Senior guard Lacy Corker goes for a lay up Saturday night at White Auditorium as the Hornets faced the UNO Mavericks. Corker had 5 steals and 18 points for the night helping the Hornets finish with a 96-78 win. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

The #5 Emporia State women’s basketball team, coming off of a loss against Central Missouri, captured a win last Saturday against the Mavericks of Nebraska-Omaha, 96-78. The victory marked the Hornets’ 20^th of the season and 13^th in the MIAA.

Senior guard Cassondra Boston knew what it would take to come away with a W against a tough UNO team.

“Coming off a loss on Wednesday, we knew we had to come out and play extra hard,” Boston said.

After going down 3-0 to start the first half, sophomore guard Brittney Miller scored first for the Hornets on an assist from Boston. The Mavericks continued their quick start against ESU, leading by as much as four early on, 8-4, until smart offensive plays by Boston and junior forward Negesti Taylor led the Hornets to tie the game at 10-all with over 16 minutes in the half with over 16 minutes in the half.

UNO jumped out once again on the Hornets, this time 18-12 before a basket by senior guard Lacy Corker cut the lead to four.

Junior forward Alli Volkens fights for a rebound Saturday night at White Auditorium. Volkens led the Hornets in rebounds for the evening with 11. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

The first timeout on the floor stopped the action with 14:29 remaining in the first half with the Mavericks leading the Hornets 20-14.

Following the timeout, the Hornets went on a 6-0 run, tying the game at 20-all with just under 12 minutes to play in the half. The Hornets took their first lead of the half, 23-22, thanks to a three-pointer from Boston at the top of the key.

Both teams were shooting over 60 percent from the field with just under 10 minutes to play in the half.

A Corker three-pointer followed by a trey from senior guard Sophia Lenard gave the Hornets a seven point advantage before UNO called timeout with 7:01 to play in the half.

With 5:06 left in the half, a traditional three point play was converted by Corker, giving Emporia State an 11-point lead. The Hornets’ lead extended to 15 with just over two minutes to play, mainly due to recurrent UNO turnovers that were converted to baskets by ESU.

Emporia State went into the locker room with a 17-point lead over the Mavericks, 55-38.

Sophomore forward Brittney Miller looks to score Saturday Night at White Auditorium. Miller finished the night with 17 points for the Hornets. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

The two teams went back and forth early in the second half until a timeout by UNO paused the action, with the Hornets on top 61-44 with 15:43 left to play in the contest.

The Mavericks would cut the lead to 13 at 63-50 with 12:45 remaining in the half. A timeout on the floor saw Emporia State still leading the Mavericks, 67-55, with 9:59 to play.

The Mavericks continued their comeback effort, closing to within 10 of the Hornets lead at 75-65 with five minutes to play in the second half.

In the end, UNO’s efforts wouldn’t be enough as they fell to the Hornets, 96-78.

Boston led the Hornets in scoring with 24, followed by Corker with 18 and Miller with 17. Junior forward Alli Volkens added 11 rebounds, and senior guard Jamie Augustyn chipped in five assists on the night.

Corker said that it was the team’s defense that translated to the high offensive output.

“Tonight we were doing good on defense, and it helped carry over on the offensive end,” Corker said.

Senior guard Cassondra Boston attacks the UNO defense Saturday night at White Auditorium. Boston led the Hornets in baskets with 24 of their 96 points. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

Emporia State Coach Brandon Schneider commented on the team’s energy level as part of their success.

“I liked our energy,” Schneider said. “I know we gave up 78 points, but I feel like we really forced them to make some plays and make some tough shots. Our defense affected the tempo of our offense, which was obviously a little bit faster tonight.”

A home game versus Southwest Baptist is up next for the Hornets. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 10 in White Auditorium.

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Hot three-point shooting led the Emporia State women’s basketball team to victory over the Bearcats of Northwest Missouri State Sunday, 91-62. The Hornets (17-1, 10-1) shot over 55-percent from beyond the arc on their way to avenging the team’s loss to the Bearcats earlier the season and capturing their tenth straight MIAA win.

According to senior guard Cassondra Boston, the team was determined to show how much they had improved since the previous meeting.

“It was the first conference game,” Boston said. “We’ve improved a lot since then. That’s how we wanted to do it, was come out and show them how much better we’ve gotten.”

