By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
BOLIVAR, Mo. – The Fort Hays State volleyball team picked up its seventh-consecutive win in a five-set thriller over Southwest Baptist Saturday afternoon (Sept. 21) on day two of the SBU Invitational. The Tigers are now 8-1 as they conclude non-conference play, while the Bearcats dip to 6-5 on the season.
The home team was in complete control in set one, scoring the first six points before taking the frame 25-9. After totaling just four kills and nine errors in the first set, the Tigers got things going in the second frame, posting a swing rate of .282 thanks to 14 kills and just three errors.
Fort Hays State never trailed in the second set, scoring nine-straight points to quickly go up 10-1. The Tigers later led by as many as 10 before holding on late to even the match with a 25-21 victory.
Southwest Baptist led for much of the third set, including a six-point advantage as late as 20-14. The Tigers scored the next three points to close within three, but SBU bounced back to reach set point at 24-20. A kill from Taytum Lovesee then kicked off a five-point spurt for the Tigers, helping FHSU take its first lead of the frame. The teams then traded points until Abrey Galt and Tallon Rentschler dropped in back-to-back kills, giving the Tigers a come-from-behind 29-27 win.
The teams battled back-and-forth early in the third set with neither team leading by more than three until a 6-1 SBU run put the Bearcats up 18-12. Fort Hays State roared back, scoring the next seven points to momentarily regain the lead. The lead changed hands three more times down the stretch, with SBU extending the match by scoring four of the final five points in the stanza.
Fort Hays State took the lead for good in the fifth set with a 7-2 run, turning a 3-2 deficit into a 9-5 lead. Gracie Rains contributed three kills during the run, with Galt adding one and Caiya Stucky dropping in a service ace. SBU closed within one before the Tigers slammed the door, closing the match on a 6-2 run to win, 15-10. A kill from Claire Olson allowed FHSU to reach set point before Olson teamed up with Ashlyn Reeves for a game-winning block.
Rains paced the Tigers with 15 kills while adding seven digs and two blocks. Lovesee and Reeves each had five blocks, while Stucky dished out a team-high 33 assists. Both Kirsten Evans (26 digs) and Stucky (20 digs) racked up at least 20 digs, while Galt contributed eight kills, 10 assists, six digs and two blocks. Olson totaled seven kills and did not commit an error, posting a swing rate of .368.
The Tigers posted an attack percentage of .158 as a team (56-26-190) and recorded 11 total blocks, four service aces and 92 digs.
Fort Hays State will open conference play next weekend with matches at Missouri Southern on Friday (Sept. 27, 6 p.m.) and at No. 23 Central Missouri on Saturday (Sept. 28, 6 p.m.)
Friday
BOLIVAR, Mo. – The Fort Hays State volleyball team extended its winning streak to six matches with a pair of wins on day one of the SBU Invitational on Friday (Sept. 20). The Tigers rallied to defeat Truman State in five sets before toppling Ouachita Baptist in four frames.
Fort Hays State is now 7-1 on the year, while Truman State dips to 0-10 overall and Ouachita Baptist moves to 6-4.
Fort Hays State 3, Truman State 2 (20-25, 25-22, 23-25, 27-25, 15-12)
The Tigers opened the weekend with a five-set battle against Truman State. The Bulldogs led for nearly all of the first set, winning 25-20. FHSU battled back with a 25-22 win in the second set, before TSU closed within one set of its first win of the season with a 25-23 victory in set three.
The Tigers stormed back, quickly taking a nine-point lead in the fourth set, 13-4. The Bulldogs responded with a run of their own, leveling the score at 19 before taking a 23-20 lead. Four-straight kills from Gracie Rains helped the Tigers reach set point before Grace Schmedding secured the 27-25 win with a kill.
Fort Hays State took an early three-point lead in the deciding fifth set before TSU scored five in a row to go up 8-6. The Tigers bounced back by scoring the next four points, regaining the lead on a combo block from Claire Olson and Taytum Lovesee. Caiya Stucky ended the match with a kill, completing a 15-12 fifth-set win.
Fort Hays State racked up 19 blocks in the win, the fifth-most in a match by a Division II program so far this season and the most by the Tigers since October 2022 (20 vs. Washburn, 10/11/22). Lovesee had 10 blocks, including three solo blocks, while Stucky and Ashlyn Reeves each had six. Olson and Rains both contributed five blocks.
Rains led the team with 23 kills, with Schmedding and Reeves chipping in 11 kills each. Stucky dished out 36 assists, with Abrey Galt tossing up 15 assists. Kirsten Evans led the way with 19 digs, while Delaney Gishrecorded 13 digs and two service aces.
Fort Hays State 3, Ouachita Baptist 1 (19-25, 25-22, 25-23, 25-23)
The black and gold Tigers bounced back from a slow start against the purple and gold-clad Tigers of Ouachita Baptist, winning in four sets after losing the opening frame.
Fort Hays State took control in the second set thanks to a 7-1 run that turned a six-all tie into a 13-7 lead. FHSU led the rest of the way in the set, ultimately winning 25-22 on a kill from Rains.
Ouachita Baptist scored the first point of the third set, but that was its only lead as FHSU scored the next four points to go in front for good. Fort Hays State later pushed the lead to 10 before OBU clawed back, closing within one after a 10-1 run. A service ace from Tallon Rentschler helped FHSU reach set point before Stucky ended the 25-23 frame with a kill.
Fort Hays State trailed by as many as eight in the fourth set, 17-9, before rallying back with an 11-2 run. The run began with four-straight blocks bookended by kills from Galt, quickly allowing FHSU to close within 18-15. Two kills each from Lovesee and Rains then gave the black and gold Tigers a 20-19 lead before Reeves finished off the match with a kill.
Rains again led the Tigers in kills, totaling 20 kills to go along with seven digs and two blocks. Reeves racked up 12 kills and seven blocks (two solo), while Galt distributed 43 assists alongside seven kills, one service ace and four blocks. Evans recorded 25 digs and a team-high four service aces in the win.