FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
HAYS, Kan. – A homecoming weekend full of Fort Hays State victories continued Saturday evening (Oct. 1) with a dominating performance from the Tiger volleyball team. FHSU cruised to a three-set victory over Lindenwood (25-20, 25-19, 25-20) to pick up its second-straight conference victory. The Tigers improved to 15-3 on the season and 3-2 in MIAA play, while the Lady Lions move to 5-9 overall and 1-3 in the league.
With the victory, Fort Hays State leveled the all-time series with Lindenwood at four wins apiece.
The Tigers hit an effective .269 for the match, picking up 45 kills and making just 13 attack errors. Nine FHSU blocks aided in limiting the Lady Lions to a .165 attack percentage.
The Lady Lions scored three quick points to take an early lead in the first set, but the Tigers stormed back to take the lead for good at 7-6 after a strong kill from Sydney Dixon on a pass from Chandler Hillman. A solo block from Rebekah Spainhour gave the Tigers a five-point lead, 18-13, and forced Lindenwood to use a timeout. The Lady Lions closed within two after breaking the huddle, but an authoritative kill from Crystal Whitten stole the momentum right back for the Tigers. Back-to-back kills from Megan Anderson gave FHSU its largest lead of the set at 23-17. After the Lady Lions held off one set point, Dixon sealed the victory with a dig and kill on a pass from Hannah Wagy.
The second set opened as a back-and-forth affair, with neither team leading by more than two until a Lindenwood attack error gave the home team a 12-9 advantage. Spainhour followed with consecutive kills, sparking a five-point Tiger run to extend a six-point lead. The visitors would not go down quietly a second time, storming back with a 7-0 run to take the lead by one. The Tigers regrouped to take the set by scoring 10 of the final 13 points in the frame. Whitten handed FHSU a set point opportunity with a kill before grabbing the victory with a booming swing of her left arm.
Lindenwood came out of the intermission rejuvenated, leading for much of the third set. Consecutive attack errors by the Lady Lions gave FHSU its first lead of the set, 16-14, forcing a timeout by the visitors. LU tied the score on two more occasions, but a four-point Tiger run highlighted by two Whitten kills put the finish line in sight for Kurt Kohler’s squad. With the Tigers holding a 22-20 lead, a kill from Whitten returned serve to the home team. Callie Christensen and Anderson teamed up for back-to-back blocks to bring the evening to a close, clinching the 25-20 set victory.
Whitten recorded match-highs in both kills (17) and digs (20), picking up her 10th double-double this season. Spainhour continued her impressive senior season, posting 13 kills to just two errors for a .367 hitting percentage while leaping for five blocks (two solo). Wagy tossed up an assist on 38 of the 45 kills in the match, adding two kills, eight digs and one block assist. Libero Kailey Klibbe totaled 14 digs and two assists while Hillman contributed 11 digs off the bench. Christensen made four blocks on the night (one solo) with Anderson chipping in three blocks and six kills.
The Tigers will return to action for a rematch with No. 3 Nebraska-Kearney Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. inside Gross Memorial Coliseum. FHSU took a set against the nationally-ranked Lopers earlier this season in Kearney, Neb., but the home team fought back to take a 3-1 victory. UNK remains unbeaten in 2016, entering Tuesday’s contest with a 19-0 record.