one for our team to win just to keep us in the running for the MIAA, and my team did a great job,” Schmidtberger said. “I have to fill in to just play the position, and they’re behind me 100 percent, so I have to have confidence in myself.”

Upon learning that Washburn leaped ESU in the AVCA poll, senior outside hitter and marketing major Arica Shepard felt that the team had some business to take care of.

“We always try not to look at the rankings, but when we did see them above us we were kind of just like, ‘OK, we have to do something about this.’…this game meant a lot to us,’” Shepard said.

The first two sets proved to be great successes for the Hornets, winning 25-23 and 25-21.

The last three were a bit more challenging. Already high in spirits due to the fast start, the Hornets saw two straight sets taken by Washburn because of defensive breakdowns and a general lack of focus.

“Washburn is a tough team,” said Head Coach Bing Xu. “Nationally, they’re one spot ahead of us, and at the start of the third game we could tell they wanted to bring their game back, so we kind of backed off a little bit and started questioning our ability a little bit instead of hanging with them…we lost our composure.”

After Washburn captured the fourth set, Shepard said that she started having recollections of losses during the current season.

Outside Hitter Arica Shepard spikes the ball past Washburn’s Kate Hampson Friday night at White Auditorium. The Hornets won the “Turnpike Tussle” taking down the No. 7 ranked Lady Blues 3-2 (25-23, 25-21, 18-25, 26-28, 15-13). Kellen Jenkins/The Bulletin.

“I don’t know if we got too comfortable or we maybe thought we had it or something,” Shepard said. “I kind of had a flashback to West Texas A&M right after we lost that fourth game, I was like, ‘Oh no, we can’t do this again.’”

In the potential midst of another loss to a top 10 opponent, the Hornets tightened up their defense and minimized errors to win the final set, 15-13. Xu noted what the importance of a win against rival Washburn meant for his program and the rest of the season.

“This game will really keep our confidence up and our momentum going to carry to the postseason,” Xu said. “We need to kind of learn from it and bring this momentum and go to the next game.”

Junior right side hitter and nursing major Brittney Miller noted the games high and low points and the importance of finishing.

“I think we played hard,” Miller said. “We need to still do a little better, win the first two sets, come out and win the third, so we’re going to continue to work at that. Big net game, big defense…It was definitely a big one to finish – we knew we needed to do it. We still need to work to go a little harder and not let that halftime give us a little downtime. We’ll continue to work. I think we played well.”

A point of surprising significance at the game was the crowd – more than once did the noise created by the fans affect on the opposing team’s server.

“This game’s huge,” Shepard said. “The outcome here, I think that helped so much – I’ve never seen it so filled.”

Schmidtberger shared the sentiment.

“The crowd was great,” Schmidtberger said. “I’m glad everyone came out and supported (the team).”

Setter Ting Liu and Middle Hitter Brianne Boner jump to block a spike by Washburn’s Jessica Kopp Friday night at White Auditorium. The Hornets won the “Turnpike Tussle” taking down the No. 7 ranked Lady Blues 3-2 (25-23, 25-21, 18-25, 26-28, 15-13). Kellen Jenkins/The Bulletin.

Miller led the team with 20 kills, followed closely by Shepard with 17. Junior setter and business major Ting Lui added 54 sets.

Shepard, in her senior season, was happy to defeat Washburn, not only for the team’s interest, but for her own, special interest as well. Shepard’s twin sister, Ashley, plays for the Lady Blues.

“Winning this game feels awesome,” Shepard said. “Hopefully we’ll continue this success.”

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