FHSU Athletics
HAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State volleyball team claimed its third sweep of the week Saturday, defeating Northeastern State 25-19, 25-16 and 25-19. The Tigers (14-6, 3-3 MIAA) finished with 45 kills and a .299 hitting percentage, including .385 in the opening set and .344 in the second. The Tigers also recorded seven service aces and seven total blocks while holding the RiverHawks (1-16, 0-6 MIAA) to a .168 hitting percentage.
The Tigers created separation in the first set with a 5-0 run, moving from 5-3 to 10-3 behind two kills each from Carsyn Cormaney and Mylie Brown plus a Delaney Gish ace. Northeastern State later pulled to 23-19, but Peyton Bergschneider answered with a kill and Ella Goodwin added the final kill off a set from Haylee Wolf to give the Tigers the set, 25-19.
The second set broke open from 19-15, with the Tigers closing the frame on a 6-1 run. The stretch included a Goodwin kill from Annie Eaton and back-to-back Wolf service aces. Goodwin later closed the 25-16 set with another Eaton-assisted kill.
After never trailing in the first two sets, FHSU fell behind 1-0 to open the third. But the Tigers answered by winning eight of the next nine rallies, with Ashlyn Reeves contributing two blocks and a kill as the Tigers moved in front 8-2. The RiverHawks used a four-point run to later pull within to 22-18, but Regan Widener and Hannah Schade recorded late kills to keep the Tigers in control. Sophie Sander and Avery Eshleman combined on the final block to close a 25-19 set win.
Bergschneider led the Tigers with 11 kills while hitting .409. Goodwin added 10 kills without an attack error and hit .625. Eaton finished with 32 assists, 11 digs and one service ace, while Wolf recorded 17 digs, five service aces and five assists.
After finishing up a five-match homestand, the Tigers will now play seven of their next eight on the road beginning Friday (Oct. 9, 6 p.m.) when they travel to St. Joseph, Mo., to face No. 8 Missouri Western.