FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
HAYS, Kan. – Home sweet home. Friday, September 23 marks the 2016 home opener for the Fort Hays State University volleyball team. The Tigers will take to the floor inside Gross Memorial Coliseum for the first time this season against Emporia State, with the first serve scheduled for 6 p.m. FHSU will turn around and host No. 18 Washburn Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m.
Tickets are available at a cost of $5 for adults and $3 for kids K-12. FHSU students are admitted for free with their Tiger Card. In addition, the first 100 students in attendance at Friday’s contest will receive a free slice of pizza, courtesy of Gambino’s Pizza.
The Tigers are off to one of their best starts in recent history, entering the weekend with a 12-1 overall record. After opening the year with a 12-game winning streak, the squad came up short for the first time this season Tuesday at No. 3 Nebraska-Kearney. Fort Hays State came out of the gates firing to capture the first set, but the powerful Loper offense came to life to secure the four-set victory.
Fort Hays State holds a 30-47 record at home under head coach Kurt Kohler, including a 17-16 record inside GMC over the last three years.
The Tigers currently lead the conference in blocks, averaging 2.4 swats per set. The team’s .251 attack percentage ranks in the top-four in the conference, while 615 assists as a team is also the most in the league. The Tigers have limited their opponents to a .109 attack percentage, third-lowest in the MIAA. The Black and Gold rank in the top-five in NCAA Division II in team assists (second), total blocks (fourth) and kills (fifth)
Outside hitter Crystal Whitten leads the league with 3.87 kills per set. The senior joined the 1,000/1,000 club on Tuesday after recording the 1,000th dig of her career to go along with her 1,194 career kills.
The Tigers also lead the league in two other individual categories, with Hannah Wagy pacing the conference with 11.61 assists per set and Callie Christensen tallying 56 total blocks, seven more than Megan Anderson, who is tied for second. Senior Rebekah Spainhour’s team-high attack percentage of .364 currently ranks seventh in the MIAA among qualifying student-athletes.
Fort Hays State vs. Emporia State • Friday, September 23 • 6 p.m. • ESU leads all-time series, 56-27
Hays, Kan. • Gross Memorial Coliseum
Emporia State heads into the weekend with a 7-6 overall record, having also dropped its MIAA opener Tuesday night against a ranked opponent. The Hornets went down in straight sets against No. 18 Washburn in Topeka, Kan. for their third-consecutive loss.
The Hornets hold a .195 attack percentage as a team this season and rank fourth in the conference with 2.18 blocks per set. The squad has allowed its opponents 1.82 service aces per set, the most in the league. Josie Williams leads the way offensively with 3.02 kills per set (148 kills), ninth-best in the conference. Like the Tigers, ESU also has multiple names in the conference top 10 in blocks with Shayla Cotman (45 total blocks) and Danika Burton (43).
The Tigers are 2-12 against Emporia State under coach Kohler, with both wins coming inside Gross Memorial Coliseum (9/29/12, 10/9/15).
Fort Hays State vs. Washburn • Saturday, September 24 • 2 p.m. • FHSU leads all-time series, 53-41
Hays, Kan. • Gross Memorial Coliseum
The Tigers will turn around and host No. 18 Washburn Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. The Ichabods own a 10-3 record heading into the weekend and a 1-0 mark in the MIAA. They will battle No. 3 Nebraska-Kearney in a top-20 matchup Friday evening in Kearney, Neb. before making the voyage to Hays.