Danica Schettler
The Hornets huddle up in a set against the Central Missouri Jennies on Oct. 17.
Emporia State Volleyball ranked in the most recent edition of the AVCA Coaches Poll for the first time since 2011. After their fourth consecutive weekend sweep in MIAA matchups last weekend, the Hornets now rank No. 25 in the nation.
Last weekend, ESU beat No. 24 Central Missouri in five sets 3-2 and Missouri Southern 3-0.
“(I’m) excited for the girls to get nationally recognized for their daily commitment to the process of improving,” said head coach Ken Murczek. “Cam (Ossola) and Brailee (Bogle) have been here for 3 years and having them believe in the initial vision for the program and be a part of the transformation has been awesome.”
ESU is 17-3 on the season and 8-1 in conference play. Three of their eight MIAA wins have been against ranked teams, the highest in program history coming from an Oct. 10 win against No. 2 Nebraska-Kearney. The 2025-26 season is the first time the Hornets have won against multiple ranked competitors in the same season since 2009.
Beating three ranked opponents this season — including No. 2 Nebraska-Kearney — is no small feat. Murczek said that the team’s commitment to the game made those performances possible.
“(It is) the girls’ commitment to preparing themselves mentally, physically, and emotionally for every match,” he said.
Murczek attributes the Hornets’ growth this season to their strong support for one another, referring to how the team has “done a tremendous job of encouraging each other every day.” Beyond the wins and ranking, he says he is most proud of how the athletes are learning to take time each day to work on themselves– as people first, then as athletes.
When asked about the biggest factor that helped the Hornets sustain their four-time sweep streak, Murczek touched on their ability to start strong and bounce back.
“Our first contact in serving and receiving has been very consistent, and whenever we’ve struggled in a set, the team has bounced back strongly,” he said.
Murczek’s message to the Hornets as they head into a significant rivalry match, the Turnpike Tussle against Washburn, is simple.
“No huge message other than it’s the next match on our schedule. We try to take each match one at a time,” Murczek said. “Obviously, the team is aware we are both 8-1 in the MIAA but I don’t talk about it really at all with them.”
The Hornets will face off against the Ichabods on the road in Topeka today, Oct. 24. First serve is set for 6 p.m.