February 5, 2015-The 2010 NCAA Champion Emporia State Lady Hornets will become the 20th national championship team from the conference to be inducted into the MIAA Hall of Fame. For the first time in league history the induction will take place outside the June conference meetings. The team will be recognized during the semifinals of the MIAA Basketball Tournament on Saturday, March 7 in Municipal Auditorium. Emporia State will be hosting a reception for the team and it's fans prior to the evening session on March 7.

Ironically the 2010 Lady Hornets were eliminated from the MIAA Tournament in the semifinals before starting their six game run to the national championship.  Based on the strength of their 23-4 regular season Emporia State was able to qualify for the NCAA Tournament in Canyon, Texas as the fourth seed.  It was the eighth straight NCAA Tournament bid and the third year in a row the Lady Hornets had to travel to West Texas.

Emporia State defeated Tarleton State 90-71 in the opening round and set up a rematch with #9 West Texas A&M who had eliminated the Lady Hornets in the semifinals the previous year. Behind 21 points from Cassondra Boston Emporia State advanced to the Sweet 16 with a 76-69 victory..  In the regional championship game the Lady Hornets held Northeastern State to .270 shooting in a 76-45 romp to advance to the Elite Eight for the fifth time in school history.

The Lady Hornets got a career high 28 points from Alli Volkens to defeat #3 Michigan Tech 91-85 in the national quarterfinals in St. Joseph, Mo. The Lady Hornets would then rally from 18 points down with 8:48 left to defeat previously unbeaten and #1 Gannon 97-94 in the Semi-finals.

Elite Eight Most Outstanding Player Alli Volkens had 16 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks to lead Emporia State to their first ever women's basketball national championship with a 65-53 victory over Ft. Lewis in St. Joseph, Mo. on March 26, 2010. Boston and Brittney Miller joined Volkens on the all-tournament team.  

The members of the 2010 National Championship team left their mark on the Lady Hornet record book in many ways. Boston was a Daktronics and WBCA All-American as well as the MIAA MVP and was an NCAA Woman of the Year finalist. An outstanding student, she graduated at the semester of her senior year and ended her playing days ranked fourth in career scoring at Emporia State with 1,844 points and second in made three-pointers with 244. Jamie Augustyn graduated with the seventh most three-pointers in Emporia State history with 137 made threes and is currently ranked ninth. Volkens would graduate the next year as the 14th ranked scorer in Lady Hornet history with 1,360 points and fourth in rebounds with 894. Rachel Hanf, the MIAA Freshman of the Year during the championship season, would graduate with the third most three-pointers in Emporia State history, making 208 from 2009-13. Jocelyn Cummings would be named the MIAA's Defensive Player of the Year in 2012.

Head coach Brandon Schneider, the winningest coach in Lady Hornet history, left following the championship season to coach at NCAA D-I Stephen F. Austin. Assistant coach Jory Collins took over the program in 2010-11. Collins has led the Lady Hornets to the last four MIAA Tournament Championship games, winning the last two titles, and three return trips to the NCAA Regional Championship game.

Tickets to the MIAA Tournament are on sale now through the Emporia State Athletic Ticket Office.  The Lady Hornets clinched a spot in this year's MIAA Tournament on Wednesday night with a 62-55 win over Washburn.  Details on the team reception in Kansas City will be coming at a later date.

2009-10 ESU Lady Hornet Roster
No.  Name                  Pos.   Hgt.    Yr.      Hometown    Previous
1 Cassondra Boston     G     5-6     Sr.     DesMoines, Iowa    Hoover HS
3 Jessen Tucker           G     5-9     So.     Cedar Vale, Kan.    Sedan HS
4 Rachel Hanf               G     5-9     Fr.     Paola, Kan.    Paola HS
5 Jocelyn Cummings     F     5-10     Fr.     Overland Park, Kan.    SM South HS
10 Jamie Augustyn       G     5-6     Sr.     Burlington, Kan.    Burlington HS
11 Lacy Corker              G     5-6     Sr.     Shawnee, Kan.    Bishop Miege HS
13 Kelsey Newman       G     5-8     Fr.     Lincoln, Neb.    Lincoln East HS
15 Brittney Miller           G     5-10     So.     Paola, Kan.    Paola HS
20 Sophia Lenard         G     5-9     Sr.     Wilmington, Calif.    Central Ariz. CC
22 Ashley Ferrell          F     5-10     Jr.     Ft. Worth, Texas    Kilgore CC
23 Negesti Taylor         C     6-2     Jr.     Harrisburg, Penn.    Iowa Western CC
32 Kayla Krueger         G     5-9     Jr.     Olpe, Kan.    Olpe HS
45 Dava Logsdon         F     5-10     Jr.     Wichita, Kan.    Newman
50 Alli Volkens              F     6-2     Jr.     Reinbeck, Iowa     Gladbrook-Reinbeck HS
Head Coach: Brandon Schneider
Asst. Coach: Jory Collins
Grad. Asst. Coach: Kiel Unruh