FHSU Athletics
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - The Fort Hays State volleyball team took seventh-ranked Missouri Western to the brink on Friday, leading 2-1 before falling in five sets, 25-22, 22-25, 25-18, 20-25 and 13-15. FHSU (14-7, 3-4 MIAA) finished with 67 kills to Missouri Western's (16-1, 6-0 MIAA) 64, while the Griffons held the advantage in hitting percentage (.225 to .193).
It was a back-and-forth battle all evening, including 41 ties and 26 lead changes. It was just the second time the Griffons were forced to play a fifth set this season and the first such occurrence in conference play.
FHSU answered a late Missouri Western push by scoring the final four points to take the first set 25-22. After Missouri Western moved ahead 22-21, Mylie Brown tied it with a kill. Ella Goodwin followed with another to put the Tigers in front before Goodwin teamed with Carsyn Cormaney on a block for set point. Cormaney then closed the set with a kill, giving the visitors an early advantage.
The Tigers erased a 15-12 deficit in the second set and moved ahead 17-16, using a block by Annie Eaton and Ashlyn Reeves, kills from Reeves and Eaton, and a Griffon attack error. Missouri Western later moved from an 18-18 tie to a 24-19 lead, but FHSU stayed alive with a Cormaney kill, a Griffon attack error and a Goodwin kill to cut it to 24-22. Missouri Western took the next point to finish the set 25-22.
FHSU turned a 3-2 deficit into an 8-3 lead in the third set, with Cormaney tying it with a kill before serving five more Tiger points. FHSU added another run behind Haylee Wolf's serve, moving from 12-7 to 18-7 with help from blocks involving Cormaney, Eaton and Peyton Bergschneider. Bergschneider later finished things off with a kill from Wolf to finish the Tigers' 25-18 set win.
FHSU was within 19-18 in the fourth after Reeves kill, but Missouri Western punched back with four straight points to move ahead 23-18. The Tigers had earlier tied the set at 14-14 and 15-15, with Reeves supplying the second of those points off an Eaton assist. Missouri Western closed out the frame 25-20.
The Tigers raced to an early 5-1 lead in the fifth set and later led 9-6. The Griffons battled back to lead 12-11, but kills from Goodwin and Cormaney put the visitors up 13-12. But Missouri Western scored recorded two kills and a block to take the set and the match.
Four Tigers reached double figures in kills, including a team-high 16 from Reeves who hit .364 while adding four blocks. Eaton finished with 50 assists, 19 digs, six kills on .462 hitting and four blocks. Wolf collected a team-high 21 digs and added seven assists. Cormaney posted 11 kills, a team-high five blocks and FHSU's lone service ace. Goodwin chipped in 14 kills and five blocks, with Brown tallying 13 kills and a solo block.
Up next, the FHSU volleyball team travels to Maryville, Mo., to face Northwest Missouri State on Saturday (Oct. 10) beginning at 6 p.m.