FHSU Athletics
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - The Fort Hays State volleyball team made history Thursday evening, becoming the first eight seed to win a match in the MIAA Championship tournament with a dramatic five-set victory over top-seeded and sixth-ranked Nebraska-Kearney. The Tigers (19-12) fell behind two sets to one before taking the final two frames by five points each to advance to Friday's MIAA semifinals (7:30 p.m.).
The win is Fort Hays State's first postseason victory since 2004, while the Lopers (28-3) are the highest-ranked team defeated by the Tigers in more than 10 years (9/30/16 vs. #6 UCM). The win snaps a 41-match losing streak against Nebraska-Kearney, a streak that dates back to 2003 which is older than all 18 players on FHSU's roster.
The Tigers outhit the Lopers, .240-.220, collected more kills (76-62), assists (72-57), digs (84-78) and assists (4-3) while hitting .382 as a team in the fourth and fifth sets to rally for the victory.
FHSU erased a 16-9 deficit in the opening set with an eight-point run, moving ahead 17-16 with Jaden Goldberg serving. Ella Goodwin opened the rally with a kill and later added back-to-back kills to tie things at 16, while Goldberg dropped in a service ace. The Tigers stayed within 22-21 on Peyton Bergschneider's kill before the Lopers finished the set, 25-22.
FHSU separated in the second set by winning seven of eight rallies from a 3-3 score, including a four-point service turn by Goldberg and a Delaney Gish ace that made it 10-4. Despite trailing by as many as seven, UNK later tied the set at 17-17 and again at 22-22, but Carsyn Cormaney and Goodwin followed with kills before Bergschneider finished the 25-23 set with a kill.
The Lopers led wire-to-wire in the third set to move ahead 2-1 in the match. The Tigers cut a 13-7 deficit to 15-13, with Cormaney, Reeves and Goodwin supplying kills during the closing part of that push. Nebraska-Kearney answered with five straight points to move ahead 20-13, and FHSU got back to 23-19 before the top seed finished the set 25-19.
FHSU turned a 3-2 deficit into an 8-4 lead in the fourth set, with two block points involving Reeves and a Goldberg service ace. Bergschneider kept the Tigers in front with a series of kills, racking up nine in the set compared to just one error on 14 swings. The senior eventually put away the team's final two points, both off Annie Eaton assists, as FHSU closed the set 25-20.
After hitting a blistering .452 in the fourth set, the Tigers held onto all the momentum by scoring the first four points in the fifth. Reeves and Eaton combined on a block before the duo connected for a kill, giving the Tigers a quick 2-0 lead. Another 4-0 run later in the set made it 9-2 lead behind Cormaney's swings and a Cormaney/Bergschneider combo block. The Lopers chipped away with a 8-3 run to pull within two, 12-10, but FHSU answered with a Mylie Brown kill, an attack error and a Reeves kill to finish the thrilling win.
Four Tigers reached double figures in kills, led by Bergschneider with 24 kills and 15 digs. Reeves recorded 17 kills on a .371 hitting percentage and added six total blocks. Eaton finished with 62 assists, 11 digs and three block assists. Hope Duncan collected a team-high 16 digs. Goodwin racked up 17 kills and three blocks, with Brown adding 10 kills and 13 digs.
The Tigers will take on the winner of fourth-seeded and 13th-ranked Emporia State and fifth-seeded and 24th-ranked Central Oklahoma in the semifinals on Friday (Nov. 13) beginning at 7:30 p.m.