FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State University volleyball team will look to return to the win column this weekend when a pair of MIAA opponents make the trip to Gross Memorial Coliseum. The weekend opens with a 6 p.m. matchup with No. 6-ranked Central Missouri Friday evening (Sept. 30). A Saturday full of Homecoming events will wrap up with a 6:30 contest versus Lindenwood.
Fans with a ticket to Saturday’s Homecoming football game against Lindenwood will receive free admission to the volleyball match that evening.
The Tigers come into the weekend with a 13-3 record overall and 1-2 in MIAA play, falling to a pair of ranked opponents last weekend. After opening the season 12-0, FHSU is 1-3 over its last four matches.
Kurt Kohler’s squad has accumulated a .234 attack percentage so far this season, holding opponents to a .118 percentage. The Tigers lead the conference and rank second in the nation with 149 total blocks, averaging over 2.5 blocks per set. FHSU also ranks atop the conference standings in team kills (796) and assists (755).
Crystal Whitten leads the offense with 3.93 kills per set to rank second in the league, with fellow senior Rebekah Spainhour contributing 3.22 kills each game. Spainhour’s attack percentage of .354 leads the team and ranks sixth in the MIAA. Primary setter Hannah Wagy stands atop the conference standings with nearly 11.5 assists per set. Defensively, Callie Christensen has the most blocks in the conference with 76 while Ari Jacobsen ranks in the top-10 with over four digs per set.
Fort Hays State vs. #6 Central Missouri Friday, September 30 6 p.m. UCM leads all-time series, 24-1
Hays, Kan. Gross Memorial Coliseum
The Jennies, one of Division II perennial powerhouse programs, enter the weekend with a 12-2 mark overall and 2-0 in conference play. Their only two losses came against top-20 teams early in the season, taking defending champion Wheeling Jesuit to five sets before being swept by No. 19 Angelo State.
Fort Hays State has never beaten UCM under coach Kohler, falling in all 12 matches over the past seven seasons. The Jennies have won 24 of the 25 matchups all-time, with the lone Tiger victory occurring during the opening weekend of the 2003 season in Lawton, Okla.
Flip Piontek’s team holds a .258 attack percentage through 14 matches this year, leading the conference with nearly 14.5 kills per set. Defensively the unit ranks third in the league with 16.7 digs per set while blocking 1.9 attempts each set.
Junior middle hitter Kasey Hohlen leads the team with a .368 attack percentage, fourth-best in the conference. Senior outside hitter Cheyanne Lyons averages 3.7 kills per set, third-most in the MIAA. Senior Kourtney Thompson runs the offense from the setter position, posting 10.3 assists each set.
Fort Hays State vs. Lindenwood Saturday, October 1 6:30 p.m. LWU leads all-time series, 4-3
Hays, Kan. Gross Memorial Coliseum
The Lady Lions have struggled to a 5-7 start, dropping seven of their last nine matches after opening the year on a three-game winning streak. The squad owns a 1-1 record in conference play, sweeping Pittsburg State before falling in four sets to nationally-ranked Central Oklahoma in four sets last weekend.
Fort Hays State enters the match on a three-game winning streak against Lindenwood after the Lady Lions took the first four matches in the series. The Tigers have won two of their three matches against Lindenwood inside Gross Memorial Coliseum.
Lindenwood is led by head coach Ron Young, now in his 15th season at the helm. The team is 352-190 under his leadership, including a 19-55 mark in MIAA play since joining the league in 2012.
The Lady Lions are hitting .147 so far this season, allowing their opponents a .215 hitting percentage. They rank last in the conference with 1.53 blocks per set and 2.13 opponent blocks per frame.
Jessica Krygsheld leads the team with 124 kills, averaging just under three kills per set. Allyson Clancy orchestrates the offense, picking up nearly 10 assists each set. Junior Alex Dahlstrom has collected 18 service aces this season, second-most in the MIAA.