FHSU Athletics
HAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State volleyball team improved to 7-1 on the year with two more wins Friday (Sept. 12) on day two of the Tiger Classic. The Tigers made quick work of Northwestern Oklahoma State to start the day, winning in straight sets 25-14, 25-14, 25-15, before taking down Midwestern State in four in the nightcap, 25-23, 25-22, 23-25, 26-24. The Rangers dip to 1-7 on the year, while the Mustangs are now 3-2 to start the season.
Fort Hays State 3, Northwestern Oklahoma State 0
The Tigers dominated throughout the opening match of the day, only trailing by as many as one at 3-2 in the second set and 2-1 in the third before running away with a sweep against Northwestern Oklahoma State. The Tiger hitters were highly efficient, totaling 43 kills compared to just seven errors for a .396 attack percentage. It was FHSU's best attack percentage since 2018 (.507 vs. Science & Arts Oklahoma, 8/24/18) and its best effort against an NCAA DII program in nine years (.396 at Southwest Baptist, 11/12/16). FHSU added seven team blocks, limiting the Rangers to a swing rate of .073.
Fort Hays State used a 9-1 run midway through the opening set to pull away, turning an 11-8 advantage into a 20-9 edge. The Tigers made only two attack errors in the opening frame, swinging at a .440 clip while holding NWOSU to a -.080 attack percentage.
The Rangers scored first in the second set to take their first lead of the match, but it was short lived after the Tigers scored four in a row following a 4-4 tie. The Tigers methodically added to their lead before scoring the final seven points of the frame, including two aces and a kill from Abrey Galt.
It was more of the same in the third set, with the Tigers again using a 9-1 run to turn a three-point lead at 7-4 into an 11-point advantage, 16-5. Kirsten Evans dropped in a pair of service aces during the run, with Grace Schmedding adding two kills. Ashlyn Reeves ultimately brought things to a close with her eighth kill of the match.
Schmedding led all hitters with 11 kills, doing so without an error on 20 swings for an attack rate of .550. She also tied Evans for the team lead with 11 digs. Gracie Rains matched Reeves' eight kills, while both had three blocks. Galt contributed 23 assists and two service aces, while Evans led the match with three aces. Tess de Zanet paced the Rangers with 10 kills.
Fort Hays State 3, Midwestern State 1
The Tigers came out on top after four close sets against Midwestern State in the nightcap thanks to a strong defensive effort from the home team, who recorded 94 digs and 11.5 total blocks. The visitors kept the match competitive, narrowly avoiding a sweep with a third-set win.
The back-and-forth affair included 24 ties and 15 lead changes over the two-plus hour match. FHSU hit .199 as a team while holding the Mustangs to a swing rate of .179. The Tigers capitalized on six service aces, compared to just two from MSU.
Back-to-back blocks from Reyes and Carsyn Cormaney capped off a four-point Tiger run that pushed FHSU's lead to five. The lead hovered around three for much of the set before the visitors pushed back to level things at 21. Ella Goodwin helped the Tigers reach set point with a kill before delivering the final blow two rallies later, giving FHSU a 25-23 win.
The lead changed hands six times in the second set alone alongside nine ties. The black and gold led by as many as four midway through the frame, 14-10, before the visitors rallied to level the score at 16. The teams traded points for the next several rallies until the Tigers scored five in a row to take a 23-19 lead. Cormaney tied the score with a kill before Goodwin dropped in back-to-back kills. Galt ended the run with a kill of her own, putting the Tigers within two points of taking the set. FHSU finished things off four rallies later on a Mustang error, winning 25-22.
Fort Hays State led for much of the early going of the third set before MSU used a 6-1 run to take a 17-15 lead. The Tigers answered with four-straight points of their own to go back up by two, but the Mavericks were able to regain the lead at 23-22 before taking the frame three points later, 25-23.
Midwestern State built its first sizeable lead in the fourth set, going in front 15-10 at the midway point. But the Tigers never relented, later going on an 8-3 run to steal the lead, 23-22. The Mustangs answered by scoring the next two points to reach set point, but two kills from Schmedding and one from Goodwin gave the Tigers the match with a 26-24 win.
Goodwin dropped in a team-high 14 kills, while Reyes added eight kills, nine blocks and 18 assists. Rains totaled 11 kills, with Bergschneider chipping in 10 kills and 18 digs. Evans led the way on defense with 23 digs and two service aces. Four Mustangs had a dozen or more kills, led by 16 from Isabella Dickens.
UP NEXT
After hosting crossover tournament back-to-back weekends, the Tigers will hit the road for the first time next weekend (Sept. 19-20) when they head to the Oklahoma City area for the MIAA/GAC Crossover. FHSU will first play two matches in Edmond on Friday before wrapping up the weekend in Shawnee on Saturday.