HAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State volleyball team wrapped up play in the 2021 Tiger Classic with a pair of victories on Saturday (Sept. 11). The Tigers opened the day with a four-set victory against Black Hills State before taking down Adams State in four sets in the weekend finale.
The Tigers improved to 5-3 with the win, with the Yellow Jackets of BHSU moving to 3-5 and the Grizzlies dipping to 4-5 overall.
Five Tigers reached double figures between two matches, including a team-high 26 kills from Riley Tinder. She also added 20 digs and four blocks on the day.
Emily Ellis totaled 20 kills and seven blocks between the two victories, with Isabelle Reynolds adding 18 kills and 25 digs. Morgan Christiansen accumulated 17 kills and 11 blocks, while Mykah Eshbaugh chipped in 14 kills and three blocks.
Elysia Glowacz dished out 55 assists on the day and added 19 digs, while Jaida Felix accumulated 40 assists and 20 digs. Libero Jaden Daffer paced the team with 28 digs across the eight sets.
Fort Hays State continues its homestand next weekend when the Tigers host matches on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (Sept. 17-19). First up is a date with Washburn at 6 p.m. Friday before a Saturday afternoon match against Emporia State at 3 p.m. and a Sunday finale against Northwestern Oklahoma State at 2 p.m.
Fort Hays State 3, Black Hills State 1 (25-20, 25-16, 23-25, 25-23)
The Tigers opened the day with a strong win against Black Hills State. The Tigers totaled 13 blocks in the win, including 10 from Christiansen which is tied for second-most in a four-set match in the rally scoring era at FHSU. FHSU also outhit the Yellow Jackets, .231 to .182, thanks to highly effective offense in the first and second sets.
Fort Hays State recorded just three errors across the first and second sets, hitting .333 in the opening frame and .382 in the second set. Tinder finished the match with a team-high 13 kills, including 10 kills in the first two sets.
The Tigers built a sizeable lead early in the first set, 15-7, before BHSU clawed back to eventually level the score at 17. With the score later tied at 20, Eshbaugh opened a Tiger run with a kill. Tinder followed with two kills and a service ace before a Yellow Jacket miscue gave the Tigers a 25-20 victory.
Fort Hays State used another big run to pull away late in the second set, scoring seven consecutive points to turn a 17-15 margin into a 24-15 edge. A BHSU error two plays later brought the set to a close, 25-16.
The teams then battled in a pair of close frames in sets three and four, with Black Hills State staying alive with a 25-23 win before FHSU sealed the win with the same score in the fourth stanza.
The Tigers trailed by as many as three in the final frame and found themselves behind as late as 22-21. But another late run secured the victory, with the Tigers taking four of the last five points.
Ellis totaled 11 kills and three blocks in the win, while Christiansen had six kills alongside her 10 blocks. Reynolds added nine blocks and 11 digs, with Olson contributing five kills and five blocks. Felix recorded a double-double with 16 assists and 10 blocks and added three service aces, with Glowacz leading the team with 23 assists alongside seven digs. Daffer led the team with 14 digs.
Fort Hays State 3, Adams State 1 (25-21, 19-25, 25-17, 25-22)
Fort Hays State wrapped up the tournament with an impressive victory against Adams State in four sets. The Tigers grabbed the opening set before the Grizzlies leveled the match with a second-set win. FHSU then pulled away for a convincing win in the third set and held on in the fourth to seal the win.
Tinder collected a team-best five kills in the opening set, including kills on each of the final two points to secure the 25-21 win. Adams State pulled away late to take the second set, scoring eight of the final nine points to win 25-19.
Adams State miscues helped the Tigers take the third set. The Grizzlies picked up one more kill than the Tigers in the frame, 13-12, but FHSU forced the visitors into 10 attack errors. The Tigers then used an effective .324 attack percentage in the fourth set to secure the victory with a 25-22 win.
Tinder posted a double-double with 13 kills and 14 digs while adding one service ace. Christiansen picked up 11 kills, two aces and one block, while Reynolds added nine kills, 14 digs and one ace. Felix also recorded a double-double thanks to a team-best 24 assists and 10 digs. Glowacz added a double-double of her own, compiling 22 assists and 12 digs.
Fort Hays State compiled an attack percentage of .238 while holding the Grizzlies to a .172 swing rate. The Tigers distributed 53 assists in the win, 10 more than ASU.
FHSU Athletics