FHSU Athletics
PITTSBURG, Kan. - The Fort Hays State volleyball team grabbed its third win in a row Saturday evening, outlasting Pittsburg State in five sets, 25-19, 24-26, 17-25, 25-16, 15-13. Mykah Eshbaugh went off for a career-high 21 kills in the win, the most by a Tiger in more than three years.
Fort Hays State (9-10, 4-7 MIAA) came from behind in the first set with multiple big runs, turning a 14-11 deficit into a 25-19 set victory after scoring 14 of the final 19 points. Eshbaugh jumped out to a quick start, totaling six kills on 11 attempts in the first set alone.
The second set featured 11 ties and eight lead changes, with the Tigers leading as late as 24-22 before Pittsburg State (12-9, 6-6 MIAA) scored the final four points to level the match at one. The Gorillas maintained control in the third set, winning 25-17, before FHSU responded with an equally-dominant fourth set win, 25-16. The Tigers recorded an attack percentage of .364 in the fourth set, totaling 14 kills as a team to just two attack errors. The teams traded points early on before Fort Hays State secured the set on a 16-6 run, turning a 10-9 deficit into a nine-point win.
Pittsburg State led by as many as four early in the fifth set, 5-1, before the Tigers fought back to tie things up at six. The teams traded points until FHSU rattled off three in a row to take its first lead of the set, 12-11. The Gorillas then tied the score at 12 before another Eshbaugh kill and a PSU error helped the Tigers reach set point, 14-12. Pittsburg State appeared to win the next two rallies to level the score at 14, but a successful challenge on the final point found that a Gorilla touched the net on an attempted block, giving the Tigers the win and giving Eshbaugh her 21st and final kill of the match.
Riley Tinder also reached double figures in kills, totaling 13 kills and 12 digs for another double-double. Jaida Felix also tallied a double-double with 30 assists and 10 digs, while Caiya Stucky added 16 assists, three kills and two blocks. Emily Ellis racked up eight blocks (one solo), while Claire Olson had six (one solo) and Morgan Christiansen had four. Jaden Daffer paced the Tigers with 17 digs.
The Tigers totaled 13 team blocks, their second-most in a match this season, while combining for an attack percentage of .215 and holding PSU to a swing rate of .139. Fort Hays State also led the way with nine service aces, compared to seven for the Gorillas.
Fort Hays State, now seventh in the MIAA standings, looks to make it four in a row when the Tigers return to Gross Memorial Coliseum to host No. 12 Washburn on Tuesday (Oct. 11) at 6 p.m.