August 24, 2017-Fans will need to be a little patient or willing to go on the road if they want to see the Emporia State Lady Hornets early this season. Including exhibitions, the Lady Hornets will play their first eight games away from the friendly confines of White Auditorium.
The Lady Hornets will open the exhibition season on October 29 as they travel to Lawrence, Kansas to take on the Jayhawks of the University of Kansas. They will then take part in a rare double header with the men's team at Kansas State on November 3.
The Lady Hornets will open the regular season with six road games before making their White Auditorium debut. They begin the stretch on November 10 in Joplin, Mo as they play in the MIAA-GAC Challenge against Southwestern Oklahoma and take on Oklahoma Baptist the following day.
Emporia State will then travel to Ark.-Ft. Smith to play on November 14. The Lady Hornets return to Kansas to take on Newman on November 20 in Wichita.
The Lady Hornets will wrap up their road stretch with a trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico to play two games in the Puerto Rico Classic. On November 24 the Lady Hornets will take on Texas Woman's University followed by a rematch of their 1998 Elite Eight match up with Shippensburg on November 25.
The Lady Hornets will make their White Auditorium debut on November 29 against Oklahoma Christian. Emporia State kick off conference play with two home match-ups against Neb.-Kearney on December 7 followed by Ft. Hays State on December 9.
While Emporia State University is celebrating Winter Commencement in White Auditorium, the Lady Hornets will be on the road at Lincoln on December 16 and Lindenwood on December 18.
The Lady Hornets return to White on December 30 for a special non-conference game against MIAA rival Pittsburg State in a rematch of last year's NCAA Central Regional Tournament semifinal.
The MIAA schedule takes over the remainder of the season starting with the Turnpike Tussle at Washburn on January 6 in Topeka. Emporia State will host the two Oklahoma members of the conference on January 10 and January 13 before heading to Pittsburg State on January 17 and Missouri Southern on January 20. Â
The Lady Hornets will play host to Central Missouri on Wednesday, January 24 and Southwest Baptist on Sunday, January 28 to accommodate the 97th edition of the Lyon County League High School Tournament in White Auditorium.
The second round of action with Ft. Hays State will take place on January 31 in Hays, Kan. before the Lady Hornets travel to Kearney, Neb. on February 3 to take on the Lopers. Â
The final home stand of the season will begin on February 7 when the Northwest Missouri Bearcats come to White Auditorium. Emporia State's Alumni Day will be on February 10 before the Hornets take on Missouri Western. It will be a Senior Day Turnpike Tussle on February 13 when the Lady Hornets host Washburn in the final home game of the season.
Emporia State will wrap up the season with three road games starting on February 15 at Southwest Baptist in Bolivar, Mo. After getting the weekend off, the Lady Hornets will finish the regular season in Oklahoma at Northeastern State on February 22 in Tahlequah and at Central Oklahoma on February 24 in Edmond.
The MIAA Tournament is scheduled to begin on Monday, February 26 at seeds 4-8, with the final eight teams heading to Kansas City's historic Municipal Auditorium March 1-4.
The Lady Hornets were 29-5 last season and won their fifth straight MIAA Tournament Championship while advancing to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the sixth straight year. They will return three starters, including All-MIAA pick Addie Lackey will go into her senior year ranked 25th in career scoring with 1,114 points and eighth with 156 career three-pointers at Emporia State. Fellow senior to be Kyrstie Miller is tenth in Lady Hornet history with 95 career blocks.
