By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
Fort Hays State Volleyball dropped their mid-week MIAA match with Emporia State on Tuesday (Oct. 17) at Gross Memorial Coliseum. The Hornets took the first two sets before the Tigers won the third by two. However, a comeback was not in order as the Hornets put the match away in the fourth set. ESU won by scores of 26-24, 25-20, 23-25, and 25-12.
The Tigers had three set points to work with in the first set, only to see the Hornets rally for five straight points and steal the opening set. A pair of kills, an attack error by FHSU, and then a pair of service aces put the Hornets over the top to win by two.
The Tigers held a five-point lead in the second set only to see the Hornets rally back to a tie at 17-17. Eventually the Hornets snuck past again with a five-point run to take a four-point lead at 22-18. ESU went on to take the set 25-20.
After another five-point lead by the Tigers early in the third set, the Hornets rallied back to even the score at 9-9. From that point, the set was tight, but the Tigers won three of the final four points in the set to take their first set of the night 25-23. Any Tiger comeback hopes were put to bed in the fourth set though when the Hornets went on a seven-point run to extend their lead to 19-8. They closed out the match with a 25-12 set win to knock of the Tigers 3-1.
Gracie Rains led the Tigers with 13 kills, followed by 11 from Riley Tinder. Caiya Stucky recorded 36 assists. Tinder finished with a double-double, adding a team-high 18 digs, while Kirsten Evans added 14 digs.
Sandora Sasaki was the workhorse for the Hornets, putting down 32 kills, but also had 14 errors attacking the ball 70 times. Brailee Bogle handed out 45 assists, while five Hornets reached double figures in digs led by Tasiah Nunnery with 16.
Now 8-13 overall, 2-10 in the MIAA, Fort Hays State hits the road this weekend for conference matches at Pittsburg State (Friday) and Central Oklahoma (Saturday). Emporia State moved to 10-9 overall and 4-7 in the MIAA with the win.