FHSU Sports Information Department
HAYS, Kan. – After falling in a five-set match with Missouri Western on Friday, the Tigers bounced back with a win in another five-set match with Northwest Missouri State. The Tigers took the first and third sets before winning the decisive set 15-10. FHSU moved to 19-12 overall, 8-8 in the MIAA and pulled within a half-game of NWMSU in the conference standings.
The match was fairly even, FHSU with 72 kills and NWMSU with 66. The Bearcats edged the Tigers in hitting percentage .250 to .241 and the teams were dead even in digs with 76 each. Each team had higher hitting percentages than the other in each set they won.
FHSU built a big lead in the first set and eventually won 25-19. In the second, FHSU had a 20-18 lead but NWMSU ended the set on a 7-1 run to even the match. The Tigers used a late 6-3 burst after a 19-19 tie to take the third 25-22. The Bearcats scored three of the final four points of the fourth set to force the decisive set with a 25-23 win. FHSU jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the fifth, which included a pair of service aces by Mallory Flagor. The Bearcats never caught the Tigers from that point as the Tigers won the final set by five.
Crystal Whitten led the Tigers with 20 kills and she added 19 digs for a double-double. Rebekah Spainhour had 15 kills, while adding a team-best five blocks. Flagor also had a double-double with 14 kills and 18 digs. Megan Anderson also reached double figures in kills with 11 and Sydney Dixon had nine with four blocks. Hannah Wagy matched her assist total from Friday night with 61. Ari Jacobsen led the Tigers in digs with 23.
Maddy Bruder led the Bearcats in kills with 14, while Jackie Becker and Sofia Schleppenbach each had 11. Bruder finished with a double-double, adding 13 digs. Jordan Trimble and Megan Stilmock split setting duties, Trimble with 33 assists and Stilmock with 20. Aarika Wittenburg led NWMSU in digs with 22.
The Tigers close out the regular season schedule next weekend at home with matches against Missouri Southern (Friday) and Southwest Baptist (Saturday).