FHSU Athletics
HAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State volleyball team extended its winning streak to five matches after a pair of four-set victories Saturday on day two of the 2023 Tiger Classic, defeating both Minnesota State and Cameron. The five-match winning streak is the longest for the Tigers since they started the 2016 season with 12-consecutive victories.
The Tigers were the lone team to finish the weekend undefeated, picking up wins over all four teams that made the trip to Hays for the Tiger Classic. Minnesota State finished the weekend 3-1, while Southern Nazarene had two wins and two losses. Cameron turned in a record of 1-3, with New Mexico Highlands going winless.
Emily Ellis matched her career-high with 10 blocks against the Mavericks, recording a double-double thanks to 10 kills. Taylor Hawkins anchored the offense in the second contest of the day, racking up 17 kills to lead all players.
After two weeks and nine matches of non-conference preparation, Fort Hays State will jump into league play next weekend (Sept. 15-16) with a road trip to play Emporia State (Friday, 6 p.m.) and Washburn (Saturday, 6 p.m.).
Fort Hays State 3, Minnesota State 1 (14-25, 25-15, 25-23, 25-23)
The Tigers struggled out of the gate in the opener, falling to Minnesota State, 25-14, before bouncing back to pick up a dominant win of their own in the second set, 25-15. After posting an attack percentage of zero and allowing a swing rate of .400 in the opening set, FHSU turned in a rate of .276 in the second set while limiting the Mavericks to an attack percentage below zero -.077. Claire Olson and Gracie Rains both contributed four kills each in the set, while Ellis totaled three blocks.
Four team blocks helped the Tigers to another wire-to-wire victory in the third set, winning 25-23. Fort Hays State led by as many as nine midway through the set, 17-8, before the Mavericks crept closer the rest of the way. MSU closed within two down the stretch, 23-21, but a kill from Rains handed the Tigers the win and a 2-1 lead.
The fourth set was close the entire way, with FHSU only falling behind when it was 2-1. The Tigers took the lead two rallies later, but MSU hung around by tying the score six more times through the set. The teams were tied at 23 before a kill from Ellis and a combo block from Caiva Stucky and Ashlyn Reeves sealed the FHSU victory.
Two other Tigers joined Ellis in double figures in kills, including Rains with 11 and Olson with 10. Stucky dished out 37 assists while adding nine digs and four blocks. Brooke Hyland paced the team with 24 digs.
Fort Hays State accumulated 14 total blocks in the contest, compared to just five from the Mavericks.
Fort Hays State 3, Cameron 1 (25-22, 25-15, 23-25, 25-23)
The Tigers seemed poised to pick up a sweep in the final match of the weekend after wins of 25-22 and 25-15 in the first two sets against Cameron. The third set was a different tune, with neither team leading by more than two points the entire way. The score changed hands seven times during the frame to go along with 18 ties. Fort Hays State led as late as 23-22, but three-straight points from the Aggies extended things to a fourth set.
Fort Hays State held on in the fourth, winning 25-23 thanks in part to five kills from Ellis, four from Tinder and five Aggie service errors.
Hawkins' 17 kills are second-most in a match by a Tiger this season (Gracie Rains, 18 at Colorado School of Mines, 9/1/23). Tinder led the team with 18 digs, while Stucky tossed up 41 assists and added four blocks. Ellis totaled four blocks (one solo) to give her 14 across eight sets on the day (1.75 per set).The Tigers recorded seven service aces in the win over Cameron, including two each from Hyland and Kirsten Evans.