By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
Fort Hays State had three players named to the 2024 Tiger Classic All-Tournament Team. Gracie Rains of FHSU was named MVP of the weekend event, while Grace Schmedding and Caiya Stucky of FHSU also were named to the seven-individual team voted on by coaches. Rayishon Jackman and Brailee Bogle of Emporia State, along with Erika Asencio Soriano and Mariela Jimenez of Northwestern Oklahoma State rounded out the team.
Both Fort Hays State and Emporia State went 3-0 over the weekend, while Northwestern Oklahoma State posted a 2-2 record in the event.
Rains averaged 4.2 kills per set over three matches for FHSU, finishing with double-figure kills in each match. She had 13 in a three-set win over UC-Colorado Springs, 18 in a four-set win against Truman, and 19 in a five-set win over Northwestern Oklahoma State. She hit .343 for the tournament and added a block in each match. Rains now has two all-tournament honors this season after being named all-tournament at the Mountain Lion Classic in Colorado Springs the week before.
Schmedding finished the weekend with 38 kills, averaging 3.2 per set. She had a big defensive performance against Northwestern Oklahoma State with 19 digs to go with 18 kills in a five-set contest, which pushed her weekend average for digs to 2.3 per set. She had a .243 hitting percentage for the weekend. Stucky produced an average of 10.2 assists per set for the Tigers with a total of 122 for the weekend, while averaging 2.1 digs per set. She had a season-high 48 assists in the five-set win over NWOSU.
Jackman recorded double-figure kills in all three matches, totaling 36 for the weekend with a 3.27 kills per set average, and added double-figure digs in two of three matches, finishing with 33 (3.0 per set). Bogle averaged 11.4 assists per set with 125 total over three matches, while also reaching double figures in digs in two matches and finishing with a total of 34 (3.1 per set) for the weekend. She also added eight kills and seven blocks.
Asencio Soriano had 56 kills over four matches for NWOSU, averaging 3.73 per set with three double-figure kills matches, while adding 2.5 digs per set with three double-figure digs matches. Jimenez recorded 26 kills (1.73 per set) and 16 blocks (1.1 per set) over four matches.
2024 Tiger Classic All-Tournament Team
OH – Gracie Rains, Fort Hays State, MVP
OH – Grace Schmedding, Fort Hays State
S – Caiya Stucky, Fort Hays State
OH – Rayishon Jackman – Emporia State
S – Brailee Bogle – Emporia State
OH – Erika Asencio Soriano, Northwestern Oklahoma State
M – Mariela Jimenez, Northwestern Oklahoma State
Saturday
The Fort Hays State volleyball team picked up a pair of wins on Saturday (Sept. 14), defending its home turf with victories over Truman State and Northwestern Oklahoma State on the final day of the 2024 Tiger Classic. FHSU fought off the Bulldogs of TSU in four tight sets early in the afternoon before holding off a surging Rangers squad in five sets in the nightcap.
The Tigers are now 5-1 on the season, while Truman State moves to 0-8 overall and Northwestern Oklahoma State dips to 3-5.
Fort Hays State will be on the road for the next two weeks, playing three more non-conference contests in Bolivar, Mo. September 20-21 as part of the SBU Invitational before opening league action at Missouri Southern on September 27. The Tigers will next play at home during homecoming weekend when they host Northwest Missouri State on Friday, October 4.
Fort Hays State 3, Truman State 1 (25-20, 23-25, 25-18, 25-23)
The Tigers opened the day with a tight battle against Truman State. The teams traded punches in each sets, including 12 ties and six lead changes in the first set, seven ties and three lead changes in the second set and six ties and three lead changes in the fourth frame.
Trailing 19-18 in the first set, FHSU scored seven of the next eight points to take the frame, 25-20. Avery Eshleman gave the Tigers the lead with back-to-back kills before Tallon Rentschler dropped in a service ace. Eshleman later finished things off with another kill.
Truman State pulled away late in the second set, leveling the score at one set each, before FHSU took control early in the third set and held on to win 25-18.
