FHSU Athletics
HAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State volleyball team picked up a huge Senior Night win over Northwest Missouri State University Friday evening inside Gross Memorial Coliseum, winning 3-1. After dropping the first set 25-14, the Tigers rebounded with three consecutive set wins (25-16, 25-20, 25-21) to secure the victory.
With the win, the Tigers secured a trip to the 2025 MIAA Championship Tournament, set for November 20-22 inside the Civic Arena in St. Joseph, Mo. The Tigers will be the No. 8 seed in the tournament and will play the top seed in the quarterfinals at 5 p.m. on Thursday (Nov. 20).
The Bearcats scored the first four points to take an early lead, but the Tigers answered right back with five in a row to race in front thanks to a trio of Annie Eaton service aces. NWMSU answered back with another 4-0 run, taking the lead for good in the set.
The visitors regained control with a series of blocks and kills, extending their lead. The Tigers' efforts, including a kill by Grace Schmedding, kept the match competitive, but they struggled to close the gap. The set concluded as the Bearcats secured the final points, ending the set 25-14 in their favor.
The Tigers never trailed in the second set, scoring five of the first seven points to quickly build a three-point lead. Five-straight kills from the Tigers, including three from Ella Goodwin and two from Gracie Rains, extended their advantage to 15-8. The team continued to apply pressure, with Gracie Rains and Goodwin adding crucial points to maintain momentum. FHSU was able to maintain the lead the rest of the way, cruising to a 25-16 victory to level the match.
The teams battled back-and-forth in the next two sets, combining for 12 ties and seven lead changes in the third and fourth frames. Northwest Missouri State went on a small run early in the set, turning a 4-4 tie into a 12-8 lead. But two successful challenges helped change the Tigers' fortune, flipping a 16-12 deficit into a 21-17 lead thanks to a 9-1 run.
The Bearcats later pulled within three, but a trio of kills from Ashlyn Reeves, Abrey Galt and Rains helped the Tigers reach match point before Rains handed the Tigers a 25-20 win with her fourth kill of the set.
The Black and Gold opened the fourth set with momentum, as Rains secured an early point with a kill assisted by Caiya Stucky Reyes. The home team built on this lead with a solid block from Cormaney and Reyes. Despite a brief response from the Bearcats, the Tigers maintained their lead, with Schmedding and Reyes contributing crucial kills to keep the pressure on.
The Tigers went on to take the set thanks to their performance serving and on serve receive, with FHSU recording two service aces and allowing no Bearcat aces while NWMSU made four critical service errors in the frame.
The Bearcats were twice able to take a one-point lead, but the home team had an answer each time. The Tigers regained control with key plays from Carsyn Cormaney and a service ace by Peyton Bergschneider, pushing the score to 15-13. Northwest rallied to tie the score three times down the stretch, but the Tigers never gave up the lead. Two Bearcat errors followed by a Reyes kill and another Eaton service ace gave the Tigers a serve at match point before Reyes threw down the final kill two rallies later.
Rains led the attack for the Tigers with 14 kills on 44 attempts. Kirsten Evans contributed defensively with 21 digs, with Schmedding matching that effort with 21 digs alongside 13 kills. Eaton was effective from the service line, recording four aces. Cormaney tallied four blocks and five kills, with Reeves, Reyes and Schmedding adding three blocks each.
The Tigers recorded seven service aces and 91 digs, demonstrating a strong defensive performance, while tallying one more kill than the Bearcats on the day, 49-48.
This will be Fort Hays State's third appearance in the MIAA Tournament over the last five years and their sixth trip overall since joining the league in 2006.