Sports | ESU Bulletin

Hornets blowout Crusaders in home opener

Written by Bulletin Staff
Thursday, 10 November 2011 11:59
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Junior guard Rachel Hanf shoots for 2 in an exhibition game Monday night at White Auditorium. The Hornets won the game with a score of 92-52. Chris Franklin/The Bulletin

The women’s basketball team hosted the Evangel Crusaders Monday night at the William Allen White Auditorium. The Hornets raced out to an early lead and never looked back as they dominated en route to a 92-52 home opening win.

“I thought defensively we played really hard,” said Jory Collins, head coach. “I thought we played hard and the effort was there. We have a lot of young people that have never had to play defense before at a level that it is going to take for us to win.”

In the first half, the Hornets grabbed the lead with about 17 minutes remaining. But the team allowed the pesky Crusaders to hang around in the first half with marginal shooting. After a timeout with a little over four minutes to go, the Hornets surged ahead by 16 points to end the half, 41-25. The Hornets shot just 35 percent from the field in the first half.

“We have a really good three point shooting team,” Collins said. “In the first half, we made three of 16 from deep…but I’m really comfortable with our top four or five guards shooting when they are open.”

In the second half, the Hornets looked like a much different team. They made 53 percent of their shots from the field, including four of seven from behind the three point arch. Not only did the Hornets step up their offensive numbers, they also stepped up their defensive intensity as well.

Freshman forward Sarah Wood puts up a shot against Crusader defense Monday night at William Allen White Auditorium. Chris Franklin/The Bulletin

Sophomore Kelsey Balcom had an off night shooting, but she did not allow that to affect her effort on the floor. She lead the team in both rebounds, with 11 total, and assists, with five. The Crusaders struggled to match her intensity.

“I think that it’s important to always go out there and work hard and hustle,” Balcom said. “I think that rebounding is always an effort thing. He (Collins) says that you don’t have to be a good athlete to be a good rebounder, you just have to want the ball.”

Senior guard Heather Robben stepped up her intensity level in the second half as well, forcing a few turnovers and getting a few easy buckets in transition as a result. She led the team with four steals and scored 19 points on the way to winning player of the game.

“It creates a lot more things for our offense, when we play good defense and get transition baskets,” Robben said. “(When we) get to the paint it will create a lot more.”

Overall, the team looked tough in the home opener. Next up, the Hornets will travel to Wichita to play the Newman Jets on at 5:30 p.m. this Friday.

Marcus Hix

Volleyball defeats rival Gorillas, despite slow start

Written by Bulletin Staff
Thursday, 10 November 2011 11:55
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Sophomore outside hitter Paige Vanderpool attacks the ball Friday night at White Auditorium. The Hornets came from behind to win 3-1 against the Gorillas. Chris Franklin/The Bulletin

The Lady Hornets faced off against the Pittsburgh State Gorillas last Friday at the William Allen White Auditorium downtown. After a slow start, the Hornets fought to defeat the Gorillas, 3-1.

Starting off, the Hornets were down 0-3 before scoring their first point. They never did grab momentum in the first set, and nothing seemed to go Emporia’s way as they took their first and only loss, 15-25.

“I could tell during warm ups that we were not mentally prepared,” said Bing Xu, head coach.

But the Hornets looked like a whole new team to start the second set, hustling to fight back. Freshman middle blocker Courtney Haring put up some big blocks to discourage the Pittsburg hitters, adding six on the night, while sophomore Brianna Kaiser attacked the nets viciously. Emporia took the second set, 25-17, off of a kill by sophomore right side hitter Morgan Buckner.

“It was a little rocky in the beginning, but we knew we had to pick it up,” Kaiser said. “We all had to be there for each other.”

With the match tied, both teams came out pumped to start the third set. Kaiser and Buckner continued to add kills as freshman outside hitter Carly Spicer contributed her part as well, finishing the night with eight kills and one block.

The crowd erupted as Spicer hit two kills in a row to make the score 13-8, forcing the Gorillas to call a timeout. When Pittsburg took the lead at 16-17, Xu called a timeout to reassure his team that they could beat the Gorillas.

Freshman setter Katie Deutschmann assisted many of the points, as she added some kills of her own. Just when the Gorillas looked to have the third set within reach, the Hornets responded with three straight points, winning the set 26-24.

“We really had to pick up our game (in the third set),” Spicer said. “Amanda and Katie were setting really good sets. It was a team effort.”

Both teams looked evenly matched at the start of the fourth set. Buckner and Kaiser hit the nets ferociously. Deutschmann, who led the Hornets with 14 kills, 19 assists and three blocks, was not shy as she continuously spiked the ball and tore apart the Gorillas’ back row. The Hornets took the fourth set with a score of 25-15. winning the match 3-1.

“They learned their lesson from the first set and showed a lot of character,” Xu said.

The Hornets will host the Fort Hays State Tigers at 7 p.m. tomorrow at White Auditorium.