Right off the jump ball sophomore guard Brittney Miller scored two points on the low block. After a few empty possessions for both teams, it was Miller again with points on the board for the Hornets, this time from three. Boston followed up Miller’s three with a three-pointer of her own on the ensuing ESU possession.

Senior guard Jamie Augustyn chipped in a trey of her own after Northwest Missouri scored a basket, bringing the score to 11-2 in favor of the Hornets. The first timeout on the floor saw the Hornets with a definitive edge over the Bearcats early, 13-5, with 14:53 left to play in the half.

After the timeout, the Hornets went on a 7-0 run which forced Northwest Missouri Coach Gene Steinmeyer to call a timeout to regroup his team.

A 30-second timeout was called by Emporia State Coach Brandon Schneider following a few defensive lapses by the Hornets, yet the Hornets still led the Bearcats 24-11. Following the timeout, Boston hit a three-pointer to extend the Hornets’ lead to 16 with just over eight minutes to play.

The teams went back and forth between empty possessions until senior guard Sophia Lenard drove to the hole and was fouled in the act of shooting – Lenard did not make either of the charity points but hit a long jumper on the next Hornets possession. The final media timeout of the half saw the Hornets with a commanding lead over the Bearcats, 31-17, with 4:44 remaining in the half.

Junior forward Negesti Taylor scored right out of the timeout on a mid-range jumper, adding to the Hornets already growing lead. Lenard continued to make her presence known on both ends of the floor, coming up with a big three-pointer and a steal on the next NWMSU possession. The Bearcats were forced to call another timeout after Augustyn followed up Lenard’s shot form beyond the arc with one of her own, which extended the Hornets lead to 17.

Five consecutive points came Northwest Missouri’s way due to poor decisions by the Hornets on both ends of the court. The lapse in judgment led the Bearcats to cut the Hornets’ lead to 11 with double-digit seconds remaining in the half.

The Bearcats had control of the final possession of the half, until the ball was rebounded by Lenard. Lenard put up a prayer from half court with a few seconds remaining – the shot was good, giving the Hornets three more points as they headed to the locker room with the lead, 44-30.

The Hornets out rebounded the Bearcats 28-20 and shot an impressive 8-13 from three point land.

Jokingly, Lenard commented on shooting the half court shot a little earlier than expected.

“In my head, the clock was going a little bit faster than the actual clock, and I just threw it up there,” Lenard said.

The Hornets went on a 9-2 run to start the second half, padding their already comfortable lead to 21with 15:40 remaining in the contest.

Although turnovers were a slight point of concern for the Hornets, the team still commanded a hefty 16-point lead with 9:37 left to play. Following a media timeout, Augustyn stepped up big with a three-pointer from the corner which was followed by a Boston three-pointer from the top of the key on the next Hornets possession, extending ESU’s lead to 22 with 8:48 remaining.

Emporia State coasted to the end of the game and captured the victory, 91-62.

Boston and Lenard led the Hornets in scoring with 22 points apiece. Junior forward Alli Volkens and Taylor each contributed 10 rebounds apiece, while Taylor also chipped in 10 points to complete the double-double.

Schneider was happy with the progression of Taylor on both ends of the floor.

“Negesti was brought here to defend and rebound, and I think it’s very obvious that that’s her forte,” Schneider said. “But she’s made progress on the offensive end, and I think she’s beginning to trust herself and her teammates are beginning to trust her a lot more.”

The Hornets round out a three game home stand against Missouri Western on Wednesday at White Auditorium. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

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Junior forward Alli Volkens looks to pass Monday Night at White Auditorium. The Hornets crushed Truman State 77-55. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

For the second straight game, the Emporia State women’s basketball team did not allow a double-digit scorer as they defeated Truman State, 75-55. Four Hornets ended up in double figures, including high scorer and senior guard Cassondra Boston with 17 points.

“We had a lot of players that were able to drive on their players, and we took advantage of that and opened up the floor,” Boston said. “People made really good plays tonight, good decisions.”

The Hornets were well met by the Bulldogs early on, even trailing Truman by as much as six with 8:07 left to play, until ESU went on a 17-4 drive to end the first half, leading 39-29.

Boston said that the team’s lapse in defense was the cause of TSU’s short lead.

