FHSU Athletics
WICHITA, Kan. - The Fort Hays State volleyball team lost to Newman 3-0 Saturday, with set scores of 25-27, 16-25 and 23-25. The Tigers (16-11, 3-7 MIAA) finished with 37 kills and a .186 hitting percentage, while Newman (8-17, 3-7 MIAA) had 41 kills, hit .244 and held an 8-1 advantage in aces.
The first set was a battle that featured 12 ties and five lead changes. The Tigers answered a 12-9 deficit in the first set by scoring five of the next six points to move in front 14-13, with Carsyn Cormaney's ace tying the set before a Newman error put FHSU ahead. The Tigers later led 24-22 and again went up 25-24 on an Annie Eaton kill, but Newman scored the final three points to take the set 27-25.
Newman took all the momentum from there, leading wire-to-wire in both the second and third sets. Six service aces helped the Jets cruise to a 25-16 win in the second before the home team led by as many as seven in the third, 19-12. The Tigers stormed back late, scoring nine of the next 12 to pull within one, 22-21. The run included a Peyton Bergschneider block, two Ella Goodwin kills and kills by Ashlyn Reeves and Bergschneider. The teams traded points from there, with the home team eventually sealing the match with a 25-23 win.
Cormaney did not record an error on 13 swings, totaling a team-high nine kills to swing .692. Goodwin and Reeves both matched Cormaney with nine kills while also tying for the team lead with three blocks. Eaton led the team with 21 assists, with Haylee Wolf pacing the Tigers with 10 digs.
The Tigers will play on the road for the final time during the regular season next Friday (Oct. 30, 6 p.m.) when they travel north to take on No. 6 Nebraska-Kearney.