ESU shocks Washburn, keeps NCAA hopes alive
By The Emporia Gazette (Contact)
Thursday, October 26, 2006
With its back against the wall, the Emporia State volleyball team produced in the most crucial of times.
And in the most hostile of places.
Needing a win to keep its realistic playoff chances alive, ESU upset No. 18 Washburn 30-22, 29-31, 30-22, 30-24 Wednesday night at Lee Arena in Topeka.
The victory moves the Hornets back to .500 with a 15-15 record with only the MIAA Tournament left. Teams must have a .500 mark to be eligible for an NCAA tournament berth.
ESU started off strong, using an 11-2 run to take a 20-12 lead in Game One. Leah Griswold had three kills during the stretch.
The Hornets threatened to put it completely away in Game Two before some old ghosts came back to haunt them. With a 29-25 lead, ESU couldn’t close things out, losing the final six points and the game to Washburn.
The setback didn’t affect ESU in Games Three and Four. After battling to a 10-all tie in the third game, three Mandy Chutskoff kills and two Arica Shepard aces helped the Hornets on a 10-3 run to take control. ESU never trailed in the fourth game to take the runaway victory, 30-24.
Shepard led the Hornets with 16 kills and 21 digs. Chutskoff added 15 kills, and Mary Walczuk also contributed 15 kills off the bench.
Griswold chipped in with 14 kills and 16 digs.
The match brought an end to the regular season for ESU. MIAA Tournament play begins on Oct. 31, with the seedings being determined later this week.
With the victory, the Hornets have placed themselves squarely on the NCAA bubble. With one win at the conference tournament, they will be eligible for the NCAA tourney with a .500 record but will still need to finish high enough in the South Central Rankings.
Currently, ESU sits at seventh in the poll. The automatic qualifiers from the MIAA, Gulf South and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournaments and the top five remaining ranked teams advance to the eight-team NCAA Regional Tournament.