Chelsie Slaughter

Sport Shorts

Written by Bulletin Staff
Thursday, 10 November 2011 11:53
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Football rolls over Southwest Baptist, 42-28

The Hornets traveled to Bolivar, Mo. this weekend to defeat the Southwest Baptist Bearcats, 42-28. The defense forced six turnovers and the offense racked up over 500 total yards of offense while dominating in every facet of the game. Their record now stands at 5-5 on the season.

Junior defensive back Derek Lohmann had a career high of three interceptions to go along with his eight tackles. Senior running back LeDarrian Page also had a career day as he racked up 201 rushing yards while finding the end zone three times.

Next up for the Hornets is the Northwest Missouri Bearcats. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. on Saturday in Maryville, Mo.

Hornets swarm Bulldogs in big win

Written by Bulletin Staff
Thursday, 03 November 2011 16:41
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Junior tight end Adam Schiltz dives into end zone for a touchdown Saturday afternoon at Welch Stadium. The Hornets crushed the Bulldogs with a final score of 52-18. Chris Franklin/The Bulletin

The football team hosted the Truman State Bulldogs on Senior Day last Saturday, as 25 seniors played their last winning game at Welch Stadium.

The offense gained 436 total yards while the defense forced six turnovers. All cylinders clicked as the Hornets beat Truman 52-18. This marks the second week in a row that the Hornets have scored over 50 points.

“We are starting to get some confidence offensively,” said Garin Higgins, head coach. “We are executing better in the red zone and on third downs.”

The offense jumped out to a 21-7 lead in the first quarter. Senior running back Adrian Abner scored twice in the first quarter on two separate nine yard touchdown runs. The defense then gained the first of their six turnovers as they forced a fumble and recovered on the 13 yard line. The offense later scored two plays as senior running back Dasor Horton plunged in from four yards out.

“The defense has been playing very big,” said Kevin Gaddis, defensive back. “From our linemen to our linebackers to our secondary… when we all play as one, I feel we can’t be beat.”

The Hornets did not miss a beat heading into the second quarter. The defense played strong as they were able to force two more turnovers. The passing attack found its stride as junior quarterback Tyler Eckenrode threw to junior tight end Adam Schlitz on a 13 yard touchdown pass. He also threw to junior wide receiver Shjuan Richardson on a 21yard touchdown strike.

At halftime, the Hornets lead 35-18.

“Our coaching staff does a great job with putting us in a position to make plays,” Eckenrode said. “We have been able to run and throw the ball very well these last two weeks.”

Both teams struggled against the wind in the third quarter, as neither team was able to complete a scoring drive. But the defense again stopped Truman on the two yard line to keep the Bulldogs out of the end zone and force a turnover on downs. At the end of the quarter, the score remained 35-18.

In the fourth quarter, three seniors scored the remaining 17 points as running backs Dasor Horton and LaDarrian Page had touchdown runs of six and five yards, and kicker Zak King had a 23 yard field goal. The Hornets stretched the lead to 52-18.

“I told them in the locker room after the game, let’s go win three in a row,” Higgins said. “Three in a row would be a winning streak.”

The Hornets record now stands at 4-5 on the season. Next the Hornets will travel to Bolivar, Mo., to face the Southwest Baptist Bearcats at 1:30 on Saturday.

Marcus Hix

Modest Kaiser kills for Hornets on the court

Written by Bulletin Staff
Thursday, 03 November 2011 16:35
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KAISER

The athleticism that the Hornets bring to the volleyball court is valuable to the team’s success. For Emporia State this season, no one personifies this more than sophomore outside hitter Briana Kaiser.

“She’s so athletic,” said Bing Xu, head coach. “She has tremendous physical ability. She has all the tools and fundamentals, especially defense and passing… she has a lot of potential (and) is very talented and has a lot of natural ability.”

Growing up, Kaiser played many different sports including basketball, volleyball, track, softball and cheerleading. In junior high Kaiser said she realized that volleyball was her favorite sport. During high school she earned all-state tournament team, all-metro, MVP and was a four time letter winner in volleyball at Valley Center.

Photo Illustration by Jon Coffey/The Bulletin

“In sixth grade I was playing intramural volleyball and quit cheerleading,” Kaiser said. Once finished with high school, Kaiser went to Wichita State for two seasons before transferring to ESU.

“I transferred here because I loved the nursing program after I visited,” Kaiser said. “Then volleyball just fit in and I love the game.”

This season, she has made a tremendous impression on both the coaches and the players.

“This year Briana has really stepped up,” said junior Meg Schwartz. “She is one of the leaders on the team. She makes a really big impact and we are really happy to have her here. She is definitely a dominating force on our team… she’s always there encouraging, always supporting the teammates and always has a really positive attitude.”

Although she has 243 kills and 333 digs so far this season, Kaiser seems to be modest. She strives to be a good team player and puts the needs of the team before individual stats or awards.

“Teamwork is the most important thing,” Kaiser said. “Just meshing together with the other girls is very important to me. We practice hard every day. We are a very new team so having that chemistry is vital to our success.”

Her teammates and coaches have noticed how important teamwork is to Briana.

“Everybody likes her,” Xu said. “She is really fun both on and off the court. She is always there joking with her teammates and the team chemistry is right there.”

Marcus Hix

Sport Shorts

Written by Bulletin Staff
Thursday, 03 November 2011 16:32
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Hornets win three straight on road

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.

