FHSU Athletics
HAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State volleyball team opened its second home tournament of the year with two wins Thursday, defeating New Mexico Highlands and Augustana on day one of the Tiger Classic. The Tigers cruised past the Cowgirls in the opener, winning 25-8, 25-14, 25-16 before taking down the Vikings, 25-17, 14-25, 25-21, 25-16.
The Tigers were on fire behind the service line, totaling 20 aces between the two matches including five each from Kirsten Evans and Abrey Galt and three apiece from Peyton Bergschneider and Grace Schmedding. Ashlyn Reeves led the squad with 18 kills on the day while adding six blocks.
Fort Hays State improves to 5-1 with the wins, while the Cowgirls are now 3-3 and the Vikings are now 4-2 overall.
Looking ahead, the Tigers will wrap up their season-opening homestand with matches against Northwestern Oklahoma State (11:30 a.m.) and Midwestern State (7 p.m.) on Friday (Sept. 12) before going on the road for the first time next weekend.
Fort Hays State 3, New Mexico Highlands 0
The Tigers posted an impressive .297 hitting percentage and recorded 11 service aces in the opening win over New Mexico Highlands, their most in a three-set match since also recording 11 against East Central in 2022 (9/2/22). With a strong defensive effort, Fort Hays State tallied 44 digs and limited New Mexico Highlands to 25 kills and a .043 attack percentage.
Fort Hays State dominated the first set with an impressive 25-8 victory, highlighted by seven service aces. Bergschneider recorded three aces in the set, while Galt and Schmedding both recorded a pair of aces in the frame. FHSU limited the Cowgirls to a -.167 swing rate in the frame thanks to three team blocks. The Tigers went on runs of 8-0 and 7-0 to pull away in the frame and take a 1-0 lead in the match.
The Tigers continued their dominance early in the second set, scoring eight of the first nine points including four kills from Gracie Rains and more service aces from Hope Duncan and Evans. Fort Hays State finished the set swinging an eye-popping .419, recording 15 kills and just two attack errors. Galt distributed nine assists in the set, which was capped off by consecutive kills from Bergschneider.
The Cowgirls managed to take their first lead midway through the third set, keeping things close before using a 4-1 run to take a 7-6 lead. Fort Hays State scored the next two points to answer back before taking the lead for good after another tie at 8-8. The Tigers took control from there, capitalizing on 11 of the next 14 points to jump in front 20-11. Bergschneider wrapped things up for the second set in a row, delivering the final kill off a pass from Caiya Stucky Reyes to secure the sweep.
Reeves led the offensive charge for Fort Hays State with nine kills on 16 attempts, posting a .500 hitting percentage. Bergschneider contributed six kills and added three service aces, finishing with 9.5 points. Galt facilitated the team's attack by recording 14 assists and serving three aces. Schmedding also impacted the court with seven kills on 16 swings, achieving a .438 hitting percentage while adding two service aces. Meg Pfannerstill led the Cowgirls with eight kills and a .304 hitting percentage over three sets, contributing eight points.
Fort Hays State 3, Augustana 1
Fort Hays State wrapped up the day with a four-set win over Augustana, with the Tigers taking the match 25-17, 14-25, 25-21, 25-16.
The Tigers took control early in the first set, defeating the Vikings 25-17. The home team was propelled by strong serving, with Evans delivering three of FHSU's six service aces in the set. FHSU's efficient offense was led by Reyes, Schmedding and Reeves each contributing three or more kills.
In the second set, Augustana secured a 25-14 victory. Despite early contributions from Rains and Reyes, who each recorded kills, the Tigers struggled to maintain momentum. Augustana's Reagan Jansen led with multiple kills, leveling the match at one.
Fort Hays State claimed the third set 25-21 with a solid performance marked by crucial contributions from Bergschneider and Carsyn Cormaney. Bergschneider recorded six kills and block, while Cormaney added four kills of her own. Trailing 19-17, the Tigers scored eight of the final 10 points to take a 2-1 lead in the match following a Galt ace and a Bergschneider kill.
The Tigers sealed the deal with a 25-16 win in the final set. The defense came up big in the frame, limiting the Vikings to a .000 attack percentage after creating nine errors thanks to four blocks. The offense, meanwhile, was humming, posting a .333 swing rate in the frame thanks to four kills each from Reyes and Berschneider.
Reeves made a significant impact with five total blocks, including one solo block, while adding nine kills. Evans showcased her serving skill with four aces and led the team defensively with 15 digs. Reyes was efficient on the attack, recording nine kills on a .391 hitting percentage, while also adding 14 assists. Bergschneider led the team in kills with 11, further contributing seven digs to the defensive effort. Jansen led the visitors in kills with 12.