FHSU mounted one final rally late in the fourth set to seal the deal, scoring five in a row to turn a 23-20 deficit into a 25-23 victory. Ashlyn Reeves got things going with a block before a Bulldog error tied the score at 23. Reeves then dropped in a kill to reach match point before Gracie Rains closed the door with her team-leading 18th kill of the match.
The Tigers combined for a season-high 13 service aces in the win, including six from Kirsten Evans. Rains totaled 18 kills on 32 swings while adding one solo block. Grace Schmedding and Eshleman both had 12 kills each alongside two blocks. Caiya Stucky dished out 41 assists while adding three kills and eight digs. Evans racked up a team-high 25 digs, with Haylee Wolfadding 15 digs.
Fort Hays State 3, Northwestern Oklahoma State 2 (26-24, 25-21, 17-25, 21-25, 15-6)
The Tigers took control early in the last of nine matches inside Gross Memorial Coliseum on the weekend, taking the first set against NWOSU 26-24 and taking the second frame 25-21. FHSU led 12-10 midway through the third set before a big Ranger run kept the visitors in the match.
Fort Hays State trailed by as many as five in the fourth set before battling back to tie the score at 19. Northwestern Oklahoma State responded by scoring five of the last six points, taking the fourth 25-21 to send things to a deciding fifth set.
The Tigers left nothing to chance in the final stanza, scoring five in a row to take the lead for good following a 2-2 tie. Schmedding put FHSU in front with back-to-back kills before Rentschler added a back row kill. Kills from Reeves and Olson helped the Tigers reach match point before a Ranger service error sailed wide, securing the FHSU victory.
Fort Hays State notched a season-high 68 kills in the win, including 19 from Rains and 18 from Schmedding. Schmedding also led the team with 19 digs. Olson totaled 11 kills and two blocks. Stucky dished out 48 assists and tied with Taytum Lovesee for the team lead with three blocks. Evans added three more service aces in the second win, giving her nine on the day.
Friday
The Fort Hays State volleyball team opened the 2024 Tiger Classic with a three-set sweep against the University of Colorado Colorado Springs Friday evening (Sept. 13), 27-25, 25-10, 25-14. The Tigers, now 3-1 on the season, avenged their only loss of the season in the process, while the Mountain Lions are now 4-2 this season.
The Tigers led for much of the first set, but each time the home side would go on a small run the visitors would answer back. FHSU led by as many as six early, 8-2, before the Mountain Lions scored six in a row to tie things up. The Tigers later led 16-12 and 23-18, but UCCS managed to fight back and tie the score each time.
A combo block from Claire Olson and Taytum Loveseehelped FHSU reach match point at 24-22 before the Mountain Lions scored two in a row to extend the set. Back-to-back kills from Gracie Rains eventually finished things off, 27-25.
The second set was close early on, with the lead changing hands four times. Fort Hays State flipped a switch at the midway point of the frame, turning an 8-7 deficit into a 25-10 rout thanks to a 18-2 run. Rains and Olson both contributed three kills during the run, while FHSU added four blocks and three service aces to complete the rally. The Tigers posted a blistering .565 attack percentage in the second set thanks to 15 kills and just two errors on 23 swings.
The third set was nearly a carbon copy of the second, with FHSU trailing 8-7 early before going on a 12-2 run to jump in front 19-10. A kill from Grace Schmeddinggave the Tigers the lead for good at 9-8 before Ashlyn Reeves added two kills and a block during the run. Tallon Rentschler later dropped in back-to-back service aces before Schmedding ended the match with her eighth kill of the evening.
Fort Hays State posted an efficient .340 attack percentage thanks to a season-low 11 errors. The Tiger defense totaled eight blocks while limiting UCCS to a swing rate of .098.
Rains totaled 13 kills while adding one block assist. Olson recorded 11 kills and four blocks, including one solo swat. Schmedding had eight kills and zero errors on 17 attempts, leading the team with an attack percentage of .471. Reeves totaled five blocks (two solo) and added eight kills.
Kirsten Evans paced the team with 15 digs and added one service ace. Haylee Wolf added nine digs and two assists. Caiya Stucky tossed up 33 assists to go along with four kills, two service aces and six digs. Rentschler dropped in a team-best three service aces.