
Taylor Otting, junior outside hitter, dives for the ball in a set against Washburn in the Turnpike Tussle Tuesday at White Auditorium. The Hornets lost 1-3 and their next game is 7 p.m. tomorrow in Kearney, Nebraska.
The Emporia State volleyball team lost to the Washburn Ichabods after four close sets Tuesday in the William Allen White Arena. The final set was lost, 23-25.
“We played them so close,” said Jamie Hauptman, senior outside hitter. “I think it’s just the little things…(but) we really came together as a team in the last two sets.”
The first set started off strong for the Ichabods, beginning with a 1-3 lead. Momentum was in favor of Washburn almost through the first set until the Hornets answered with a 6-2 run halfway through.
But it wasn’t enough to keep the lead. The Hornets lost the first set 17-25, even with three ties and three lead changes throughout the set.
The start of the second set was better for ESU, the highest tie being 9-9. Washburn ended the set 14-25.
Hornet momentum carried over to the third set, with Taylor Otting, junior outside hitter, getting two kills in a row. Washburn answered with four points from four tips, but after a Hornet timeout, Jordan Evans, sophomore outside hitter, scored another three kills in a row for ESU. Emporia fired forward on an 8-1 run, leading by 10 at one point.
Tatum Graves, senior middle hitter, sent a spike toward the Ichabods. Washburn answered with a 1-4 run at the end of the third. However, ESU claimed victory at 25-23.
With the game on the line, the Hornets would try to keep up with Washburn during the final set. “We had nothing to lose,” Evans said.
The Ichabods took home the win, making their record 23-1.