Hays Post
GOLDEN, Colo. - The Fort Hays State volleyball team dropped a pair of matches on the opening day of the 2023 season, taking one set off 22nd-ranked Colorado School of Mines before falling in three sets against Findlay. Gracie Rains led the squad with 25 kills on the day, averaging 3.57 per set, while Caiya Stucky tossed up 70 assists, Emily Ellis paced the team with seven blocks and Brooke Hyland racked up 30 digs.
The Tigers will wrap up their weekend at the Oredigger Classic on Saturday against Colorado Christian (10 a.m., 9 a.m. MT) and San Francisco State (5 p.m., 4 p.m. MT).
Colorado School of Mines 3, Fort Hays State 1 (18-25, 20-25, 25-23, 18-25)
Two long runs helped the Orediggers establish a six-point lead in the first set, 18-12, before the Tigers scored three in a row to close within three. The tournament hosts regained control down the stretch, scoring the final three points to take the set, 25-18.
The Tigers led for much of the second set until the Orediggers scored six-straight points to turn a 20-19 deficit into a 25-20 win.
Fort Hays State fought back in the third set, extending the match with a 25-23 win. FHSU trailed 14-13 midway through the frame before scoring seven of the next nine points to build a four-point lead, 20-16. Gracie Rains and Emily Ellis got the run started before back-to-back kills from Mya Vandrovec put the Tigers up by four. Colorado Mines battled back to tie the match, but a kill from Riley Tinder sealed the win and sent things to a fourth set.
The Tigers teams traded points for much of the fourth set, with neither side leading by more than two until three-straight FHSU points put the black and gold up 13-10. Fort Hays State continued to lead until the Orediggers scored nine of the last 10 points to turn a 17-16 deficit into a 25-18, match-sealing win.
Rains led the team with 18 kills, recording an attack percentage of .371 (18-5-35). Caiya Stucky tossed up 42 assists while adding two kills, two blocks and two digs. Emily Ellis had six blocks in the match, including a pair of solo blocks, while adding nine kills.
Findlay 3, Fort Hays State 0 (21-25, 15-25, 17-25)
Findlay led by as many as nine in the opening set before the Tigers rattled off a 10-3 run to close within two, 22-20. But the Oilers regained control after a timeout, winning the set 25-21.
The Tigers battled early in the second set, trailing by three midway through the frame, 13-10, before the Oilers pulled away to win 25-15.
Fort Hays State led by as many as five early in the third set, 10-5, before Findlay clawed in front to complete the sweep, 25-17.
Riley Tinder led the Tigers with 11 kills, while Caiya Stucky tossed up 28 assists along the way. Stucky and Ashlyn Reeves both recorded a pair of blocks, with Brooke Hyland racking up 16 digs in the match.