“I think we just realized we needed to pick it up on the defensive end,” Boston said. “We were letting them score a little bit too easily, and we started to get a little more stingy on defense and get after those loose balls and just play a lot better defense on them.”

Emporia State Head Coach Brandon Schneider was also witness to the Hornets’ defensive collapse.

“I thought we played on our heels a little bit,” Schneider said. “I felt like we played a little

Senior guard Sophia Lenard attacks the basket Monday night at White Auditorium. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

bit like we were the underdog early and didn’t play with the kind of aggression on both ends of the floor that we needed to. Once we start playing a little bit better defense, I thought that helped us get in a better flow.”

The second half proved to be more fruitful for the Hornets as the team turned it up on both offense and defense and never really allowed the Bulldogs to get the game within reach.

Schneider attributed the team’s success to a slashing, drive-to-the-basket style of play as opposed to the normal high-low game that the team is accustomed to.

“I think a lot of it is people know we’re going to play that way. Typically then, we have to adjust to however their guarding it,” Schneider said. “Tonight, I thought Rachel Hanf really sticks out in particular, really getting in some seams and making some plays. Cassondra (Boston) obviously had a nice game, Sophia (Lenard) made some good plays but I’m probably more excited about how Negesti (Taylor) played than anybody. It’s nice to see her finish some plays and continue to rebound really well.”

Sophomore guard Brittney Miller also said that the team’s approach to the game earned them the victory.

“We do like to dribble-drive,” Miller said. “A lot of our players are good at that, so we try to go to our strengths. It’s been working, but we’re going to keep getting better.”

Miller contributed 14 points for the Hornets, while senior guard Sophia Lenard and Hanf

Junior center Negesti Taylor goes in for a layup Monday night at White Auditorium. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

added 12 and 10 points, respectively. Junior center Negesti Taylor almost had a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds.

Lenard saw some extended action during the contest – action she had been missing out on due to an injury sustained earlier in the season.

“We’re trying to kind of work her (Lenard) into it,” Schneider said. “Prior to us going to the San Francisco trip, it was the first time she really had any extended practice. We left her in there a little bit too long on a couple occasions where she made some mistakes I think just out of fatigue, so we have to be careful with that. We’re trying to work her into the rotation as much as we can.”

Schneider said that he has noticed some marked improvement from the team, in many different facets of the game.

“We’re trying to get better, particularly on the offensive end, and tonight I thought we executed much better,” Schneider said. “It’s good to know that we can go and play two drastically different teams and win a fast paced game and turn around the next day and have them play a really physical, grind-it-out style and know that we can win a game even when we don’t make shots.”

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Guard Brittney Miller works for an opening against a UCM defender Saturday night at White Auditorium. The Hornets beat the Jennies 72-66. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

The Emporia State women’s basketball team, coming off a 1-1 conference road trip, opened home play Saturday with a win against Central Missouri, 72-66.

The Hornets started the game down early, 13-7 with 15:48 left in the first half. The Jennies would increase their lead to nine at the first media timeout, leading the Hornets 16-7. Central Missouri extended their lead even more, this time leading the Hornets by 10 at 23-13 with 10:33 left in the half – ESU would call timeout.

After the timeout, the Hornets would battle back to within seven, with key efforts from senior guard Cassondra Boston, freshman guard Rachel Hanf and a big-time block from sophomore guard Brittney Miller.

Freshman Kelsey Newman would hit a three in the corner to get the Hornets within four, taking the score to 28-24 in favor of the Jennies. The presence of sophomore forward Allie Volkens continued to be a frustration point for Central Missouri – she would nail two free throws to narrow the Jennies lead to two before a UCM timeout. Volkens would be the one to tie the game for the Hornets at 28-all with a nice spin move on the low block, however, Central Missouri would answer with a bucket of their own to take the lead again at 30-28.

Once again, Volkens hit another low block basket to tie the game at 30 with 4:30 left in the first half. Forward Ashley Ferrell would be the one to give the Hornets the edge this time, coming off a free throw point on foul called on a slashing move to the basket.

