{"id":91300,"date":"2025-10-21T11:59:48","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T16:59:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/?p=91300"},"modified":"2025-10-21T11:59:50","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T16:59:50","slug":"fhsu-volleyball-uses-redemption-win-to-build-momentum-for-miaa-stretch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/?p=91300","title":{"rendered":"FHSU volleyball uses redemption win to build momentum for MIAA stretch"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By KYLER ROWDEN-STUM<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tiger Media Network<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a tough loss to University of Central Oklahoma, the Fort Hays State University volleyball team needed a spark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It found it the next night against University of Arkansas-Fort Smith on Saturday night at Gross Memorial Coliseum. The Tigers bounced back in a big way and kept their MIAA postseason hopes alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 3-1 victory \u2014 by set scores of 20-25, 25-18, 26-24 and 25-19 \u2014 didn\u2019t just break a skid. It gave Fort Hays State the blueprint for how it must play down the stretch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the toughest part of conference play still ahead, the Tigers know the energy and execution they showed Saturday can be the difference between chasing a conference postseason berth and earning<\/em> one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Assistant coach Carolynne Barbosa said consistency and fight will define how far the team goes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYesterday we kind of stopped playing our game,\u201d Barbosa said about a 3-0 loss to No. 4 ranked University of Central Oklahoma. \u201cBut today, we played the whole time the same way \u2014 with more fight. We played like we were together. If we keep that up, we\u2019ll go far.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Tigers\u2019 performance backed that up. FHSU recorded 58 kills on a .247 hitting percentage, holding the Lions to just .166. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senior outside hitter Gracie Rains led the charge with 17 kills on 27 swings (.519), while sophomore Grace Schmedding added seven kills and 15 digs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Setters Abrey Galt and Annie Eaton combined for 48 assists, helping balance the attack and create the kind of offensive rhythm the Tigers will need as MIAA play intensifies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fort Hays also matched Arkansas\u2013Fort Smith with 10 total blocks and finished with 67 digs, a sign of growing defensive discipline. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Barbosa said that collective effort \u2014 and belief \u2014 is what can carry them forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur conference is very hard, but we have a good team,\u201d she said. \u201cIf we play like we did today \u2014 fighting for every point and staying together \u2014 we\u2019ll be right where we need to be at the end of the season.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Rains, that mindset is exactly what she wants to leave behind as a senior leader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about being a good teammate and not being afraid to take initiative,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ve been here all four years, and this is the best team camaraderie we\u2019ve had. We know what we\u2019re capable of, and we\u2019re chasing that end goal together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That message has resonated with younger players like Schmedding, who continues to develop her role and confidence in her second year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTrust \u2014 100%,\u201d Schmedding said. \u201cI\u2019m playing for the girls next to me. We all give 100% effort every day, and that\u2019s what makes this team special. We want to make the tournament and go far. We\u2019re good enough to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Barbosa, now in her fifth season with the program, said the team\u2019s chemistry gives them a chance to make a late push.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey play for each other,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s what\u2019s going to carry us. If we keep playing the way we did today \u2014 together and with fight \u2014 we\u2019ll be in a great position when the postseason comes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Tigers\u2019 win over Arkansas\u2013Fort Smith might have been a moment of redemption, but its real value lies in what comes next. With renewed confidence, sharper execution and the belief that they belong among the MIAA\u2019s best, Fort Hays State is heading into the final stretch with purpose \u2014 and the fight to prove it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FHSU is 14-7 overall and 3-6 in MIAA play. The Tigers are eighth in the conference standings entering a home match against national powerhouse University of Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This story was written as part of INF 322: Sports Writing, a course in the Department of Informatics at Fort Hays State University.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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