FHSU Athletics
HAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State volleyball team opened homecoming weekend with a three-set sweep against Arkansas-Fort Smith on Friday inside Gross Memorial Coliseum, winning 25-14, 25-18, 25-23. The Tigers (13-6, 2-3 MIAA) hit .250 with 49 kills and held the Lions (13-6, 2-4 MIAA) to an attack percentage of .085, their lowest swing rate of the season.
The Tigers broke open the first set with a 7-0 run, moving from a 12-9 lead to 19-9. Annie Eaton recorded an ace during the run while Mylie Brown added a pair of kills. Hope Duncan and Kaitlyn Cure each added service aces later in the set before Ella Goodwin closed it with a kill from Eaton for a 25-14 FHSU win.
A 6-6 tie gave way to another 7-0 Tigers run in the second set, with Goodwin putting the home side in front before Delaney Gish served six straight points to make it 13-6. Peyton Bergschneider had three consecutive kills during that service stretch, while Eaton and Ashlyn Reeves also added kills. The Tigers remained ahead from there and finished the set 25-18 on Goodwin's kill from Eaton.
In the third set, FHSU turned a 14-13 deficit into a 20-14 lead, tying the set on Goodwin's kill before Carsyn Cormaney served six straight points with kills from Goodwin and Bergschneider. The visitors later cut the Tigers' 24-19 lead to 24-23, but a service error closed the set for FHSU, 25-23.
Bergschneider led the Tigers with 16 kills while hitting .323 (16-6-31). Eaton finished with 35 assists, a team-high 16 digs, three blocks and three kills. Haylee Wolf recorded 15 digs, five assists and one service ace, while Goodwin added 11 kills on a .308 hitting percentage with seven digs.
Up next, the Tigers will host Northeastern State on Saturday (Oct. 3) beginning at 2 p.m.