Forward Ashley Ferrell takes a lay up Satuday night at White Auditorium against the UCM Jennies. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

With 1:12 left in the half, the score was tied at 33. Junior center Negesti Taylor scored on the low block with 24.3 seconds left, making the traditional three point play that gave the Hornets the lead, 36-33. The Jennies would answer on their own low block with a bucket, closing the half with the Hornets leading by one, 36-35.

Boston said that there was an emphasis put on feeding the low post throughout the first half.

“We started out taking a lot of jump shots, then we started running plays to get inside,” Boston said.” “Alli was scoring, so we kept going to her. We got in the bonus early so we knew we had to take it to them on the inside and score inside.”

Volkens commented on what her expectations were for the game.

“Brandon (Schneider) talked to me in shoot around, and he said that he just wanted me to come off the bench and be a spark for the team,” Volkens said. “We got down early so I just tried to come in and play hard.”

The Jennies would score the first five points of the second half, followed by a three-pointer by Jamie Augustyn to cut the UCM lead to one at 40-39. Augustyn would answer with another three to take the lead for the Hornets, which was followed by a slashing bucket by the Jennies to tie the game at 42 with 17:00 left in the half.

Volkens would continue her reign of dominance on the low block offensively, netting another bucket, giving her 12 points on the night at the time. A timeout on the floor saw a break in the action with the Jennies leading the Hornets

Forward Alli Volkens shoots over a UCM defender Saturday night at White Auditorium. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

50-46 with 14:00 minutes to go in the contest.

The Hornets would pick it up on offense, with senior guard Lacy Corker driving to the basket for a deuce and Volkens once again hitting a low block shot, leading to a traditional three pointer that put the Hornets on top, 54-52 with 10:30 left to go in the half.

After a timeout on the floor, Boston would lead the way for the Hornets, converting on a traditional three point play to give the Hornets the lead at 57-53 with 8:45 to go. Boston would score again, this time giving the Hornets three from beyond the arc, forcing Central Missouri to call timeout.

ESU stepped it up on the offensive side of the ball once more with the help of two consecutive Boston three point plays, putting the Hornets ahead of the Jennies 63-55 with 4:38 left in the contest.

With 1:13 to go, Emporia State called timeout with a six point lead at 67-61. Miller hit a nice basket down low, which was followed by a UCM timeout after a Jennies three-pointer – the Hornets held on to a five point lead.

Full-court pressure on the ESU inbounds play saw a Boston turnover, which converted to two Jennies points, cutting the Hornets lead to three at 69-66.

Forward Jocelyn Cummings looks for an open teammate Saturday night at White Auditorium as ESU faced UCM. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

In clutch fashion, Corker hit a three-pointer with 8.0 seconds left, sealing the deal for the Hornets and giving them the close victory, 72-66.

“I missed a few threes earlier in the game and Boston, they’re always going to come in on Boston when she drives, and when she drove she dished it out and saw us open,” Corker said. “I happened to be the open one, and I made it.”

Volkens led all scorers with 20 points in addition to seven rebounds. Boston added 16 points for the Hornets along with eight assists.

Boston attributed the team’s play to a solid week of practice.

“I think this week (in practice) we really got a lot accomplished,” Boston said. “We had really productive practices this week, and I think it definitely paid off and showed in this game.”

After a short break, the Hornets will be back in action on the road on Dec. 21 against California State University-East Bay in Hayward, Calif.

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The Emporia State women’s basketball team defeated Evangel University 84-59 last Saturday during the final game of ESU’s annual Tip-Off Classic. ESU (3-0) remains undefeated in the regular season and is currently 16-0 in the history of the Tip-Off Classic.

At the beginning of the first half, ESU showed various defensive strategies such as a half court trap and full court press.

“We worked it,” Head Coach Brandon Schneider said. “Using a lot of trap is dangerous.”

A couple of three point shots were made to start the half by senior guards Cassondra Boston and Jamie Augustyn. The Hornets started a game with 10-2 lead.

Evangel forward Kara Blankenship, who scored 32 points in the game, proved to be a formidable opponent for the Hornets. The first half was practically a scoring showdown between Boston and Blankenship – Boston had 18 points and three assists while Blankenship scored 21 points in the first half.

“A lot of teams know we drive to the basket,” Boston said. “We got more open chances. That’s what we tried to do tonight. I drive to be more aggressively. I just tried to attack the hoop to get all the buckets.”

ESU led 47-33 to end the first half.

