HAYS, Kan. - A balanced attack offensively and a strong presence at the net defensively helped the Fort Hays State volleyball team defeat Newman in four sets (25-23, 25-22, 24-26, 25-21) on Friday, completing the season sweep of the Jets. The Tigers totaled 60 kills on the night from six different players, including five with at least eight kills, while tallying 10 team blocks.
Fort Hays State improves to 11-11 overall and 5-8 in MIAA play, while Newman is now 8-11 on the year and 4-9 in conference action.
Neither side could pull away early in the first set, with the teams staying within two points of each other until Newman scored three-straight to built a 16-13 lead. Fort Hays State called a timeout to regroup before erupting for a 7-0 run, going in front 20-16. Riley Tinder opened the run with a kill before Mykah Eshbaugh added another. Eshbaugh and Morgan Christiansen combined for a block two rallies later before Christiansen teamed up with Isabelle Reynolds for the next point. Reynolds then added a kill before Newman recorded an error, prompting a Jet timeout facing a four-point deficit.
Newman responded just as FHSU had, scoring five in a row out of the huddle to regain the lead. But a Christiansen kill thwarted the run and tied things up at 21. The Tigers used another timeout with the score tied at 23 before coming out to score the final two points on a kill from Emily Ellis and another Newman error.
The Tigers got things going a little earlier in the second set, scoring five in a row to take a quick 9-3 lead. Fort Hays State later led by as many as eight, 16-8, before Newman went on a run to close within two, 22-20. Fort Hays State scored the next two points to reach set point before Claire Olson delivered the final kill, sending the Tigers to the locker room with a 2-0 lead.
The Jets took the early lead out of the locker room, leading by as many as four, 11-7, before the Tigers started to claw back into the third set. A service ace from Jaden Daffer and a block from Christiansen and Olson gave the Tigers a two-point lead, 18-16, but the Jets later fought back in front. Another block late in the set from Olson and Ellis gave the Tigers a serve at match point, but Newman responded by scoring the next three points to steal the set, 26-24.
After averaging 4.3 kills per set over the first three frames, Olson capped off a strong performance with six more kills in the fourth set to help the Tigers clinch the match. She opened the set with a kill before bringing the match to a close with a kill, both off passes from Elysia Glowacz. The Tigers trailed as late as 19-18 before going on a 6-1 run to reach match point, 24-20. Olson and Ellis opened the run with a block before Olson gave the Tigers the lead for good with a kill. Reynolds and Ellis added kills out of a Newman timeout before another Daffer service ace helped the Tigers reach match point.
The Tigers posted an attack percentage of .220 while holding Newman to a swing rate of .130. Fort Hays State matched its season high with six service aces, including three from Daffer.
Olson matched her season-high with 19 kills in the match, one shy of the most in a match by a Tiger this season. The freshman also added three blocks while hitting .386 on the night.
Christiansen compiled 13 kills and five blocks, while Ellis added 10 kills and two blocks. Mykah Eshbaugh totaled eight kills, four blocks (one solo) and five digs.
Glowacz distributed a team-high 30 assists while adding two digs. Olivia Hessman passed out 24 digs and tallied one service ace.
Tinder led the team with 24 digs, her fourth match this season with 20 or more digs. Reynolds (23 digs, eight kills, one service ace, two blocks) and Daffer (22 kills, three assists) also eclipsed the 20-dig mark in the match.
The Tigers will wrap up the weekend at 2 p.m. on Saturday (Oct. 23) when they host Central Oklahoma.
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