FHSU Sports Information Department
Fort Hays State 3, East Central 2
In a roller coaster match, Fort Hays State nearly took a two set lead early with two set points. However, East Central rallied for the final three points of the second set for a 29-27 win after FHSU won the first set 25-22. East Central took the third set 25-21 to go up 2-1 in the match, but FHSU fought back furiously in the fourth with a 25-9 blowout win. FHSU used that momentum to down East Central on its home floor in the fifth, 15-10.
In the fifth set, FHSU led 6-5 before going on a 4-0 run. Kills by Mallory Flagor and Rebekah Spainhour sparked the run, then East Central had a pair of errors to extend it. East Central pulled back within two at 11-9, but then committed three straight errors to give FHSU set point. Crystal Whitten put down the match-winning kill two points later.
Flagor, Whitten, and Spainhour accounted for 48 of Fort Hays State’s 62 kills in the match. Whitten led the way with 18, while Flagor was right behind with 17. Spainhour added 13.
Five Fort Hays State players reached double figures in digs for the match, helping the team produce 85 (average of 17 per set). As a result, three players recorded double-doubles in the match. Whitten led the Tigers with 20 digs to go with her 18 kills, while adding five service aces. Flagor matched her kills total with 17 digs and led the team in blocks with six. Hannah Wagy produced 51 assists to go with 12 digs. Kailey Klibbe recorded 18 digs and Azlyn Cassaday had 15.
Fort Hays State held East Central under a .200 hitting percentage in all five sets and a negative hitting percentage in two sets. FHSU had 11 blocks as a team, holding ECU to a .035 hitting percentage for the match, while hitting .170 overall.
Cameron 3, Fort Hays State 2
Fort Hays State used a 5-0 run at the end of the fourth set to force its second five-set match of the day, this time against Cameron University. Though the Tigers battled to seize the momentum, it vanished early in the fifth as Cameron (8-0 overall) cruised the rest of the way. Fort Hays State moved to 4-4 in the five-set loss.
Fort Hays State had a good attack going early in the match. The Tigers hit .353 in the first set despite falling by two points, 25-23, but hit .239 in the second and won by five, 25-20. The attack percentage took a big dive in the third set when the Tigers hit -.103 with 12 hitting errors, falling 25-13, but they rebounded in the fourth with 15 kills and just six errors. FHSU trailed 23-20, but Megan Anderson sparked a 5-0 run for the Tigers to force the decisive set. Mallory Flagor had a kill to tie it at 23-23, then Sydney Dixon pushed the Tigers ahead with another kill. Cameron had an attacking error to end the set.
Cameron did not wilt under the Tiger pressure as it scored its first three points of the fifth set by kills, then a pair of hitting errors by the Tigers gave Cameron a commanding 5-1 lead. The Aggies eventually led by six and then won by five.
Crystal Whitten and Flagor led the Tigers with 18 kills each, while Dixon added 10. All three had double-doubles as Whitten led the team in digs with 25, while Flagor and Dixon each had 13. Hannah Wagy was one dig shy of a double-double, producing 54 assists and nine digs. Kailey Klibbe reached double figures in digs with 22. Flagor had six blocks, while Callie Christensen added five.
The Tigers head to Colorado next week with four more matches on the slate in Denver.