The main differences between Emporia State and Evangel were low-post players and bench depth. Junior center Negesti Taylor was dominant in the paint – she had a double-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds and one block in the game. The Hornets pulled down 40 rebounds while Evangel only had 23.

Bench depth was another advantage of ESU. Schneider substituted many players at the same time to maintain an up-tempo game speed and save the strength of his players.

“I want to both teams (starters and bench players) to be pretty even,” Schneider said. “We have some scoring punches in both teams.”

The trump card of for the Hornets was senior guard Sophia Lenard, who came off the bench and scored 11 points – including six consecutive points – in the second half. Emporia State held a 27-point lead with 12:41 remaining in the second half.

“As a team, we are really fortunate to have bench players,” Lenard said. “Starters go out and play defense. Bench players go out and score, too. Bench or starter, it is not different to me. Just go out and play. Five minutes or two minutes, it doesn’t matter.”

The Hornets held several advantages against Evangel – Emporia State led Evangel 37-4 in bench points and 19-0 in fast break points. After game, Boston, who led the Hornets with 23 points on the day, was named tournament MVP. Taylor was selected as an All-Tournament team member.

“It’s an honor to me,” Boston said. “I am able to get this for my teammates. They passed to me a lot, so I can play more aggressive.”

Schneider was very satisfied with the team.

“We feel good about it,” Schneider said. “My goal is for the team to get better every day…when we get Brittney (Miller) back, we turn up more pressure. She is our best athletic player. She can contribute to the team with her rebounding and scoring.”

-JungHwan Seo/The Bulletin

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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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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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Miller

Brittney Miller, junior nursing major, knows a little bit about time management. Miller plays both volleyball and basketball for the Hornets and is also going to school full time in an effort to obtain a nursing degree. With clinicals, class and practice, Miller will sometimes spend from six in the morning to very late at night working and studying.

“It’s difficult, and a lot of people tell me I can’t do it,” Miller said. “I will never give up and will prove to everyone and myself that it can be done, but it is difficult to try to time manage, do my clinicals, come to practice and use a small window to get my studying done.”

Miller, a right side hitter for the #6 ranked Hornets, is second on the team in kills with 164 and is a big part of a vicious attacking team that has the Hornets at a 14-1 record. Miller is an important piece of a puzzle that has kept the Hornets volleyball team a national contender, said head volleyball coach Bing Xu.

“She’s a smart player and very athletic,” Xu said. “She’s a big threat on the net. I think no matter who we play she’s the one they’re trying to stop.”

Jenna Snook, junior nursing major, is also in Emporia State’s nursing program in addition to playing volleyball. Snook explained that it’s nice to have someone to study with on road trips and not have to be the only one to miss class. She said she is glad to have Miller as a teammate as well as a fellow nursing student.

“She is very team oriented, and she can get you excited if the team is down,” Snook said. “She has good time management skills.”

Miller is aware that she gets an abundance of support from both her coaches and teachers at the nursing school. She admits that it is very helpful.

“The coaches have been a lot more supportive than I thought they would be…I always thought that one would make me quit one or the other, but they all have been helpful not pushing me one way or the other,” Miller said. “At Newman division, all the instructors are helpful – they’re very understanding.”

On occasion, Xu notices that Miller is drained from a long day of classes and practice, but still commends her for knowing the team needs her and always putting her best foot forward no matter how tired she is.

“Whoever I talk to thinks she’s crazy,” Xu said. “Not only does she do two sports, she does two really intense sports, and she’s a nursing major. “We really respect her, and also we’re straight with her – we ask that when she’s here, she focuses on volleyball, when she’s at basketball focus on basketball and when she’s at nursing school, focus on that. She sacrifices a lot, but she’s a tough one and can do it. We are just really excited that she comes here to give it her all every single time.”

Miller would like to graduate in four years while still playing both volleyball and basketball. She strives to be a good teammate and said she wants to help her team make it as far as possible in the postseason each year.

As for which sport is her favorite to play, it all depends on what time of the year it is.

“I’ve been playing basketball since the 3^rd grade, and I just started playing volleyball in the 7^th grade,” Miller said. “I like volleyball better during volleyball season, and I like basketball more during basketball season…They’re both my favorite sports.”

Austin Wagoner/The Bulletin

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