Anderson leads Hornet offense

Written by Bulletin Staff
Thursday, 27 October 2011 23:51
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ANDERSON

In her fourth year at Emporia State, Sarah Anderson emerged as a consistent offensive weapon for Hornet soccer, an area the team need improvement on in going into the season.

Under her leadership, the Hornets have been able to generate 184 shots this year, 103 of those shots on goal.

“She’s a quiet leader,” said head coach Bryan Sailer. “But she does the right thing. She leads by example. She’s a hard worker. She’s here everyday. She’s not missed one practice, one game, not late, nothing. She’s just a good kid, in the community (and) just as a person.”

Anderson grew up in Overland Park where she began playing soccer at an early age, as her dad influenced her to take up the sport.

Although soccer was the first sport she played growing up, she was also a pitcher for a competitive softball team until she entered high school. But in the end, soccer was Anderson’s first choice.

“Honestly, I just love the sport,” Anderson said. “I really like endurance… I love long distance running, so that matches a lot more with soccer than it did softball. Plus, just the whole soccer atmosphere, I like it better than softball.”

Anderson attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School where she lettered for three years in soccer. During her senior season, she scored five goals and had two assists and was a member of the 2006 and 2007 state championship teams.

After high school Anderson chose ESU over other MIAA members Truman and Washburn. In the end, her future plans and the location of the campus persuaded her to choose ESU.

“The location was pretty good for me… I wanted to be close to all my friends and be able to have my parents come to my games, and stuff like that means a lot to me,” Anderson said.

Anderson’s career plans include becoming an elementary teacher or a middle school math teacher. During her time at ESU, Anderson has scored six goals and has had seven assists. This year she scored her sixth goal against Southwest Baptist in a game the Hornets won 3-0. Anderson also had an assist in the game.

Anderson, who has had three assists this year, is currently tied for second on the team in total points. Her leadership this season has not gone unnoticed.

“She shows us by, not only verbally speaking to us, but she also shows us by playing to her best ability,” said junior forward Ashley Hill.

This year is the first for the MIAA soccer tournament. The top six teams will earn a bid, and the Hornets are currently seventh and one point behind Washburn.

As the Hornets attempt to make it into this year’s tournament during their final two games, Anderson’s play at forward will be essential for the team’s success.

Brandon Schneeberger

Soccer falls to three goal deficit

Written by Bulletin Staff
Thursday, 13 October 2011 11:10
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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

Hornets show heart in comeback win

Written by Bulletin Staff
Thursday, 13 October 2011 11:08
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Junior running back Derwin Hall dodges a tackle Saturday at Welch Stadium. The hornets came back from behind in the second half to win the game against the MSSU Lions 31-24. Chris Franklin/The Bulletin

Last Saturday at Welch Stadium, the Hornets came from behind to beat the Lions of Missouri Southern State 31-24.

The Hornets fell behind 0-17 before scoring 31 points in the second half to complete the comeback, adding a crucial win to the team’s overall record. The Hornets are now 2-4.

“Our kids made a great comeback,” said head coach Garin Higgins. “We got some opportunities and made some great plays there at the end of the game.”

In the first half, things did not go favorably for the Hornets. The offense struggled to make plays and did not put any points on the board. The Lions had several opportunities to put the game out of reach, but the defense responded well.

Junior defensive back Derek Lohmann came up with a huge interception in the end zone to prevent the Lions from having another scoring drive.

“We have been playing very strong,” said junior defensive back Kevin Gaddis. “From our defensive line, to our linebackers and our secondary… we know we have to play hard to go out there and win a ball game.”

In the third quarter, the offense finally showed signs of life. They were able to drive 71 yards in 11 plays to make the score 7-17. On the Lions’ next possession, once again the defense stepped up to the challenge, forcing a three and out and getting the ball back for the Hornets.

On the ensuing drive, the offense looked unstoppable. Junior quarterback Tyler Eckenrode went six of eight for 57 yards, culminating with a nine yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Shjuan Richardson.

“It’s fun when you’re throwing to guys like Shjuan Richardson, Benji Love and RayRay Davis,” said quarterback Tyler Eckenrode. “Our offensive line battled hard today.”

The Lions answered back with a touchdown of their own, pushing the lead to 10 points, 14-24. That would be the last time the Lions scored.

Eckenrode threw to Richardson for a 60 yard touchdown strike to pull the Hornets within three points, 21-24.

“I just wanted to make a play for our team,” Richardson said. “I had to step up when my number was called and make a play.”

With a 1:29 left in the game, the Hornets took over on their own 16 yard line. With an improbable 84 yard drive, the Hornets drove the length of the field.

Then Eckenrode hit wide receiver RayRay Davis on a touchdown pass, grabbing the lead 31-24 with nearly 30 seconds left in the game. The comeback was complete as the remaining seconds ticked off the board.

“We needed this win,” Eckenrode said. “We have been fighting all year and it was a good win.”

Marcus Hix

Sport Shorts

Written by Bulletin Staff
Thursday, 13 October 2011 11:06
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Soccer falls 0-1 against UCM

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.