By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
Fort Hays State Volleyball fell in four sets to No. 8 ranked Nebraska-Kearney on Tuesday evening (Oct. 25) at Gross Memorial Coliseum. The Tigers evened up the match with a convincing second-set win and held a lead in the fourth, but the Lopers made a late burst to avoid a fifth set. UNK moved to 24-3 overall, 14-3 in the MIAA, while FHSU is now 10-15 overall and 5-12 in the MIAA.
Fort Hays State held an 11-8 lead in the opening set only to see UNK go on a 7-0 burst to take a 15-11 advantage. The Tigers pulled back within two, but the Lopers went on to take the set 25-16. Bailee Sterling and Emilee Lane each had five kills in the set for the Lopers, while Riley Tinderrecorded five for the Tigers.
The Tigers stormed back in the second set to even the match with a convincing 25-17 win. They held an early lead only to see the Lopers knot the score at 10-10, but the Tigers pushed back ahead and led 17-13 before UNK took a timeout. The Tigers went on to score eight of the last 12 points in the set out of the timeout. Attack distribution was spread around to seven different Tigers with kills in the set, led by Tinder with three, while Jaden Daffer notched seven digs in the frame.
The Tigers saw a lead of three points early in the third set at 8-5 before the Lopers pulled back even at 9-9. From that point, the third set was a tight battle for several points until the Tigers got back out in front by three at 20-17. But the Lopers went on an 8-1 run to end the set and win 25-21. Emersen Cyza and Sterling both had four kills in the set for UNK, while Gracie Rains led the Tigers with four of her own.
The Tigers once again looked in good position to take another set off the Lopers in the fourth, forcing a timeout at 5-1, then another timeout with a 16-13 advantage. However, UNK came storming out of their second request for a break, going on a 5-0 run immediately to take an 18-16 lead. The Tigers snapped the run, but then saw the Lopers reel off six more points in a row to be on the verge of taking the match at 24-17. The Tigers fought off two match points, but the Lopers took the match on a kill by Sterling, who had five kills in the set. Mykah Eshbaugh had the hot hand in the set for FHSU with four kills.
Tinder led the Tigers with 13 kills overall, followed by Rains with 10. Emily Ellis went on to match her FHSU assisted blocks record for a four-set match set just 14 days ago against Washburn in Hays with 10. The Tigers scored 11 points off their blocks and put down 44 kills in the match. Jaida Felix handed out 21 assists, followed by Caiya Stuckywith 15. Daffer averaged five digs per set, finishing with 20.
Sterling led UNK with 16 kills, followed by Lane with 13. Peyton Neff had 44 assists and Jensen Rowse dug up 23 balls for the Lopers.
The Tigers managed to hold the MIAA’s leading attack percentage team to just .199 for the match, compared to their .266 average for the season.
The Tigers head on the road on Friday to No. 12 ranked Northwest Missouri State for a match at 6 p.m. in Maryville.